BMW E39 Remote Starter Wiring Confusion

I've been searching the net for a couple of days on this. The information seems pretty scarce for a 22 year vehicle... Finally decided to register on this website as people here seem quite knowledgeable. I was able to install the remote on my BMW 528i 1998 automatic. It starts. But I'm really lost as to the remaining wires. I need to tap wires for locking/locking, trunk,siren etc. But how do I know which wire is which? There's a little bit of information on this website, on bimmerforum and bimmerfest, but not nearly enough. Most places list a few of the wires and their colors, but not where these wires are. I pretty much figured the ignition switch wires, but I can't figure out all the extras. I'm trying to figure out where to tap these wires I also need to tap turn signal wire and heated seat wire. I'm sure a lot of the wires I need are here But how do I know which wire is which? I was able to identify some connections and the pinout using https://www.newtis.info But I can't even follow the wires from the connector because the connector blocks the wires I wonder if anyone can help?

There may be a lock of some sort, but that connector will slide apart. The body will separate into two main pieces. The bottom end of the connector will slide out of the outer shell, exposing the wires inside which can then be depinned if necessary. You might try gently prying with a small screwdriver.My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

test light / multi meter is your friend. find the correct color wire, and test it's function.

Thanks for that! You were right it separated Copper what procedure do you guys use to test with a multimeter or test light to find the right wire? Sorry I'm a big noon in electronics. I'm kind of stumped with the 12 pin connector on the remote starter. Can someone explain in layman's terms what this all means? #1 is easy enough, trunk release, got it working! #2 Do I connect it wherever? Don't know where it's supposed to go. #3 seems like #2. What you guys do with these? #4&5 seem to be for arming/disarming, I need to just find it on my car #6 Something to do with a dome light, but no clue what it does #7 Starter kill switch, something to do with helping the car not get stolen. Again no clue what to connect it to. #8 For manual transmissions, good to know I don't need this! #9 Some kind of trigger, what can I do with it? #10 Something similar to #2 and #3. What do people use it for? #11 Like #6, something to do with dome light but negative rather than positive. Not sure of the difference. #12 This is like #8, I don't have it so I don't have to worry about it:) Once I figure out this portion I can do a write up on step by step instructions for E39 remote starter.

Wiring information is available if you know where to look. You can go to http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/bdnew/vehiclewiringdiagrams.aspx and search for your vehicle. Also, the vehicle wiring section on this site is also helpful: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/vehicles.html Testing and verifying wires as silvercivicsir stated is important also. If you don't have a digital multimeter, I suggest you get a basic one. You can pick one up for cheap at Harbor Freight or Walmart. Here's some helpful information on testing wiring: http://www.commandocaralarms.com/info_using_a_multimeter.asp #2/3 If you pull up your vehicle's wiring information, you need to run wires into the driver's door. You will also need relays to convert from negative to positive. Apparently unlock requires a double pulse as well (hopefully this is programmable on your unit). #4/5 Used on some vehicles to arm/disarm the factory alarm. You may not need it. #6 Connect to the positive door trigger wire at the dome light (blue/red). Verify this with a meter. #7 https://www.the12volt.com/relays/starter-interrupt-diagrams.asp #9 Connect to the trunk pin wire (brown/white) at the trunk pin. #10 You can use this for your immobilizer bypass. #11 Not used.My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

Thank you for sharing the information and that extra link! I've got a very good multimeter and actually use it as described on your other link. While researching, I learned that for my car, it arms and disarms when the car is locked and unlocked. Therefore #2 and #4 do the same thing as well as #3 and #5. Pretty good considering I fried my door modules when I connected the battery in reverse by accident, so I dont have to worry about these wires. Still, I connected the wires for lock and unlock but nothing happens when I press lock and unlock on the remote starter key fob. Yet the key from the car does lock and unlock the rear doors, which is kind of confusing. I wonder where does the signal go from my car key if it's not in those wire in my driver's door? #6 - where would you tap it? It says Dome light, but that would be too far. And it looks like dome light goes to the glove box, which is even further. https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e39-528i-lim/components-connectors/components/e-lights-electrical-heating-systems/lamps-electrical-heaters/e34-front-interior-reading-light/e4Z4hzR https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e39-528i-lim/UsziYBw The wires going from my remote are just not long enough. Do I need an extra wire to run it all the way from my remote module to the dome light? Is there really not another wire somewhere closer? #7 looks like some kind of a hidden kill switch so that the car won't start when it's disarmed. #9 Sorry do you mean to run the wire all the way to the trunk handle? Or connect it at the same connector as #1 but a different wire? What does it do exactly? My trunk seems to be opening fine from the remote starter fob after I connected the blue wire #1 #10 Removed the immobilizer, life is easy (it's a parts car/winter beater) Funny thing, even though my front door modules died and I removed them, I can lock/unlock the rear doors with the key fob. I'm curious how it does that. The central locking switch is not working https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e39-528i-lim/components-connectors/components/s-switches-encoding-plugs/switches-coding-plugs/s302-central-locking-switch/W9MZH4D Then how come my car key can remotely lock and unlock the rear doors but my remote starter key fob won't do that? Another super confusing thing. On the 5 wires coming from the module, I don't seem to get any volts from #5 parking lights yellow wire. I wanted to connect it to the parking lights behind the switch, but it's not giving me 12 volts. Is this a problem with my module? I've put the jumper to the "positive" in the back of the remote module. I also tried setting the jumper to "negative" but no luck. Am I doing something wrong here?

Remote keyless entry is controlled by an RF signal through a different module (not as simple as connecting a couple wires). The front door lock actuators are driven directly from the door modules. #6 You can extend the wires to wherever is convenient for you to connect. #7 So the car won't start when it's armed. #9 Connect wherever it's convenient for you. This senses when the trunk is open (or other sensor if you add one), to trigger the alarm. http://diagrams.marktoonen.nl/DOWNLOADS/17044_5-SERIES_BMW%20PARKING%20LIGHT%20FLASH.pdfMy ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

Thanks again! I think #6, 7 and 9 are not worth the hassle. Running wires all the way to the trunk and under the headliner just for the dome light...isn't worth the hassle. What does the dome light do anyway? Lights up when you start the car from remote? Thanks for the diagram, I've seen it from the website you shared previously. Unfortunately I'm kind of stuck at the step of parking lights. Well first of all I'm not getting the 12 volts I'm supposed to be getting from the yellow wire coming out of the remote module. That means I cannot supply the relay with 12 volts. And if I cannot supply the relay with voltage, obviously nothing can happen. Secondly I'm not getting 12 volts on the wire going to the parking switch It says I should be getting 12 volts at the wire and I'm only getting 3 volts. https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e39-528i-lim/components-connectors/components/s-switches-encoding-plugs/switches-coding-plugs/s8-light-switch/Yr1fNkL What gives? I mean the parking lights are working after all. Maybe something to do with the fact that I have no parking lights on the front but only in the back? In the front, I'm missing sockets for the parking lights. Gotta go to a scrap yard to pick up some. Got these headlight assemblies without parking lights

After seeing the model on the pic you posted, I realize this is just a remote start, not an alarm. The dome light connection is to monitor when you have a door/doors open. Since you don't have a manual transmission, you can disregard this. If the remote start positive parking light output is not working, try the negative output to control a relay. If that doesn't work, and since you don't need a transponder bypass, you could possibly use the ground-while-running (white pin 10) wire to control a relay for the parking lights. That way, you'd have visual confirmation that the car is running.My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

I'm really at a loss here... No power from orange wire and no power from the white wire. I also tried the green wire from fifth relay and no luck either. I wired relay terminals 30 and 87 in between the wire that activates signal lights. I connected terminal 85 to the ground wire on the parking light switch. The I tried connecting all the wires I mentioned to terminal 86 to supply power and no luck. My parking lights stay on (since there's a break in the power wire). I tried supplying power from a 12 volts charger and instantly the relay clicked and the parking lights went out. I tried the same with using the power from the courtesy light and it worked as well. So I know my connection and the relay are good. Why am i not getting power from the remote module? Is it faulty? Did i wire something else wrong? I tried disconnecting all the connectors from it and connecting back but still no luck. Though the car starts just fine...