No Remote Fob Locking - Official VOODOO car per Scott - Help!

[andyleonard]

11/2000 325Ci 5 sp, 95K miles. Bought this for my son a few years ago, dealer serviced, 75K miles, all good news.....except neither key fob did anything and PO had no clues. Changed battery in one key...nothing. Sent son off to college and now I now have the car for a few months to fettle ... and the remote locking is the project. Scott has been great. I am not helpless. Neither of us can sort this. Opinions happily accepted.

I also have a 2003 325Ci (and another 2001Ci and a 728i turbo and a 1600Ti and an R100RS... don't ask) and have been swapping parts between the "bad" 2001 and the "good " 2003, which is how I can say "known good".


The key from the "bad" 2001 car will code up and work in the 2003, so key is "known good."
The mirror/antenna from the "bad" car (they're convertibles, both) works just fine in the 2003, so antenna is "known good."
All fuses under the dash in the 2001 are hot both sides. No relays or under-dash fuses have been checked.
"Bad" key operates ignition, trunk lock and door lock(s) in 2001 just fine.
Driver's door lock with key and central locking button on console both work fine. Locks both doors, one at a time, also locks trunk.
NOTHING locks the gas cap.
Everything else (I think) works fine in the "bad" car.

WTF, over.

Scott suggests swapping modules and coding the "bad" key and "bad" module together in the "good" car, then swapping mated key and module back to "bad" car. Maybe tomorrow.

Scott's voting against the module being bad. I have waved money at him. He won't take it. Harness maybe? Both cars are low miles and remarkably unmolested. No damage repair or "mods."

Any suggestions?

Please?

[charter21p5]

You more than likely have an EWS 3.3 from the factory. Go read up on EWS 3.3... Replacing the DME is expensive and probably not what you are looking to do. Key alignment is probably what you want to perform to resolve the non-synchronized key. Swap the key guts and you will be good to go. Also if your key battery is the issue make sure to find a rechargeable battery. You can get up to 10 keys from BMW for programming.

If you think you can swap a used DME good luck, you will need a EEPROM read/writer.

[legoman67]

any faults in the GM module? GM module controls the central locking. Does the button on the console lock and unlock the doors?

[legoman67]

You more than likely have an EWS 3.3 from the factory. Go read up on EWS 3.3... Replacing the DME is expensive and probably not what you are looking to do. Key alignment is probably what you want to perform to resolve the non-synchronized key. If you think you can swap a used DME good luck, you will need a EEPROM read/writer.

EWS has nothing to do with keyless entry.

[andyleonard]

I swapped modules from the "bad" car with a "good" car and the suspect key and module code up and operate locks fine in "good" car but gets nothing when moved back to "bad" car.

[andyleonard]

New data; The gas flap motor was stalled. Removed it, cleaned it and now it unlocks the gas door but won't lock it. Something somewhere reverses the polarity for the lock/unlock.

Anyone know where that action takes place? Maybe that's what's preventing the coding.

Still can't code keys.

[legoman67]

New data; The gas flap motor was stalled. Removed it, cleaned it and now it unlocks the gas door but won't lock it. Something somewhere reverses the polarity for the lock/unlock.

Anyone know where that action takes place? Maybe that's what's preventing the coding.

Still can't code keys.

The GM controls all the locks directly.

Check voltages at all the actuators. Ive seen cars with multiple bad actuators.

Still havent answered if the lock/unlock button on the centre console works? or if there are any faults in the GM?

[andyleonard]

The GM controls all the locks directly.

Check voltages at all the actuators. Ive seen cars with multiple bad actuators.

Still havent answered if the lock/unlock button on the centre console works? or if there are any faults in the GM?

Yup. Key in door and central lock button work fine for everything except gas flap. Says so in OP.

I have copied Scott on all this step-by-step and he's feeling that it's not the GM since the suspect GM and key code up fine when swapped into another car. Mirror antenna swaps OK too. So it seems it's something on the car.

The only thing I can find on the "bad" car that's different from the "good" car is the previously stuck gas flap motor.

[M5XTu]

On an E39, a bad gas door actuator can disable keyless entry. Replace the actuator with a used one from eBay. They are cheap enough.

[andyleonard]

Gas door actuator has now begun to operate correctly. I guess the module reset overnight.

Still no key coding possible

[andyleonard]

Got it! The power wire from the module to the mirror/antenna was cut at the module. Why? No clue, but all is good.