cranks for days, won't start. INPA 113 Camshaft sensor

[Doc325i]

I pulled the sheath back and inspected the wires before connecting the new plug.
The connectors to the DME are all clean and seated.


Adding these new codes..

134 Test lower at stop
039 EWS3 . 3 Manipulation protection
098 Tank ventilation valve output

[geargrinder]

1. that's a throttle body adaptation error. have you tried cycling the throttle body by hand back and forth? does it move smoothly to both ends? did you re-adapt it (aka just turn on ignition and leave it on for 45 seconds or whatever without starting then turn off again...)?

2. Were you trying to start it with a nearly dead battery? EWS has lost sync I think. Need to reset it with INPA. Probably won't start until you reset that.

3. The tank vent thing is less a concern at this point, you can check hoses and connections but would be least of my worries for the moment.

Does this mean the OTHER errors are gone? Or others are there still also?

[Doc325i]

After the EWS sync reset the car fired right up. I let it run for about 10 minutes before shutting it off. It now starts every time but shuts off after 1 second. I still have the 117, 118, 119, 230, 232 errors.

[geargrinder]

1. that's a throttle body adaptation error. have you tried cycling the throttle body by hand back and forth? does it move smoothly to both ends? did you re-adapt it (aka just turn on ignition and leave it on for 45 seconds or whatever without starting then turn off again...)?

^^^

[Doc325i]

Yes, I’ve cycled the throttle plate through. It offered some resistance but seemed normal as I’ve cleaned it routinely throughout the years. I also tried a spare one, same behavior. While calibrating I noticed the plate only moves about 1/4 inch immediately upon key in position 2 then stops as it throws the engine failsafe error.

[geargrinder]

Well seems clear to me you still have a TB wiring problem then. The DME is doing the throttle check on startup and finding it is not responding and giving the right resistance readings in the way it expects...

You ain't gonna like my saying it but I'm gonna say it again -

1. Those TB wires were so cracked and effed up, just pulling back the sheathing a little bit might not be good enough. Thats my main suspicion. More cracks down inside the sheathing between the TB and the DME. Maybe you need a new run of wires all the way back to the DME.

2. How did you splice the new wires on? The last picture you gave us of that was bare copper wires twisted together out in the free air... as I keep saying, the DME is real sensitive to a little too much/little resistance on those wires.

3. Your wires were so screamingly effed up there's a chance they shorted out some component in the DME and damaged it. This is a long shot... Bosch and Seimens make their ECU's pretty robust these days and mostly are 'short proof'...

The fact that it seems like there's some intermittency with the error points a lot more to 1 or 2 (still have crap wires in there, or, you didn't do a quality job of the splices) but I'm pretty certain its in your wiring still one way or another.

BTW I have seen a couple M54 engined cars that suffered from extended random 'FAILSAFE' problems related to the throttle body, and the full stop solution in the end was new engine harness... it was all about the TB wires in the harness being damaged somehow that was not easily identifiable even after attempts to inspect the whole thing.

[JimLev]

Doc, did you get a new connector and pins?
How did you connect the new wires to the old wires, solder or just twisted together and taped?
Have you pulled the connectors off the DME to make sure there isn't any corrosion on the pins?

[geargrinder]

LOL. Brilliant minds think a like.

[JimLev]

LOL. Brilliant minds think a like.

+10, LOL.
I guess I could have asked if that Jets fan used wire nuts.
Just giving you a hard time Doc.

[Doc325i]

I ordered new connectors and pins and installed, soldered as you guys suggested but i was still getting engine failsafe. I had the car towed to a local Indie, where it currently sits. After looking it over he concluded that the DME is bad. He confirmed this by swapping the EWS, DME and Key from an X5 project car in the shop into my 540i, it runs perfectly.

As of now the Indie wants to sell me this rigged up solution for upwards of $1200. I say rigged up because while i still use my key to start the car, the key from the X5 is taped up in a ring inside the steering column and is suggested to permanently remain there.

There has to be a better solution here, no?

[Kenny1958]

I ordered new connectors and pins and installed, soldered as you guys suggested but i was still getting engine failsafe. I had the car towed to a local Indie, where it currently sits. After looking it over he concluded that the DME is bad. He confirmed this by swapping the EWS, DME and Key from an X5 project car in the shop into my 540i, it runs perfectly.

As of now the Indie wants to sell me this rigged up solution for upwards of $1200. I say rigged up because while i still use my key to start the car, the key from the X5 is taped up in a ring inside the steering column and is suggested to permanently remain there.

There has to be a better solution here, no?

You can get another dme cloned.

[geargrinder]

Doc as long as your old DME still boots up at all it can be cloned to a used one and your key and EWS will be all good. I do it for guys with connector-contaminated M62's semi-regularly.

With the taped up fake-key wrong-EWS mess you may find your central locking gets screwed up... basically the remote locking doesn't want to lock the car with a key in the ignition and it thinks the key is in the ignition... they get around that by pulling the fuse for the locking system or something I think but then you lose alarm or wireless or something i forget. I drove my car for a while during "S/C install development" period with a key under the dash and it SUCKED.

On the other hand, cloning your DME is pretty easy and the replacement will look exactly like the factory one did (can even swap the covers from your factory one if you like having the VIN match still...) You just need somebody w/ INPA to be able to do the EWS sync once the clone is put in the car.

PM sent.

[Doc325i]

A big thank you to the great folks on this forum. I really do appreciate the tireless effort you all make to help.

update:

With the perfectly cloned DME the car fired right up but is now throwing a SES light,

114 Camshaft Sensor Bank 2
34 Camshaft Control Bank 2

After swapping out the Camshaft sensor on Bank 2 i lost solely the 114 code.
I did some looking around on here and it seems code 34 represents the DME no liking where the trigger wheel is. Any suggestions on the simplest way to correct this?


Of note, i do have a small oil leak coming from what appears to be the upper timing cover/valve cover/ chain tensioner area. so hard to tell.

[Kenny1958]

A big thank you to the great folks on this forum. I really do appreciate the tireless effort you all make to help.

update:

With the perfectly cloned DME the car fired right up but is now throwing a SES light,

114 Camshaft Sensor Bank 2
34 Camshaft Control Bank 2

After swapping out the Camshaft sensor on Bank 2 i lost solely the 114 code.
I did some looking around on here and it seems code 34 represents the DME no liking where the trigger wheel is. Any suggestions on the simplest way to correct this?


Of note, i do have a small oil leak coming from what appears to be the upper timing cover/valve cover/ chain tensioner area. so hard to tell.

Is your bank 2 upper timing case cover down hard on its gasket, you can use some washers under the valve covers to push the timing case cover down tight.

[geargrinder]

Sounds like good progress Doc!. Yeah you can try re-clamping the cover, sounds like its not down hard enough? That'd be brilliant if that was the solution...

[Doc325i]

https://imgur.com/sy3rfKR
https://i.imgur.com/q9wvLFr.jpg

It's hard to tell if the covers are seated correctly, not sure if that the black rubber gasket or a gap showing in the 2nd picture.

[Chedley]

Yep, bad cover gasket job. Redo it...