We've had our 2023 Cooper SE for a couple of months, now. GREAT CAR! Sadly, the chip shortage cheated us out of the heated steering wheel and the alarm system when it was delivered here in Connecticut. We'd really like to have an alarm system on it, though. Does anyone know: 1. Can an alarm system be installed in this car? 2. If so, can someone point me in the right direction to find an aftermarket alarm? 3. If an alarm is possible, can I expect an alarm shop will know what they're doing inside my EV? Thanks for any information you folks come up with!
Welcome to the forum, @Sssster! AFAIK, no one on this forum has been able to install the factory alarm system in their SE. Alarm systems (or heated steering wheels) weren't available on the 2021 SE I have, but I've never had either on any car I've owned, so I don't miss them. Your SE's 12-Volt system is pretty the same as that of the ICE MINI from which it sprang. The big difference is the SE uses a DC-to-DC converter to charge the 12-Volt battery instead of the ICE MINI's alternator. Not being familiar with alarm systems, I don't know if they include a connection to the engine, such as a way to detect when the spark plugs are firing.
Out of curiosity what do you specifically want an alarm for? You should have tracking capability built in. Ours does not have the alarm either, but has GPS tracking in the app, when enabled in settings of the car. An alarm was one thing we did not miss. I was under the impression that modern cars are pretty hard to steal, tho not impossible. Missing adaptive cruise control on the other hand, bums me out.
Thanks, everyone, for the info. Most helpful! You know, I had forgotten about the GPS tracking. I was focusing on what we DIDN'T get & forgot about what we DID get. Between what you folks had to say and my mechanic neighbor, it seems theft of EV's is more difficult - and there's no real loss here. I suppose that's why the MINI engineers decided that, if they had to lose something to compensate for fewer chips, losing the alarm and steering wheel heating would have the least impact. Fortunately, we didn't lose the adaptive cruise control, too - I love that! My neighbor pointed out that I was more likely to lose the wheels if I didn't put lock lugs on them. Good point. I've ordered those now.
Alarm systems are a great way to get your car vandalized by people they're pissing off with the honking & wailing. Good insurance & an always-on dash cam would be the way to go if you're really paranoid about anything happening.
Excellent! When I emptied the boot a couple days after delivery (original black mirror caps, front license plate frame, L1 charger, Flex charger, as-yet-uninstalled rear mud flaps, puncture kit, first aid kit), I found a small, BMW-branded box with four lug bolts inside. Reading the smaller print on the box, I apparently also got locking bolts! I also ordered 15 mm spacers and longer bolts which I’ve yet to install (waiting for the front mud flaps and an installation appointment), and will probably forgo the locks on the Power Spoke rims because the bolts are covered, but will definitely use the locks with the winter wheels (and no spacers).
You're really not missing out on much. The camera based system is vastly inferior to the radar based ones especially when driving into the sun or rain. I've also had radar based cruise control fail in other vehicles due to dead bug splatter.
You know, I DO wish there was a way to set the effective distance to be a default of much shorter. Whenever I use the cruise control, I end up immediately tapping the button to shorten the distance. Admittedly a small thing - but annoying nonetheless.
I know nothing about Bimmercode - although I read about it a lot in the forums. Does messing with the car's programming do anything to the warranty? And - can using Bimmercode set Green mode as a default? That'd be nice.
Did your neighbor warn about having your catalytic converter stolen before remembering you don't have one?
BimmerCode is your friend. Mine defaults to the shortest (which is still around 200% longer than Subaru’s shortest — safe — distance). I just wish there were a way to adjust the resume acceleration (as Subaru and others allow in basic settings menus). ETA: yes, default startup can be set to any of them, or to remember the last setting. I’ve had mine set to start in Sport since Day One, but I’m about done with hooning on my 4 am, empty-streets commutes, so I’ll likely set it to Green now as well.
Not sure if that's a big threat for the SE because of the tire sizes. I guess it depends on how popular the MINI is in your area, since MINI has made a lot of different wheel designs.
I hope no vandals spot my MINI. Based on your definition, it must have been vandals who stole the antenna from the seldom-driven, garage-less SE down the street from me. Will the antenna I donated last week also disappear? I guess the answer depends on how rich the vandals got from the first antenna.
I wander who can still my Victory spoke they worthless when I bought full set take of from 2022 SE I don’t want to disclose cheep price about antenna to remove from my SE you have to use a monkey wrench is so tight but about to stilling cars living 40 years in NY I have only once bad experience a kids used screwdriver to open a car lock and they still my $5 measurement tape and to replace lock cost me $150 The most stolen cars are Hondas Minis don’t make any list.
