EWS II; Intermittent no start issue, SOLVED

**united323is** · 03-02-2009, 12:08 AM

So I figured, for those who USE the search function I would post this thread. I search and solve many of my problems thanks to the info here, and now it is my turn to contribute. This issue I couldn't find a solution to by searching, most problems only bother with EWS 1.

So the past week and a half, I have been having a starting issue. I timed my engine after a lifter swap. The car would not start. Only a single click from the starter. I figured a dead battery. I jumped the car, and went to run a couple errands and to school. The trip to school is 45 minutes to an hour.

When leaving school(6 hours later), the car would not start. Kinda strange, but I figured my battery was on it's way out. Got a jump(took 5+ tries to get the car started) I went home. The car sat overnight, 14 hours, and started right away. I replaced the battery, the problem returned 2 days later(yesterday/saturday), at that time however only one angel eye and one HID(of 4) would come on. I figured it was an alternator issue and I ordered an alternator from O'Reilly's Auto Parts, lifetime warranty re-manufactured unit.

I replaced the starter and alternator, no dice, car would not start, only after 5-10 tries. I checked all the ground points, cleaned all the contacts and no dice.

I pulled the Electronic Troubleshooting Manual, and found the starter relay is in the EWS II unit, and must not be sending enough power to the alternator to spin it, only enough to extend the rod to engage the flywheel. I pulled faults with the GT1, nothing there. Used the Midtronics battery tester to check the battery, new alternator, and old starter. All were fine. I re-installed the old starter and proceeded troubleshooting.

While checking the terminals on the EWS II unit and following test plans in the GT1 I remembered a situation a couple years back with an e46 that had an intermittent no start issue. I followed the steps I used to fix that one.

The test plans in the GT1 checked the started solenoid activation, clutch switch activation, and power to pin 3 on the EWS II unit.

I started with the test plans, All was okay. Toridial coil(ring that receives the key signal) was okay, starter, and grounds okay, the next step was a battery reset. so I proceeded to disconnect the negative battery terminal and jump the cable to the positive terminal, thus discharging all the capacitors and reseting the control modules. This did not fix the problem, so onto the next step I took fixing the e46. Programming.

I connected up to the SSS programming station, and programmed the DME and Encoded and Aligned the EWS. All went smoothly. The control modules are okay. I went back to the car after closing out the programming, turned the key off, and turned the key to the start position.

The car started first try. I let the car run for a few minutes, then shut it off and tried again, it started again! I repeated the process 6 times, it started immediately each time. The car now runs great, starts immediately, no more single click upon startup. I'll post back if the problem returns, but so far, it starts faster and starts every time. Before it wouldn't start regardless of battery level.

I hope this process helps others in diagnosing and solving their no start issue.

TL;DR/Cliffnotes version:

No start intermittently, only a single click from altenator
Checked grounds, power to EWS II pin 3, starter, key signal ring, and EWS, no problems found.
New battery, new alternator, new starter, problem still exists.
Battery reset, no dice.
Programmed the DME, and encoded and aligned the EWS problem doesn't present after several starts.