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Thread: 1995 E38 will not communicate with scanner

  1. #1
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    1995 E38 will not communicate with scanner

    I have a 1995 bmw e38 740il that will not communicate thru the Diagnostic plug I have check all the fuses and can't find any that are bad and have the pin out locations and looks to have the right pins with power and ground. I know the scanner works on this plug because I have used it on other cars. Any idea thanks MIKE

  2. #2
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    1999 Ford Explorer Sport
    I hhave a similar problem, I took my car to 2 autozones to have my check engine light diagnosed, but nothing. I have yet to take my car to the dealer to get it checked out, there is a seperate diagnostic port under the hood, that only dealers have (and maybe some indys).


  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrb04 View Post
    I have a 1995 bmw e38 740il that will not communicate thru the Diagnostic plug I have check all the fuses and can't find any that are bad and have the pin out locations and looks to have the right pins with power and ground. I know the scanner works on this plug because I have used it on other cars. Any idea thanks MIKE
    Where is this diagnostic plug located on your 95 740iL that you're hooking up too? Under the hood or on the left side of the center dash just below the MID? And is your scanner OBD I compliant?

    The 95 740 is OBD I ... 1996 is the first year for OBD II.
    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

    2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)

  4. #4
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    E65 745I, ALPINA B11 E32

    Unhappy

    Hello,

    I have the same problem with my 740I E38 19/1994, but even the MODIC BMW can not communicate ! All seems to be allright but I hace some faults to erase (airbag pretensioner) but I can't

    HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPP !

  5. #5
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    The OP must be using the diagnostic port under the hood as '95 MY E38s don't have an OBDII port inside the car.

    1995 540i/6 // Dylan Leff - www.originalplate.com


  6. #6
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    E65 745I, ALPINA B11 E32
    Hello,

    Solution has been found on my car !

    It has been necessary to disconnect the different ABS, DME, EDC, ... and THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER !!! and reconnect each one by one to teste alone. the conclusion is that the IKE behind the instrument cluster was out of order (frequently said my BMW dealer) then juste disconnecting the white connector of the IKE permit to diag all principal modules.

    With a new IKE, (a second hand IKE can't be programmed with my VIN and mileage, only a new one can (or may be with the PA-SOFT BMW scanner 1.3.6 software and cable)) all is good and diagnose my car was easy to do

    Then for your car, start with disconnecting the white connector of the instrument cluster and diagnose.

    Bye

    PIFOUBMW from France

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    1994 E38 740i
    I have a 44/1994 E38 740i with only the 20-pin plug in the engine bay, which I believe only supports ADS communication (not OBD) when using INPA

    I have a serious problem that is keeping my car off the road and it appears to be caused by a previous owner swapping out the instruments cluster, but not using a new IKE and having it coded to the car. The end result is the tamper dot is showing, OBC/MID not working but the thing that is causing its road safety test to fail is the SRS light does NOT light up to do a self test at startup (and it does not light up when doing an instruments cluster lights test).

    I have an old WinXP laptop with a serial port and I have cables to hook it up, but I am not sure if the converter box I have is the correct type for this pre-OBD E38.

    the box I have states on it:
    BMW compatible interface v6.5
    and has LEDs for:
    POWER
    Service Interval
    K-line pin 20
    K-line pin 17
    L-line pin 15

    and RS232 on one end and VEHICLE on the other

    it looks exactly like this one on youtube:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg72J0cH0FY

    does anyone know if this will work with my car?

    using this gear and Carsoft I can get comms to the engine and transmission modules only, but I haven't tried repeating the test with the IKE unplugged

    to fix my issue (without going out and buying an expensive brand new un-coded IKE) I need to use INPA and NCS, but currently this is giving me the error:

    VIN is faulty
    COAPI-2020: no answer from ECU
    IFH-0009: NO RESPONSE FROM CONTROLUNIT

  8. #8
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    Oct 2020
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    95 740il
    I unplugged each connector one at a time and tried to to use my scan tool (creator c310 w/ obd1 connector) still won't communicate??? Pls help car keeps cutting off after replacing crank and camshaft position sensors and fuel pump!

  9. #9
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    1995 730iL (M60B30)
    I'd like to be proven wrong, but I'm fairly certain that C310 does not support the ADS diagnostic functionality that your 95 build E38 requires. The 94 and 95 build E38's need an ADS interface to communicate with all of the various modules in the car. If you use a standard OBD1 interface, you can read only a couple of modules, like the airbag, but nothing vital to the car. I would have thought your C310 would read SOME modules, maybe, but I have no experience with all-in-one scan tools like that and it may very well be that it simply isn't designed / wired right to read ANYTHING from a vehicle that requires an ADS interface. Ideally, you need something like this;

    https://www.amazon.com/INPA-Ediabas-.../dp/B01N4DAUID

    And a laptop to hook it up to so you can use software like INPA, DIS, NCS etc to read, diagnose, code, reset etc etc. There are all in one scan tools that do ADS very reliably, but they're big name branded units that are similar to what mechanics and dealers use and they cost a LOT of money. These aftermarket interfaces that you use through a laptop are the cheapest, most flexible way to go. Perhaps there is a member somewhere in your area with diagnostic gear who would be willing to take a look at your car for you? Ask on here, and maybe ask on the facebook groups (E38 Empire, BMW E38 Enthusiasts). Someone is bound to help out a fellow E38 owner!!

    As for your cutoff issue, as always it's best to start with diagnostic data so you don't chase your tail replacing parts when something obvious might be staring at you in the face. I think you should proritise your diagnostics before you go any further throwing parts at it. It gets expensive, fast. With the cam and crank sensors, did you replace those with OEM Bosch units? People hate being told this, but the aftermarket options are truly sketchy. They sometimes work, often don't, or they work and make the car run awful (clouding your ongoing diagnostic efforts). You NEED to go OEM on sensors for these cars, it's the one thing you just can't cheap out on. It hurts, but that's the E38 life. A bad MAF sensor COULD also be responsible for poor running and cutting out, although this would typically be fairly obvious if you start looking at diagnostic data as there's usually some pretty clear indicators either in the live data or the stored codes.

    Get on top of your diagnostics, it's the smartest way to go. Talk to some folk, see if anyone can help you out quickly right now... Good luck.

  10. #10
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    95 740il
    This helps a lot!!!!!!! Thank you I clicked on the link but no one is selling that tool I already have connection port with the round end .... I will Google and see if I can locate it elsewhere.... As for the MAF Sensor it's fairly new a little over I year old I replaced it late 2019....I will definitely keep you posted...

  11. #11
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    No worries, wish I could do more...
    I didn't realise no one was actually selling that scan interface, sorry (I've never used Amazon, I'm not sure what to look for there). What's important to note, is that the round 20 pin interface comes as either an OBD, or ADS standard - they both look the same from the outside, but the ADS version has additional circuitry inside to communicate with your modules properly. So even though you have that round pin adapter, it's just a standard OBD and not ADS. If you've been googling, then you may have come across the TinyADS cable from Openlabs. I bought my ADS cable from them many many years ago and I love it. Last year, people were buying the cables, but never getting one, and I was recommending people stay clear of them. But looking at our own diagnostic forums here, it does seem that people have actually been receiving their completed cables from them. So that's a risk that you may wish to take, but that is up to you...

    There is a member on these forums here who sells a switchable ADS/OBD cable interface actually, by the name of Gert (rv8flyboy). Have a read here, and post in the thread to ask if they can make / send you one;

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...INPA-interface

    More pricey than the TinyADS cable, but our members swear by it and it even has an ADS/OBD switch to make life easy should you use it on a different vehicle some day. I'm not sure if he's back to making them as he was short on parts last year, but post there or email him at the email provided, and try your luck.

    Again, any sensors you replace, must be OEM / Bosch. If they're not, then you can't consider them to be functioning properly. They may even be making the situation worse... Diagnostics will go a long way to showing this.

  12. #12
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    Finally got to scan him over the weekend for the 1st time since buying the car in 2019. Codes that were present were 41, 16, 1..... 9cleared them re scanned 3x only code that kept coming back was 16 crank shaft position sensor. .... Go figure huh so I bought this one from Ecs tuning

    https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/12141729292/

    What do you think?

  13. #13
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    That's an OEM sensor, so that's as good as it gets, and should work perfectly.

    You said previously that you had already replaced the crankshaft position sensor? What brand did you use? And just to confirm, you're saying the car will start now, but cut off randomly? That fits the description for a faulty crankshaft position sensor. The problem with a lot of aftermarket crank sensors, is they use extremely weak, cheap magnets in them. The OEM units use expensive, strong neodymium magnets. A weak magnet will cause all sorts of garbage signals to be sent to the computer... We have the same issues with aftermarket sensors on our old Jeep's. The OEM sensors can pick up a big metal control arm with how strong they are, but the aftermarket sensors have such weak magnets they barely hold on to a screwdriver. They cause so many problems.

    It sounds like you're on the right track here with your CPS being at fault. Depending on how thorough you want to be, you may even want to pop open the black electrical box where the sensor plugs into on top of the engine (where all of the injector and sensor wires plug into), and just visually inspect the wiring inside there JUST in case you've got a chafed or damaged wire somehow. It's incredibly rare, but it can happen. Buying sensors costs money, but looking at things with your eyes is free. Your call!

    Good luck

  14. #14
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    So here's the update !!!! I got Him back running crank shaft position sensor was DEFINITELY the culprit!! Got the OEM part from ECS tuning. So far so good.... On to the next R/R job.... Fan clutch and water pump, valve cover gaskets, and motor mounts...

  15. #15
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    Ok 5months and 2crank position sensors later I'm having the same problem again.... The car is shutting off at idle.... Things I have done since we last spoke.... I changed valve cover gaskets and spark plugs water pump, thermostat n housing, fan clutch, and cat delete.. did an oil treatment using marvel ...... I also used this same brand as a fuel treatment ....and as of yesterday I finally tackled the blower motor and resister..Soooo This time when it cut off the dash read "stop engine oil pressure"....


  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eloiajohnson View Post
    Ok 5months and 2crank position sensors later I'm having the same problem again.... The car is shutting off at idle.... Things I have done since we last spoke.... I changed valve cover gaskets and spark plugs water pump, thermostat n housing, fan clutch, and cat delete.. did an oil treatment using marvel ...... I also used this same brand as a fuel treatment ....and as of yesterday I finally tackled the blower motor and resister..Soooo This time when it cut off the dash read "stop engine oil pressure"....

    That warning doesn't mean the engine management system shut off the engine. It means your oil pressure is too low and the computer is recommending that you shut down the engine. The fact that the engine stopped is not related to the warning.

    What is your idle RPM? Or is the engine faltering sputtering then dying.

    What is the behavior of the idle control valve as the engine runs then shuts down?

  17. #17
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    My idle rpm is just under 1k but will fall to 500 then faltering sputtering and die.... But not the jerking that it did when the cps went bad......

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eloiajohnson View Post
    My idle rpm is just under 1k but will fall to 500 then faltering sputtering and die.... But not the jerking that it did when the cps went bad......

    An idle of "just under 1k" is too high to begin with. what are the conditions of: the accelerator pedal bushings, the free movement of the accelerator cable, the mounts of the end of the accelerator cable at the throttle body. ? ? ?


    What is the behavior of the idle control valve as the engine runs then shuts down?


    Have you reverse flushed the fuel injectors ?


    How do you know there are no major vacuum leaks to intake air, from: MAF connection to: back of intake manifold ?
    Last edited by CD05001CIA; 08-26-2021 at 01:20 PM.

  19. #19
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    Whoa now!!!! Lol.... I'ma quick learner but not that quick!���� I didn't know that was considered a high idle ... Every car I've owned has idle around that rpm... But ok.... As far as vacuum leaks around MAF intake and manifold that was the first things I check...and they were fine...my MAF is about a 1 ¹/² old.... I've never done a reverse flush 1st time I'm hearing of that as well but I'm up for the job...thi would have to get back to you on the behavior of the idle control valve.... I'll have to wait until the car does it again.... It's not consistent...as far as the gas pedal mounts and movements they seem to be in good working order .... The bushings I would have to get down there and check.... However the pedal doesn't move left to right and a small tap on the pedal engages the throttle as it should..... Now the cable on the throttle under the hood is definitely worn in appearance to me..... But let my dad and brother tell it ...it's fine��..... ... I hope I got everything !����

  20. #20
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    response to Whoa now!!! lol

    Whoa now!!!! Lol.... I'ma quick learner but not that quick!���� I didn't know that was considered a high idle ..

    The M60 is a V8 not a 4 banger. Normal idle is 700RPM


    . Every car I've owned has idle around that rpm... But ok....



    As far as vacuum leaks around MAF intake and manifold that was the first things I check...and they were fine...my MAF is about a 1 ¹/² old....


    So... not likely.



    I've never done a reverse flush 1st time I'm hearing of that as well but I'm up for the job...

    Only after exhausting all other possibilities.


    thi would have to get back to you on the behavior of the idle control valve....
    I'll have to wait until the car does it again....
    It's not consistent...

    Report back with what you find next time it happens.


    as far as the gas pedal mounts and movements they seem to be in good working order ....
    The bushings I would have to get down there and check....
    However the pedal doesn't move left to right and a small tap on the pedal engages the throttle as it should.....
    Now the cable on the throttle under the hood is definitely worn in appearance to me.....
    But let my dad and brother tell it ...it's fine��.....
    ... I hope I got everything !����


    Me Too.

  21. #21
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    [QUOTE=CD05001CIA;30721785]Whoa now!!!! Lol.... I'ma quick learner but not that quick!���� I didn't know that was considered a high idle ..

    The M60 is a V8 not a 4 banger. Normal idle is 700RPM

    Oh ok well his idle is good then !! I said "just under 1k rpm" because I didn't know the exact # but 700 looks about right



    I've never done a reverse flush 1st time I'm hearing of that as well but I'm up for the job...

    Only after exhausting all other possibilities.

    Ok cool!


    thi would have to get back to you on the behavior of the idle control valve....
    I'll have to wait until the car does it again....
    It's not consistent...

    Report back with what you find next time it happens.

    Gotcha!


    as far as the gas pedal mounts and movements they seem to be in good working order ....
    The bushings I would have to get down there and check....
    However the pedal doesn't move left to right and a small tap on the pedal engages the throttle as it should.....
    Now the cable on the throttle under the hood is definitely worn in appearance to me.....
    But let my dad and brother tell it ...it's fine��.....
    ... I hope I got everything !����


    Me Too.

    Also I don't know if I mentioned but I replaced the fuel pump relay that's located in the trunk by the battery

  22. #22
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    Won't scan? how rude!

  23. #23
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    Ok here's the update: I cleaned the icv and the car ran fine no stalls for 2weeks..... And then it happened again .... I also had oil coming from the oil canister cap come to find out I had the o ring in the wrong spot .... Fixed the o ring issue car still eventually stalled out again this time without the oil pressure message on the dash.... Everytime it does it there's no check engine I keep the scanner with me to see if codes present themselves NOTHING! .... And what's crazy once it stalls and sits for about 5mins it starts right up like nothing happened.... Now on top of the stall he's sluggish in shifting which I'm sure both issues are related.... I was suppose to drop the oil pan this weekend to see if there's any sludge or bolts present but my oil pump hasn't made it yet.... Also the fuel pump filter and relay are all brand new

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by toomann View Post
    Won't scan? how rude!
    Hey I eventual got it to talk a while back and that's how I found out my crank position sensor was the culprit at THAT time...now I'm having stall issues unrelated to cps....
    Last edited by Eloiajohnson; 09-17-2021 at 06:58 AM.

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