Monday, June 17, 2013

Installing a Stellar BMW45P Remote Keyless Entry for BMW E36 3 Series

This guide will help you install a Stellar BMW45P keyless entry system for a 3 Series BMW. The model of this keyless entry system is the AutoLoc KL550. Kits like these are custom wired to work with BMW so you just have to plug them in and program them. They are sold from a few sites online such as Bavauto, Pelican Parts, and The Hoffman Group. The system sells for about $150.

First thing you should know is that installation of this lock system is not very easy. Yes it is technically plug and play, but getting to that point involves taking out the glove compartment of the car. You will need the right tools, some patience, and a couple hours to install this keyless entry system.

Tools you will need:
- Phillips head and flat head screwdrivers (preferably ones that are short)
- A 10mm socket wrench with an extension that is about 4 inches

Taking out the screws:
There are 8 screws you will need to take out. 2 are in the vents above the glove compartment. Unscrew these. Next, open the glove compartment. There are 4 screws to take out here. 2 are likely hidden by a couple of plastic covers. The other 2 are towards the bottom. The final 2 screws are underneath the glove compartment.

Taking out the vents:
Now that the screws are out, you should be able to pull out the dash piece at the top that has the vents. It's not very easy to get out. You might have to pry it a bit with a screwdriver. It does have some latches holding it in, so if you lift it up, it might come out easier. Just keep at it until it comes out. Some levers that adjust the vents might get knocked off while you are removing this piece. If so, make sure to take these out too and snap them back into place once the vent is out.

Taking out the 10mm bolt:
In the glove compartment, there is a light on the top. You can pry this out with a flat head screwdriver. Pull the light down so you can access the bolt that is above it inside. Use your 10mm socket wrench to remove this bolt.

Taking out the glove compartment:
If you have removed 8 screws and 1 bolt, you should now be able to pull out the whole glove compartment section. You should be able to do this rather easily. You don't need to unhook any wires. Pull it out and place it on the floor mat below. Now you should be able to see all the wires and things inside.

Preparing the Stellar Autoloc system:
There is one set of wires you need to plug into the main lock box. Plug in the white end to the box. The other end (black) will plug into the car. You also need to plug in the valet button wire and the LED wire into the main box. These help you program it.

Plugging it into the car:
Inside, it will look like a lot of wires and it's not clear as to where to plug it in, but if you look far back, on the left side, there should be a place to plug in the black end of the wire. The shape will fit the plug exactly, but you have to make sure it is facing the right way. It is hard to plug this in because it is so far back and there is not a lot of room. You may have to hold it by the wires and try to guide it in. Then carefully use a screwdriver or something long to push the edges to make sure it is plugged in securely. Once this is in, you are ready to program the lock.

Programming the Stellar BMW45p:
Put the key in the ignition and turn the key to the on position. Next press and hold the red button that is plugged into the main box for 3 seconds. You will probably hear a noise and the red LED light will blink. Once it does this, press the lock button on the remote. Press the lock button on the other remote also if you have more than one. That's it. Turn the key to the off position and take out the key. Test out your remotes to make sure they work. They should now be able to lock and unlock the doors. Try to position the lock box somewhere inside where there is room and it will not move around much.

Put it all back together:
Now you can resemble the glove compartment and vents the same way you took it apart. Congratulations, you now have keyless entry on your BMW 3 series!

If you have any questions on this guide, leave them in the comments below.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Work From Anywhere - How to work from home or on the go

The past few years I have been researching work from home type jobs in an effort to be able to earn an income while not having to leave the house to go to work. I have tried various different methods and sites over the years and in this article, I will review them and share what I have learned. While thinking about the term "work from home" I realized that many of these types of jobs just require a computer and an internet connection. With a mobile laptop and wireless internet, you can actually do many of these jobs from just about anywhere, hence the title of this article "Work From Anywhere."

It is not easy to find a good home based job and when you do find one, chances are it does not pay much. Not to mention, there are plenty of scams out there promising to teach you how to earn a living from home, all you have to do is buy their book or subscribe to their website. That being said, if you do your research and put it some hard work, you can start to earn money from home or anywhere. Below are some of the ways I have used to make money by working at home.

Affiliate Marketing
One of the best ways I have found to make money online is by promoting affiliate products. This means you help other companies sell their products and services online. There are companies that actually specialize in this, for example, CJ Affiliate and ShareASale. They each have a huge database of companies you can promote products for. Many companies will actually have their own affiliate program. Check the links at the bottom of many websites and you will likely see a link for Affiliates.

So how does it work? Basically they give you a promotional link and you use that link when you promote the product. You might write a review and put your link in your article, or you might find someone with a related question and help them out by giving them your link to the product. If they buy from your link, then you get a commission. This can be a way to start earning passive income once your links are out there on the internet.

Writing Articles
Another way to earn money from home is to write articles. There are many sites that will pay you to write articles. Some pay per article, others will pay a percentage of how much your article earns from advertisements. You can even set up your own blog and write your own articles and put ads on your blog. If people click your ads, you will get some money. Keep in mind, this is difficult to earn a lot of money unless you are able to get a lot of traffic to your website. There are a few options for putting ads on your site. One of the most common is Google Adsense. If you like writing this can be a good way to earn some extra cash online.

Hourly Jobs
It is also possible to get a job that pays hourly based on the work you do from home. These types of jobs can involve working for internet or search engine companies helping to improve search engine results. Companies such as Lionbridge and Appen are popular for this type of work.

Another position becoming more popular is customer service and sales chat jobs. Many companies now off chat support on their websites and they hire people to work remotely to manage these chats. Find some of your favorite online stores and see if the chat option pops up. If so, you may be able to work for the company if they are hiring. 

Hours for these types of jobs are usually flexible and the pay can range from entry level to moderate. These jobs can be good for part time work, but they rarely provide any types of benefits such as health insurance or retirement plans. Because of this, you may want to keep a regular job and just do the work from home type jobs on the side, at least until you have a few options lined up and are earning enough to have a stable income. That is another thing to keep in mind; the stability of work from anywhere type jobs. The internet is a quickly changing environment and what is making money right now, may change or stop working at any moment.

Being able to work from anywhere is great because it provides a lot of freedom and you don't have to spend time commuting to work every day. You can also travel around if you want and work on the road. As mentioned before, this type of work is not easy to find and when you do find it, it takes effort to actually earn money. Don't expect to get rich with jobs like these, but if you can live on a moderate budget and can get a few of these jobs going at the same time, you may be able to make a full time living working from home or anywhere for that matter!