bloody immobiliser

[the giff]

im in hope somebody can help, my battery had gone flat and stupidly i fitted a new battery without the keys in the ignition this ha triggered the immobiliser, i have never had a key fob for the car and up till now have never needed it, i didn't need the immobiiliseras i am getting a new alarm fitted and was hoping someone would now how i could bypass it i have read a post which said to cut and join the 2 thick cables that go to the EWS, so i did which allowed the car to try and turn over which it wouldn't do before, but it still wont start as if there is no fuel getting to the engine i am quite happy to completely disable the alarm and immobilser if someone could tell me how or even just the immobiliser as the alarm isn't causing a problem, thanks in advance for any help or advice given:

[Mallard]

try a full stop .

they help

other that that Welcome to the forum i hope you find somthing here to help with the issue i dont have any info on the subject here to hand but i have never heard on the EWS mix fix it sounds intresting to say the least try to get the alarm / imob. removed and get an auto el man to have a look at the start relay and fuel pump relay if u got anything out of this post then you are a smarter man than i

[nyle]

hmm...


I thought that you trigger the EWS problem when you DO have the keys in the ignition.... Are you sure that this is the issue?

[the giff]

i'm not 100% sure this is the problem it is just what i've found out through digging around on the forums, the only other thing it can be is the transponder in the key needs to be reprogrammed but for bmw to do it the car has to got to them, and moving it is difficult

[Mallard]

they can reprogramme the key after the chassis number

car not needed

[the giff]

i asked that but they said it had to be programmed to the car, although the person spoke on the phone was a bit vaigue and didn't fill me with confidence in his knowledge

[Mallard]

if you lost your key... how would you get a new one

[mohaughn]

Originally Posted by the giff

i asked that but they said it had to be programmed to the car, although the person spoke on the phone was a bit vaigue and didn't fill me with confidence in his knowledge

You do know that the battery in the key go go bad right? There is no requirement to have the keys in the ignition when you change the battery. If I had to guess you have only made matters worse by cutting wires and doing things like that...

The key usually charges when it is in the ignition. So if the key has not been used for awhile it can go bad, or the solid state battery inside could have just died and is no longer charging. That is where I would start with an EWS problem when you know everything else should be working.

[the giff]

of course i'll sort it out, thanks for the input, when you've been banging your had against a brick wall for a while it always worth asking second opinions n looking at the problem from a different angle

[zboot]

. . . let me clear up some misconceptions:

1. The chip in the key that broadcasts a code for the EWS system DOES not need to be charged or lose charge. It is energized by the ring antenna around the ignition. That means that as long as you have a working battery, the system will always work, assuming there is nothing wrong with your EWS module or connections between the ring antenna and the module.

2. The immobilizer is the EWS system. NOT an aftermarket alarm.

3. That EWS trick is weird. . . do you have a 95 or early 96ti? EWS-II should not be bypassable in that manner.

4. Assuming you have EWS-II, the way it works is that your key (in the ignition) broadcasts a code to the EWS module. Once it verifies a valid key is in, it interrogates your DME for a different code. If that matches, then it allows the DME to start the car. So, you should not be splice EWS cables together and get the engine to turn over.

5. Finally, there is only ONE bundle of wires connecting to the EWS module and it's relatively small. So, the two thick cables you spliced would likely be for something else and you may have caused yourself more problems than you originally had.

[mohaughn]

Originally Posted by zboot

. . . let me clear up some misconceptions:

1. The chip in the key that broadcasts a code for the EWS system DOES not need to be charged or lose charge. It is energized by the ring antenna around the ignition. That means that as long as you have a working battery, the system will always work, assuming there is nothing wrong with your EWS module or connections between the ring antenna and the module.

That really depends on the type of key. BMW keys with integrated alarm controls do have a battery. The OP has not told us the year of his car, or if he is even in the US. Given that he used the term bloody and has a location of Birmingham I was thinking Birmingham UK, not Birmingham, AL.

We get a lot of questions on here from people with E46 318ti's, which do have the integrated alarm fob/key. These keys most certainly charge when in the ignition and will go dead if not used. Let a rechargeable battery sit long enough without charging, and it may never take a charge again.

I've also had to replace my spare key because the solid state electronics in the key stopped working. The person at BMW parts basically told me that the key is not taking a charge, therefore, it is not sending the EWS codes back to the EWS received.


To the op- I would also probe your crankshaft and camshaft position sensors. I think if the crankshaft does not send a signal, the car will not start. I have no experience with that, but found a few articles that say it could be an issue.

[zboot]

My point was that battery has nothing to do with the EWS/immobilizer system. Even if your alarm is going off, the car should still start assuming everything else is working properly. (Edit: I could be wrong here, I need to check to see if EWS takes inputs from an alarm system).

Hmm, it is possible for the key to no longer get energized by the key ring. This brings up a question for the OP, did you try another key? The chances of two keys failing in that manner simultaneously are ridiculously low.

[nyle]

this sounds like either a blown fuse or a loose connection or something. It seems so unlikely that the antenna ring would go bad at the same time he changed the battery.