P38 Key Code Lockout

[pete3000]

Evening chaps, thought i'd ask the collective what the general idea was around some p38 strangeness. It's a P38 2000MY x reg, 2.5 DT (bmw)

Background is the battery has been completely discharged by a cheap 12v-5v dashcam voltage dropper, which has gone short circuit (we think).

Battery was showing 1.5v, tried to connect c-tek charger but no go, so negative off and charge for 3-4 days, batt voltage now a respectable 13.6v and running the blower fans and interior lights. So not knacked the battery.

on first connect when door was opened with key the alarm went off and key code lockout message was present, waited 30 mins, eka message gone. Noted central locking not working during this time.

tried to resync the key in ignition but nothing, opening and closing the door and pressing the buttons does nothing. (the indicator tell tales on the dash don't flash on key lock/unlock).

The tailgate button does follow the drivers door lock button with the key, i.e locked can't press tailgate release, unlocked can open tailgate.

 

I'm thinking the door switches on the drivers side may be shot, as for a few years when driving an the car hits a pothole or bump the door locks will spasm and unlock/lock randomly.

Found from RRnet forum the door lock switches can go bad, also that the mechanism is same as the mgf/mgtf so ordered a front set of lock off the bay.

 

Anyone have any suggestions to diagnose the no central locking or non-resync of the keys?

TIA

 

Pete

 

[Ally V8]

By the 2000my its possible to input the EKA code using Testbook. I think it was PAM Micro version 36 onwards that had this enabled. I have done it several times when the BECM refused to accept the code from the key in the door. Not sure if other diagnostic tools have this function.

Most P38 security issues stem from the RF receiver,corroded wiring/connectors or duff batteries.

 

[pete3000]

Thanks Ally, the rf receiver is a mk3 swapped it a few years back after getting bored with the false wakeups flattening the battery. The keyfob batteries are fresh at christmas, and the spare fob is also on fresh batteries. I'm worried as the central locking is not doing anything on the other three doors or showing the indicator telltales on the dash. the door open sensor is working as the alarm goes off if you open the door.

 

If you key in and go to crank the message is lockout, engine immobilied, eka or press remote fob. It also triggers the alarm again (not gone down the eka route very far as there is no feedbackt that the open close turns are recognised).

 

 

[Escape]

Have you actually entered the EKA? If it the alarm went of, the BECM will be in lockdown and wont allow central locking or remote sync unless you enter the EKA.

[pete3000]

It's not showing any feedback that keyturns are being entered, the indicators don't flash on the dashboard, makes me think the microswitches are shot? see my previous about the doors locking/unlocking when driving previously. May have been lucky till this point that the battery was never this flat or disconnected for a long period of time?

What are the options? fix the microswitches and try the eka or find a kind sole who can bring testbook or nanocom to enter the eka?

The one niggling thing in the back of my mind is that the becm and lockset "may" have been swapped by an independant before we had the car. My previous dealings with the local stealer to get a second key cut from the vin produced neither a working key or a working fob.

Or send the becm away to have it unlocked?

 

Pete

[David Sparkes]

My advice with these is always to fix the known fault, which in your case appears to be the microswitches in the door lock. The problem could be the wiring to the lock, either in the door or in the car.

I suggest the no cost approch is to remove the door panel, separate the wiring and manually link the wires that have the microswitches on the end of them, to see if the dash indicators light up. It could be a little tedious to enter the EKA in this manner, and very prone to error, so all I'm suggesting is proving the microswitches are broken, then change the lock.

Do those MG ones have the same switches embedded in them?

Regards.

[ThreeSheds]

Not sure if this is any help, but mine is a TD5 Disco - and may be similar in this respect: when entering the EKA code there is no feedback, but it works. I just make very deliberate key movements...

[Escape]

I don't remember getting any feedback from the lock until the correct EKA is fully entered. Only then will the central locking work and indicators flash.

[pete3000]

Well, the ECU's are back after a little holiday courtesy of parcelforce, the P38 lives again after the becm being essentially wiped by trying to charge the battery with leads still attached from flat with the ctek (not enough current to keep it happy and allow ecus to startup/shutdown).

With hindsight should have disconnected the battery before attempting to charge.

 

Thanks must go to Rich at callrova for a fast turnaround and great service.

Pete

[pete3000]

On 23/02/2018 at 12:31 PM, David Sparkes said:

Do those MG ones have the same switches embedded in them?

Regards.

The late model 99-01 mgf/mgtf door lock mechanisms are identical David, the drivers door has a green plastic pushrod clip (starboard?) :-) and the passenger front has a red pushrod clip (port)?  just going to strip and prove the ones which arrived off fleabay to satisfy myself the switches are good before swapping the drivers door one over.

Pete

[pete3000]

Well, final bit of info to tidy this thread up with a successful outcome :-)

With the becm reprogrammed and synced to the engine ecu, all was ok but the rf fob wouldn't re-learn. Then things got a bit worse last week when the alarm kept sounding on opening the drivers door. This meant the engine was immobilised (door thought it was still locked). the key central locking also dissapeared.

So as said earlier, doorswitches. Managed to get the door latch out today by doing the following.

Remove door card and foam liner, (easier access with window glass up) at the bottom edge of door unclip the two cable clips from the door casing and seperate the latch connector. Flick the green plastic rod catch round to release the door handle pull rod.

Unscrew the exterior door handle (1 torx screw) and remove the assembly, (the mushroom spring clip on the handle needs to be eased open carefully)

Release the inside door handle in the same way (push the plastic retainer away) then pull the cylinder and cable away from handle assembly.

The door lock/unlock plastic bit is screwed to push rod on normal type self tapping thread (took a while to work this out).

Remove the three lock retaining plate torx screws then lock will come out at the upper door area with a push or scrape on the window regulator assembly.

 

By visual and by metering the wires out the pink/purple/green are motor wires for the remote locking.

The remainder are switches, Black is common on all three microswitches, blue and white are normally closed. Red should have been normally closed but was showing 16k ohms to 1M ohms.

 

So i decided to scavenge the microswitches from the mgf drivers lock as the mgf housing/plug area is slightly different The switches tested out ok and same function as the RR (even same colours).

The colours however are identical with one additional wire (grey) adds normally open to the red (not needed)

The only adjustment/mod required was to break (plastic weld) the old switch stack out from the old RR one and measure the new switch location drilling 2.5mm location holes for the roll pins from the mgf connectors. (they sit around 2mm higher in the lock body than the RR).

All back together the key was learnt and rf locking is back. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by pete3000