Help! E46 wont start

[zero 1162]

7 hours ago, BM WORLD said:

all easy stuff to change , should have towed the car to my work could have sorted it really quickly

I would have done this, but at the time we didn't know where the fault lied.

If I cant get it going can you come to me?

 

[zero 1162]

21 hours ago, Gabe79 said:

If the ews is still good we can code you a new key (or just a transponder) easy. 

Edit: even if your ews is dead, get a used one and we can code a new vin to it easy too. 

Edit2: this can even be used as a diagnostic step. Coding keys is cheap, like $5 for a transponder. We can code a key and you can test it to see if your car starts. That’ll answer your question. Same for ews, but I don’t know how much a used ews would cost you. 

Do you have the ability to tell whether the ews is stuffed or not?

[Gabe79 410]

28 minutes ago, zero said:

Do you have the ability to tell whether the ews is stuffed or not?

I can tell if your key reads correctly, and I can tell if your EWS can be read correctly from the chip itself. I won't be able to tell if a connector is broken (like physical damage) but I'd say that's less likely. Put it this way, if you send me your EWS+keys, I can tell you if your EWS can be read, if your key can be read, and I can send you a programmed transponder (assuming I have one, I have to look...) to try it out with if the issue is your key.) If you want to bring these to me during the day in Stanmore Bay I can tell these things in 10-15 minutes for you.

[zero 1162]

8 minutes ago, Gabe79 said:

I can tell if your key reads correctly, and I can tell if your EWS can be read correctly from the chip itself. I won't be able to tell if a connector is broken (like physical damage) but I'd say that's less likely. Put it this way, if you send me your EWS+keys, I can tell you if your EWS can be read, if your key can be read, and I can send you a programmed transponder (assuming I have one, I have to look...) to try it out with if the issue is your key.) If you want to bring these to me during the day in Stanmore Bay I can tell these things in 10-15 minutes for you.

Thanks, I will try and get transport to come see you.

[hotwire 352]

Have you tried disconnecting the battery to reboot the system? I have found this fix this same (no crank) issue on multiple different brand vehicles with AA callouts.

 

[zero 1162]

1 hour ago, hotwire said:

Have you tried disconnecting the battery to reboot the system? I have found this fix this same (no crank) issue on multiple different brand vehicles with AA callouts.

 

Yea, I did try that. I also tried swapping batteries.

[NZ00Z3 187]

19 hours ago, zero said:

Thanks.

Can you tell me which wires those are, and I will try that?

 

Edit; I have the ews out, and there are no physical signs of damage to it. I have exposed the ignition wires - there are six larger gauge wires on the back of the barrel, and two very small ones that click via a mini connector onto the keyring surround.

At the EWS plug, short the two largest wires with the 30 amp fuse, one is from the ignition switch and the other goes to the starter solenoid.  The E46 wiring diagram I looked at had them at terminals 1 and 3. Turn the key and see if the starter cranks

Possible results:

- Car cranks = problem with the EWS, it could be one of the "required signals" on being present (something other than the EWS) or the EWS itself

- Car does not crank = problem somewhere else.

 

Suggest you get a wiring diagram for your car and a good multi-meter for fault finding.  Also get access to a good scanner like INPA that can read the EWS error codes. Most scanners only read the engine codes

[zero 1162]

FIXED!

 

So @Gabe79 scanned the ews and the key, and it turns out the key was faulty.

Weirdly it had no transponder chip in it so thats a bit of a mystery.

So a bit of coding later and the car fires up.

Big thanks to Gabe, and everyone else who gave advice.

I've learnt my lesson and am getting spare keys cut for all my cars at the locksmith today.

[*Glenn* 854]

No transponder chip in the key means it fell out...normally by someone replacing the battery. No transponder chip in the key does not take one or two days for a failure to start to occur. It is immediate. I would say wifey tried fitting new batteries or she dropped the key and it broke open loosing the chip

[aja540i 1906]

28 minutes ago, *Glenn* said:

No transponder chip in the key means it fell out...normally by someone replacing the battery. No transponder chip in the key does not take one or two days for a failure to start to occur. It is immediate. I would say wifey tried fitting new batteries or she dropped the key and it broke open loosing the chip

Check the bottom of her handbag (if you dare)

[M3AN 4016]

1 hour ago, *Glenn* said:

No transponder chip in the key means it fell out...normally by someone replacing the battery. No transponder chip in the key does not take one or two days for a failure to start to occur. It is immediate. I would say wifey tried fitting new batteries or she dropped the key and it broke open loosing the chip

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[zero 1162]

4 hours ago, *Glenn* said:

No transponder chip in the key means it fell out...normally by someone replacing the battery. No transponder chip in the key does not take one or two days for a failure to start to occur. It is immediate. I would say wifey tried fitting new batteries or she dropped the key and it broke open loosing the chip

I did ask her if she dropped the key and she said no, but I suspect otherwise.

[zero 1162]

4 hours ago, aja540i said:

Check the bottom of her handbag (if you dare)

I try to avoid 'the tardis'.

[hotwire 352]

6 hours ago, *Glenn* said:

No transponder chip in the key means it fell out...normally by someone replacing the battery. No transponder chip in the key does not take one or two days for a failure to start to occur. It is immediate. I would say wifey tried fitting new batteries or she dropped the key and it broke open loosing the chip

No chip in the key, Yup, can think of that scenario a couple of times on AA call outs. Both times checking the key & confirming no output. Question owner - no haven't had the key apart since last start. One found in a handbag (woman), the other on the floor of the ute (guy)

Have been others with dodgy/broken keys where the chips have fallen into oblivion.

[BM WORLD 1283]

only the older type key has the seperate chip sitting in it

not the later diamond type RF keys , chip is part of the circuit board etc , no screws to open up that type

[gjm 3258]

Obviously so very pleased Nathan's car is running again. ?  

Could I have some suggestions for the problems we have? Pretty please? ? 

 

[Gabe79 410]

21 minutes ago, gjm said:

Obviously so very pleased Nathan's car is running again. ?  

Could I have some suggestions for the problems we have? Pretty please? ? 

 

If it was key/EWS related I'd be all over that... sorry.

[gjm 3258]

3 minutes ago, Gabe79 said:

If it was key/EWS related I'd be all over that... sorry.

The fact that it does crank spoils that solution!

[aja540i 1906]

3 hours ago, gjm said:

The fact that it does crank spoils that solution!

Are you sure? my e36 had an issue after i changed the door handle, the new one was from an ews car, and if i didn't unlock the door with the key it would crank over until the battery died but wouldn't fire, if i unlocked the drivers door with the key or reached into the door and flicked a little switch on the handle housing it fired up straight away.

[gjm 3258]

1 hour ago, aja540i said:

Are you sure? my e36 had an issue after i changed the door handle, the new one was from an ews car, and if i didn't unlock the door with the key it would crank over until the battery died but wouldn't fire, if i unlocked the drivers door with the key or reached into the door and flicked a little switch on the handle housing it fired up straight away.

I'll go through the process and see if it helps. ?