2000 528i msport starting issues

[pat528i]

Hey all,
got car for free
133k
automatic
car has history of starting & security system issues
car has had engine swap

The rear door vapor seals need to be redone, I got the car with pools of water behind the front seats. I have yet to truly tear the carpet apart, it is dried, but im sure the electronics underneath are corroded and need cleaning/replacement.

I was not having any starting issues but all of a sudden, car wouldnt start NO CLICK,, and all of the lock features (key for door and button in center console) stopped working, windshield wipers, the A/C display and unit completely stopped working, all but the driver window works, the steering wheel control, and seat controls, all failed at the same time.

I can get the car to start by turning the key to accesory and playing with the shifter and it will turn over, run and drive.

The radio, front seat heaters, and headlights are the only thing that works when the car is running.

I believe the car is in some kind of lockout it thinks the car is being stolen or something..

I have the original key w/buttons (does not work at all), with two keys that the previous owner had to have made to get the car to start, and a valet key.

I just replaced the battery thinking that was the issue.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[effduration]

Sounds like you got what you paid for....but maybe you can get it running smoothly-ish.

If you want this car on the road, it’s going to cost you at least a $1,000 a year..some years less, some more

I would suggest you invest in a bmw specific code reader. PA Soft or INPA and the specific cable you need.
Since your car is a ‘00 you have the round 20-pin connector under the hood. Reading your codes will go a long way to getting this car going well.

How long did it start/run fine before it started to act up?

I would pull the front passenger seat and have a look at the fuse panel under the carpet. I bet corrosion at that panel explains many of your issues.

Take your door panels off (it won’t be the last time) and strip off the old butyl adhesive. I scrape most of it off with a plastic scraper.
There are a number of things you can use to reseal, but butyl and a heat gun work well. Be careful not to rip the vapor barrier

I use this stuff

3M 08578 Black 1' Strip Calk

[geargrinder]

1. Not "M-sport". No 2000 528i is remotely an "M-sport". Sure sure maybe its' got an "M" on the wheel or some previous owner put some accessories on it. M steering wheels do not an M-sport make. Not. M. Sport.

Sounds like you got what you paid for....

Heh heh. Indeed.

Also agree w/ all the other stuff F-Derp says.

The rear door vapor seals need to be redone, I got the car with pools of water behind the front seats. I have yet to truly tear the carpet apart, it is dried, but im sure the electronics underneath are corroded and need cleaning/replacement.

This is almost certainly your problem - or at least one of your big problems - you very well may have many I'm afraid to say. Sounds like you may have researched this? If not do.

Here is just one of many threads.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...nder-pass-seat

Symptoms from that problem vary all over the place, because its very random which wires under there might rot-out first.

You could also have a bad ignition switch, those fail and cause some similar problems.

I doubt its locking / theft prevention if you can get it to start sometimes. If it was truly in locked-up mode that would never work.

On the other hand the history sounds awful. If morons worked on this car they may have done who knows what to try to 'fix' things that were improperly diagnosed. We see quite a few crazy dumb things with old beaters like this.

I would almost say really that you are HOPING for a giant pile of rust under the passengers seat to explain this, because if some bunch of clowns tried to 'fix' that problem by doing who knows what to the starting and locking wiring, then you're REALLY in a big mess.

[pat528i]

I have had the car sitting around the driveway for a year or so, took me a few months to realize the vapor barrier issue. The battery was pretty old but when charged/jumped the car would run fine. The starting+locking issue just started, as well as the windshield wipers/ac/steering wheel control/window controls. All just stopped working. Im assuming (and hoping) for a rusty pile of wires under the front passenger seat.

[pat528i]

UPDATE:

So, After being able to start the car after having the key on accessory and messing with the gear shifter, I was able to get the car to start.
I had to do that every time, and the lights would flash when you turned the car off, and everything acted strange, and barely anything electronic worked.

I started the car today in this weird way, and while the car was in drive pressed the door lock button on the center console.
EVERYTHING UNLOCKED, and the A/C, window controls, wipers, and everything started working normally.
The car now starts normally, everything seems fine.

Fucking E39.

I am going to take a look at whats under the carpet and fix the vapor barriers.

[geargrinder]

Yep. Either / or / and: rusty wading pool, ignition switch.

Good luck, the good news is if you catch it in time its fixable. Ig switch is easy fix, the floor less so but just a lot of time with wire terminals and crimpers cutting, and cleaning things up.

[pat528i]

Hey, a little update, Ive run into the same issue with the car going into a "transport" or "lockout" mode some people online have refereed to it as double locked.


-Central Locking System not functioning
-AC/Heat Unit not functioning
-Windshield wipers not functioning
-Only drivers window works
-all interior lights, BMW "ding" sound not functioning

Car runs and drives, no warning lights, headlights, brakelights, signals all work fine.....

I have looked into it and seen a lot of problems stemming from a bad GM3 module, ive played with the battery countless times not realizing you have to put it into sleep mode before disconnecting, which could fry a GM3. Any idea on the location of this module? I cant seem to find it for the e39s.

[effduration]

Did you look at the junction/fuse box under the passenger side front carpet?

GM3 modules don't fail all that often.

[pat528i]

Ive been doing more and more searching, and sorry to be blabbering on about the same problem. Im expecting to find this under my passenger seat carpet when I tear my car apart tomorrow. Another guy on this forum had the same issue.

[pat528i]

On top of all of this, I took my car to a friends shop, he scanned for codes and got an EWS code and airbag. The EWS code I think had something to do with Central Locking, but clearing the codes didnt do anything. However, he offered to sell me a 2002 530i for a g that does not have issues, that he has done some work to. I understand the 00 528 and 02 530 have different motors and transmissions, but I could garage my 528 and drive the 530 while fixing the other one. Or use the 528 for parts....

[mattmar1]

curious..what was the EWS code?

[geargrinder]

Ive been doing more and more searching, and sorry to be blabbering on about the same problem. Im expecting to find this under my passenger seat carpet when I tear my car apart tomorrow. Another guy on this forum had the same issue.

LOL Oh what's that? You mean you just discovered the thing I told you in post #3 a month ago?

Srsly. You do realize that pic is exactly what I linked you to weeks ago?

On top of all of this, I took my car to a friends shop, he scanned for codes and got an EWS code and airbag. The EWS code I think had something to do with Central Locking, but clearing the codes didnt do anything. However, he offered to sell me a 2002 530i for a g that does not have issues, that he has done some work to. I understand the 00 528 and 02 530 have different motors and transmissions, but I could garage my 528 and drive the 530 while fixing the other one. Or use the 528 for parts....

No EWS is NOT Central Locking.

EWS is immobilizer system.

Central locking is completely separate from EWS (basically managed by the "GM" General Module with the help of various sub-modules).
The only way they interact is that if if the car IS secure locked the GM tells the EWS not to let the car start.

Major fail to just be "oh it was an EWS code" without noting what it is specifically. I"m assuming the car is running though so it might have been a 'harmless' one. There's a code that gets thrown if the battery is disconnected and its normally pretty harmless.

From a relook at your symptoms you could have a communications bus out of whack (the car has 5-6 of them believe it or not... yes it was a little excessive on BMW's part not to just have at most 2-3 buses in the car...) if a pin gets grounded or a module fails in the wrong way it can take a whole bus down and then a bunch of stuff like that stops working. A bad GM or a wiring problem can take out stuff like that.

But that said rusty-passenger-footbath is still a good contender. as I told you back in post #3 even though you seem to now think you just discovered it yourself.

Is the 530 a better car all around? If so buy that, then fix/sell the 528. You are correct not all the parts swap but being a 2000 there will be more stuff than less...

[pat528i]

Sorry geargrinder, I must have blown right past the link the first time. I havent had the time to work on it, just got some torx bits to pull the seats this week and see what im in for. My buddy is loaning me a minty 96 328i for the meantime. Ive gotta look at that 530 more to see if its better jumping into that. Will update this week.
Thanks for the info and patience lol.

[geargrinder]

No worries. I'm just testy from too many guys ignoring facts Let us know how the 530 checks out.

[pat528i]

Heres some pics of the thing by the wayInkedIMG_2330_LI.jpgInkedIMG_2331_LI.jpgIMG_2335.jpgIMG_2333.jpgIMG_2332.jpg

[effduration]

Looks like a keeper to me. Little or no rust...and the interior looks quite good -except rear shelf.
Fix the niggly electrical gremlins, vapor barriers, re-spray rear shelf, buy a set of aftermarket clear taillights, side lights and headlight covers (replace adjusters) and drive that baby another 100k

[carlitosway359]

He’s not really in a big mess if he got the car for free. He can always crush it and still be on zero, lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[geargrinder]

Good thing you crossed out your license plate number, I was gonna go charge up a bunch of flat screen TV's on it.

Tails are out? Let me guess, PO put LED's in or something?

Have you run the VIN for options on it in a decoder? Trying to figure out if its even a Sport car (as said already it is NOT an 'M' sport just because the wheel has an M on it...) Does it have "comfort" seats with an extra control that moves the upper part of the seat forward and back on its own? The black trim suggests a Sport but the seats are not Sport seats but that could be explained if they are Comforts aka they were ordered as option instead...

[pat528i]

3rd brakelight bulb melted into assembly. Need to replace. The seats are not the fully equipped seats. 2 control levers on seat and heat button by A/C controls.

Will run vin.

[mattmar1]

not unusual to melt the 3rd brake light mount, especially if the bulb has been replaced before and a 26w was installed. 21w is the spec.

[pat528i]

The weather has been horrible by me, no time to work on the car yet. Another thing I realized is that a few years back the previous owner had issues after an engine swap, and took the car to BMW, who installed a new engine wiring harness, throttle body, and synced 2 new keys because the old diamond fob was not starting the car. I have the receipt from BMW somewhere, I've gotta dig it up, but the newer style keys BMW used don't have any lock/unlock functions. When I first started having these locking electrical issues I was able to reformat the diamond shaped key and get the buttons to work. Now the old key wont take. Trying to fool it back into working so I can have heat/windshieldwipers/interiorlights back up and running.... Heres a shot of the keys, and the one original rim the car came with. I ran the VIN and this thing was pretty optioned out I think?

S339A	ShadowLine
S704A	M Sports Suspension
S710A	M Leather Steering Wheel

IMG_2342.jpgIMG_2344.jpg

[effduration]

Have you looked under the passenger side carpet yet? These other elec issues may be related.

One step at a time.

[pat528i]

Havent had a chance to take the car apart, like I said weathers been miserable. I am getting a loaner 96 328i soon and will start dissecting my 528.

[pat528i]

I had some time today and went to town. Found a totally corroded fusebox as expected and water, the foam was soaked under the dry carpeting. Called local bmw and they claim they can get the part, but I want to go in and see the whole diagram of what the kit comes with because all of the connectors are wrecked on the wires.

[mattmar1]

given any thought to a junkyard one?