Key wont start my e36

[Talon31]

So I lost my key to my car on a jobsite... long story short I had to pick up another key from a dealership and I asked if it would start my engine they said yes it will. But it doesn't before I lost my keys car ran good only code I had was a air leak but when I use this new key I can turn it in the cylinder and my lights and wipers come on but I don't hear anything else no click no crank just electronics turn on. I checked the battery it was fine, but I still had my buddy come up and see if we could jump it or something and nothing happend, so I call the dealership and ask them if this key needs to be coded to the ews before it will start the car he replies to me with " no no bmws not even new ones need to be coded into the ews" which I feel is a lie? O.o just need some help on figuring this one out.... I checked battery terminals, fuse box, the battery itself.... had gas.... I'm kind of baffled unless it's just this key just needs to be programmed into the vehicle, but I drive a 98 328i I think like 116k miles

[bmwdirtracer]

When you ordered the key, did you have to provide your driver's license and registration?

Yes, your year car would have to have the key specifically chipped for your car; which would happen automatically when you order from the dealer. No further coding is necessary. When I have ordered keys from the dealer, they usually take 2 tries to start the car the first time, don't know why. Try (with window down) locking the car with the key, then unlocking it, then get in and start it.

[dworthy]

+1

The only coding needed would be for the remote stuff, but you should still be able to start the car with that key. Do you have the alarm system by chance? Now that would keep the car from starting IIRC on those E-36's, but it would turn the hazards on when you open the door if you don't disarm the system typically.

[Talon31]

Yes I did have to show them vehicle registration and my license and the key turns in the ignition but nothing happens doesn't even turn over but I can turn on radio roll down windows ect...

[modular93fox]

I'd bet you have more problems than you mentioned. A key from the dealer should start the car unless someone has jacked with the EWS then no one will know that besides the person in front of the diag computer.... Im also not sure how many keys the e36 can have, or even matter.. however, e series, 9 keys and then your done, new cas and keys....

so... your likely going to take it to the somewhere where they can diag it, and its not going to cost you 1 hour of diag, more than likely more than that.
or
go back to the jobsite and find the key that worked before

[Talon31]

I just remembered like 3 years ago I had lent my dad the car and he lost the keys and had a locksmith come out. Is there like some way the locksmith might have changed something? I feel like if they did then my new key wouldn't be turning on my electronics and unlock and lock the door and there's like no way I can go to the job site and find my keys spent 3 hours looking when I originally lost them plus I was running a ground auger and had drilled something like 20 or so holes that day for Sonotubes

[Talon31]

So I ended up pulling out my dws module and jumpers the power wires to see if my engine would crank which it did, but wouldn't start I'm assuming like dws affects the fuel injectors too. I really don't want to pay for a tow to a bmw dealership is it doable for me to just pull out the dws and the dme and just bring that in to the dealership with my key and they can just sync them up there and not charge me hundreds of dollars? Just had to spend about 1k just to get my car to my place and with the end of the month approaching soon....

[dworthy]

I'd bet you have more problems than you mentioned. A key from the dealer should start the car unless someone has jacked with the EWS then no one will know that besides the person in front of the diag computer.... Im also not sure how many keys the e36 can have, or even matter.. however, e series, 9 keys and then your done, new cas and keys....

so... your likely going to take it to the somewhere where they can diag it, and its not going to cost you 1 hour of diag, more than likely more than that.
or
go back to the jobsite and find the key that worked before

The Max number of keys a E-36 EWS can handle is 10, anything after that will require a new EWS. Of course you can use INPA to see how many keys have been used. If you go over that limit, the dealership should know, but as the OP noted he had a locksmith come out and that might have used/locked the EWS to those keys only.

OP, you need the EWS to send the signal to the DME for "Start" otherwise it won't run. Now there are companies out there that do EWS delete and can reprogram you DME.

[CameronR]

I just remembered like 3 years ago I had lent my dad the car and he lost the keys and had a locksmith come out. Is there like some way the locksmith might have changed something? I feel like if they did then my new key wouldn't be turning on my electronics and unlock and lock the door and there's like no way I can go to the job site and find my keys spent 3 hours looking when I originally lost them plus I was running a ground auger and had drilled something like 20 or so holes that day for Sonotubes

If the locksmith created the key in, for instance, key 3 and then you order a factory key. The factory wouldn't know about the key programmed in key 3 position. This might create a problem in the EWS. You will probably need a locksmith who can read the EWS and the assigned key positions.

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[bmwdirtracer]

I agree with Modularfox. You need to get the car connected to a top quality BMW diagnostic computer, and talk to the EWS and DME and ZKE to find out what the actual problem is. A good diag computer can tell you whether the key is recognized as valid and what number it is, whether the P/N safety switch is being correctly read, whether the EWS thinks it's hooked to a manual or automatic car, whether the DME and EWS aren't happy with their alignment, etc.

No, you can't take the computers to the dealer for this, they don't have a way to connect to an unattached computer.

I fixed an E46 at the racetrack this weekend which was refusing to start intermittently; turned out that central locking/alarm/ZKE was causing the EWS issue...(never seen that before, but the computers in the car led me to the problem)....just took a good diag computer to straighten it out. It even made his key remote functions work again too.

[modular93fox]

I just remembered like 3 years ago I had lent my dad the car and he lost the keys and had a locksmith come out. Is there like some way the locksmith might have changed something? I feel like if they did then my new key wouldn't be turning on my electronics and unlock and lock the door and there's like no way I can go to the job site and find my keys spent 3 hours looking when I originally lost them plus I was running a ground auger and had drilled something like 20 or so holes that day for Sonotubes

and just like that, nailed it..

locksmiths get it going once, 2nd time this is the position customers are left in..... screwed.. buy another key and hope it starts as it will be the next available key? dealer wont refund the money if it doesn't work....

when they tamper with it, its usually trash when it comes to a new problem such as this. you can try a new Ews, and then tow the car to a shop that knows what there doing and do an DME and Ews alignment.

no, you cannot bring those 2 modules to the dealer and have them do it, you will be laughed at and wasted both you and the advisors time and fuel doing so.

you could try searching the internet for a company that can do that....mail them the parts but then your talking shipping to them, working on it, return shipping, hoping its flawless... or just pay the piper and take it to the dealer or indy that knows what there doing.

clint

[328 Power 04]

Dealer EWS modules are surprisingly cheap, and they will contain the original key data, that would/should match the key you have been given.

[Talon31]

Also when I get a ews from the dealership is it plug and play or do you have to link them up?

[328 Power 04]

*If* nothing else was tampered with in the past, it should work to start the car and get it moving.

[ricarhimel]

Going to a BMW car repair shop can help you. But first, check if everything is ok with your keys. BMW e36 is an old car, and the key might have some defects on it, which can cause such issues when you insert it into your vehicle. You can use the services of mylocallocksmithtx.com. They are using special equipment for scanning the lock, and they can recreate the original key. It will be like a qualitative copy of the keys. I used their services for my e34, and everything works great without any issues.

[328 Power 04]

There are a lot of video on YouTube that can help you deal with this issue

Don't be ridiculous.

[bmwdirtracer]

Don't be ridiculous.

+1.
You have the attention here, on your thread, of several master BMW techs, and the best BMW computer expert I've ever known.

This is not the time to go to YouTube.