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EWS Delete / Bypass and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read

556K views 376 replies 66 participants last post by  mondays 
#1 · (Edited)
Even though this relates to an E36, I'm posting it here because it has the same M50 engine and electrical system as the E34.

This is the story of a BMW lover's journey through diagnosing and fixing a no-start situation. First of all, I want to express a sincere thanks to a fellow forum member, Roberto Baggio (aka RobertoBaggio20). I would have neither had the courage to do this nor would I have had the information necessary had it not been for Roberto. He found a link to a fellow that had information about bypassing the security system on the car. If I did not have this, I would not have been successful. So again, thanks Roberto.

My E36 would not start about 6 months or so ago. I was in no hurry to fix it as this is a spare car. I probably would have been done a lot sooner, but I had to have knee surgery in early December and that really slowed me down.

Now, on to the story. I have a 1995 325is with 236K miles. This has been a very good car and has only had about 4 no-start situations. The first was a failed fuel pump. This was before I joined the forum or knew anything about working on BMW's. I had it towed to a mechanic. He diagnosed it and replaced the fuel pump for around $400. I had an old 85 Mercedes 300D that I was not a bit afraid to work on. I would adjust valves and service the transmission etc., but I was always intimidated about working on the BMW's because (I'm almost embarrassed to say this) I could not even find the darn spark plugs! I know, it was silly, but all I would do at first is change the oil. Anyway, I found Bimmerfest and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

The second no-start situation was a bad fuel pump relay. By this time I had found out about the Bentley manual and was well on my way to becoming a much more savvy DIY'er. I removed the air filter and squirted a little starting fluid into the intake. It started for a couple of seconds, but would not respond to the throttle. I made a fused jumper with an on/off toggle switch per Bentley instructions and jumped the fuel pump relay socket and the car started and would run just fine. I replaced the fuel pump relay and all was well.

The third no-start situation was about 1 ½ years ago. At that time, I had followed my usual daily routine and turned the key to crank it, but I "stuffed it", meaning I didn't let it fully catch before I let go of the key. After that, it would not crank. The first thing I checked was the fuel pump relay, but that was not the problem. I went through the usual routine of checking things, but it just wouldn't crank. I had no fault codes stored in the ECM. I messed with it for about an hour but it still would not crank. On the last try, it coughed a little and finally cranked. The frustrating part was, I never did figure out what caused it to not crank.

I continued to drive the car for another year with no problems. Then one day (a couple of days after a rather heavy snow fall), the wife got in the car and it wouldn't crank. It would turn over, but it would not catch and run. So, I started the usual process of diagnosing it thinking that it would be an easy fix. I was so, so wrong. First, I checked to see if the fuel pump was working. I pulled the seat and confirmed that I had voltage at the connector. I plugged it back in and proceeded to remove the fuel pump relay and use my jumper that I had made per Bentley specs. Sure enough, the fuel pump purred like a kitten. So, while the fuel pump relay was jumped, I tried to crank the car. It still would not start. Now I was thinking that I may have an electrical problem. However, to try to rule out a fuel delivery problem, I got out my trusty can of starting fluid. Yes, I know, one should not use much when attempting to start the car. It still would not crank with the starting fluid. Now I realized that I had a no-spark situation. I had never dealt with this on a modern car. I started doing research on the forum and Google. Next, again wanting to do the easiest thing, I put in a new DME relay and a new fuel pump relay. Still it would not crank. I checked the relay sockets (once I learned how to pull them up to get to the bottom of them) and they all seemed fine and had no corrosion.

I remembered a problem about E36's having a "wet DME" problem. So, I opened up the DME compartment, but it was dry as a bone. Next I suspected a failed crankshaft position sensor (CPS). I checked the resistance and it was about 500 ohms. Well, Bentley states on page 120-6 that it should be at 1280 + or - 10% (BTW, I found out later that it was a misprint in Bentley. It should have said 540 + or - 10%). So, I was way off or so I thought. I thought, okay, that must be it. I found a used one at a junk yard and bought it. When I got it home, it too was at about 500 ohms. I thought, great, now I have two bad CPS's. But it just seemed to defy the odds that two CPS sensors would be bad. So, I tested the one on my E34. What do you know? It too was about 500 ohms. I thought, well, if I put the used one on it and it doesn't crank, then I still can't say for sure that the CPS is not the problem because I can't be sure if the used one is good or not. So, I took the CPS off of my E34 (because I knew it was good since that car was running) and put it on the E36. It still would not crank. I put the original CPS back on and returned the borrowed CPS back on the E34 and it promptly fired up (remember this part for how it plays out later in the story).

Now I was becoming really frustrated and felt that I was reaching the limit of my knowledge and ability regarding diagnosing the problem. Just for kicks and giggles, I replaced the plugs. After all, they had (ahemm, clears throat) at minimum, 138K miles on them, but obviously they would not all fail at once. I decided to check the coils. They were getting proper voltage and had resistance within specs per the Bentley. But, I had no spark with trying to crank the car.

At this point, I basically narrowed the problem down to the DME. That's usually not a big deal right? I mean, after all, you just go to a junk yard and get one or buy one on Craig's List. So, I started my research. Well, I was not too happy on what I was finding. You see, the 1995 325 is a unique car in that it is the first year that BMW put the EWS II security system on the car. This is a system whereby there is a very small chip in the ignition key. There is a EWS antenna ring around the ignition tumbler. The DME is paired with the key and the EWS module. When the proper key is inserted, the antenna receives the signal from the key chip, it is sent to a unit that amplifies the signal. That signal is read by the EWS module which communicates with the DME and gives the go ahead to allow the car to crank. If the incorrect key is used, then, when the key is turned, all of the gauges and such will come on, but the engine will not turn over. This was confirmed when a while back, I had the very early stages of the dreaded "key spin". I tackled it as soon as I had the first signs of it so it was not bad to do. Anyway, I replaced my ignition tumbler and forgot to install the antenna ring. I tried to start the car and nothing. I just about left a big brown spot in my underwear until I realized that I forgot to re-install the antenna ring. Once I did, the car cranked fine. Whew!

Now, back to the story. The DME that is in my car is what is called a "silver label" DME. It is specifically for the EWS II car. So in researching, I found out that my options were pretty limited and the cost of repair was going to be quite a bit. A re-manufactured silver label DME was going to be almost $1200 from the dealer and on top of that, I would have to have the car towed to the dealer to have the new DME "re-coded" or "re-synched" to my specific car. Needless to say, I did not want to chunk down this kind of money on a 15 year old car with 236K miles. So I also looked into having mine re-built. I came across these guys at bmwdme.com. They will test the DME for $50. If there is no problem with it, they send it back to you after you pay the $50. If it is bad (assuming it is not massive damage from a fire, drowning or severe electrical shorting), they will repair it for $475. This was certainly better than the approximate $1300-$1400 it would cost with a remanufactured one (taking in to account the tow and labor at the BMW dealership for re-synching it).

Here is where Roberto really came in to the picture. He was kind enough to research this problem for me (without me asking him to do so BTW). He came across this fellow's blog. His name is Richard. Here is the link: http://qcwo.com/technicaldomain/ews-deletion-chip. He communicated back with Roberto and advised that a standard "red label" 413 DME (for the 1992-1994 M50) would work if the EWS system is bypassed. Roberto forwarded the information to me. I started my search for a red label DME. I am located right between two gold mines in the form of Pull-A-Part junkyards. There prices are unbelievable. A DME would cost about $30. Only problem is, people know this and the on of the very first things that gets snagged is the DME. So I constantly searched for a red label DME. One day they put a VANOS M50 E34 on the lot. I got there the very same day, but the DME was gone. I also searched Craig's List. I finally found one from a 93 325i and got it for $60.

I had to remove the glove box to access the EWS module. Bentley leaves out one important information about a bolt that holds the glove box assembly in the car. It is a 10 mm bolt that is located above the glove box light. Pop the light out and you have easy access to it. Locating the EWS module was the next challenge as there are several modules in there. The instructions given were to cut wire #4 (green) and then cut and bridge wires #1 and #3. The wires are not labeled this way so it was a challenge to figure this out as well. With the assistance of the wiring diagram in the Bentley manual, I was able to determine which module it was (it was the module in the lowest bracket with a yellow connector) and locate which wire to cut (the green #4 wire is the very small, solid colored wire), and which wires to cut and bridge (#1 is black/yellow and #3 is green/black).

I consider myself an electrical moron, so I have to tell you, I was scared to start cutting and bridging wires. So, I cut the green wire #4 and capped off each end. I then cut wire #1 and #3 at the EWS module and spliced them together. I put the red label DME in the car. I turned the key and the dashboard lit up as usual, but the engine would not turn over. Remember me mentioning how the EWS was activated when I forgot to put the antenna ring back on the ignition tumbler when I replaced it? Well, I knew that the EWS was being activated because it was the exact same scenario. So, I also spliced wires #1 and #3 on the DME side as well. Again I tried to crank the car. This time the engine would turn over, but it still had no spark and would not crank. Now I was really ticked off and thinking that I had no chance of fixing this thing. So, I just put the wiring back to as it was from the factory and I put the silver label DME back in it with the intention of having it towed to my mechanic.

By chance, I thought I would get a used camshaft position sensor and replace it, but to my understanding, a bad camshaft position sensor will not cause a no-start situation, but can cause the car to run poorly. So, off I went to the Pull-A-Part and found an M50 that had had the intake removed, so it was a breeze to pull it. Due to weather and issues with my knee, I didn't work on the car for a couple of weeks. The other day it was nice out and my wife was doing some things and I commented to her that I had just decided to have it towed to my mechanic. My fear is that he would spend a couple of hours (at $80/hr.) just to diagnose it and he may well say it had a bad DME. So I would then have to send the DME off for a $475 repair. As I told her this, she said "what about that wire you bought?" I asked "what wire?" She said "you know, the one you bought at the junk yard the other weekend." I was like "oh yeah, the camshaft position sensor I pulled at the Pull-A-Part". So, I opened the hood and began trying to figure out how I was going to get the VANOS off so I could remove the sensor. As I looked around, I saw an electrical connector under the intake manifold that was not connected.

I traced it and found that it was the connector for the CPS. Remember earlier in the story when I took the CPS off of my E34 and put it on the E36 and it still would not crank? Earlier when I was swopping the CPS from my E34 to the E36 and it didn't work, I proceed to take the CPS back off and put it back on the E34. I bolted the original E36 CPS back on the front of the engine at the toothed wheel. Well guess what, I didn't re-connect the sensor (doh). I was like, "well crap, that explains why it wouldn't crank with the red label DME". Just for kicks and giggles, I re-connected it and tried to crank the car with everything stock (silver label and stock EWS wiring set up). But just as expected, it would not crank and seemed to have no spark. So, I proceeded to do the red label DME swap again. I put it back in and re-did the EWS delete wiring bypass.

I tried to crank it again. It would not crank, but sounded like it wanted to. So I tried a one second squirt of the starting fluid in the intake at the MAF. I tried again and still no start, but it sounded like it wanted to crank even more. So, what the heck, if one second is good, two seconds should be better right? So, I gave a good two second squirt and tried again.

It did not crank up immediately, but just like something winding up, IT FINALLY CAUGHT !!!!. It ran rough for a couple of seconds, then smoothed right out. I didn't let it run long because I had not yet filled and bled the coolant system. I shut it off and waited about 5 minutes. I tried it again and it cranked up immediately. So in the end, it was the DME that was bad and the red label DME swap into an EWS II equipped car does indeed work. After about 6 months, the lifters were noisy on start up. This was due to leak down of the lifters over time. Also, the VANOS was rather noisy. After bleeding the coolant system and making sure everything was okay, I took it out for a short ride (7-8 miles) without revving beyond 2500 PRM. By this time the lifters had pumped back up and the VANOS quieted down.

Here are some morals of the story that I learned:

If you have the desire, persistence, a good repair manual, some decent tools and some basic mechanical skills, you can do most anything on the BMW's (well, at least the older models like E36, E34 and earlier). Realize however that you may have limitations on your abilities. I'm not at the point that I would feel comfortable doing and R&R on a head gasket or head. Sometimes you just have to take it to a mechanic.

Don't be afraid to ask for help from other BMW owners who may have experienced the same problem. Listen to their input. This forum has some of the nicest and most knowledgeable people around.

Be willing to do research on the problem. Remember, Google is your friend. Search it and search this forum as a lot of the problems have been experienced before.

Don't just throw parts at a problem. Try to be methodical in your approach. Think things through thoroughly. If you get stumped or frustrated, take a step away from the vehicle (sounds like you're being arrested lol) and take a break. Take time to "re-charge" your batteries so to speak. Sometimes during that break a moment of clarity will come that will point you to the problem.

Always double check your work. Had I realized that I failed to re-connect the electrical connection side of the CPS, I would have had the car running a couple of weeks sooner.

I hope this long winded dissertation has or will help someone who faces a no-start situation.

Best regards,
Steve
 
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#183 ·
Oh btw, do not inject starting fluid into your AFM. You might damage the heated wires in there. Starting fluid should only be injected through the throttle body, or into the air filter box.

Instead of starting fluid, you can also use carburetor cleaner.

And pull the error codes from your car. The problem you now have is probably already listed there with the component responsible as well. Do the stomp test. Don't know if that works on your car, but google for more information about how you can pull the error codes from your 318is on your own and without a code reader.
 
#191 · (Edited)
Ok. Please change your CPS and see if the car starts up with your existing ECU.

Did your engine crank BEFORE the ews delete ? Or only after the delete ?

Can you check if the stomp test or something similar works on your car and check your car for error codes ?

Have you downloaded and flipped through the Bentley manual ?
 
#192 ·
Hello ttaylo036 (I wish I knew your actual first name). I have been contemplating your problem. To me, the key to resolving your problem is to accurately diagnose the problem. When I did my DME swap that prompted this thread, I essentially ruled out all other problems before determining that my problem was a failed DME. I’m still not convinced that the actual fault in your system has been determined.

In thinking that the problem may be the DME, I called the people at Specialized ECU Repair (BMWDME.com) in hopes that they could re-program your DME to remove the EWS feature from it. Unfortunately, they said that they don’t have that capability. They also do not do any work on EWS modules. They can however evaluate the DME. If it is found to not be defective, they would charge you $50. It if is found to be defective and they can repair it, the cost would be $475. If you were to consider this, please call them to confirm the information. If you were to send your DME in for analysis/repair, and the DME is faulty and can be repaired, then that may indeed be your problem. If the DME is found to be okay, then you will have to look at other things.

Here’s what I would do if I were in your shoes. I would recommend that you return everything to stock, i.e., repair all of the wiring changes you have made and return the original DME to the car. Do the stomp test and see if there are any fault codes stored. If so, let us know what they are. Some may be stored from where you have tried things such as trying to crank the car with the fuel pump relay jumped. If that is the case, I think I would recommend that you delete the error codes either through the stomp test or by leaving the DME disconnected for 5-10 minutes.

I do not concur with buying a new CPS unless you have checked the old one with an ohm meter first. The resistance should be 540 +/- 10%. The Bentley manual had an error and shows 1280 +/- 10%. This was a typo. If the CPS ohms out within specs, then that is not likely the problem.

After doing this, try to crank the car and see what happens. If all lights light up and everything seems normal except that the engine will not respond at all to turning the key to position 3 (engine cranking position), then I think that would lead you to a faulty EWS module. I do not know what the cost of a new EWS module and re-synching would be at BMW. You could call and see. It is possible that it could be any component of the EWS system.

Ultimately, you may have to bite the bullet and take it to either a qualified and trusted independent BMW mechanic or to the BMW dealer.

I hope that some of this has helped and I wish you the best in getting it resolved. Please do keep us updated.
 
#193 ·
Ok. Please change your CPS and see if the car starts up with your existing ECU. Did that no change

Did your engine crank BEFORE the ews delete ? NO

Or only after the delete ? YES

Can you check if the stomp test or something similar works on your car and check your car for error codes ? NO CODES

Have you downloaded and flipped through the Bentley manual ?YES
 
#195 · (Edited)
I'm sorry to see that you are still having trouble. I hope you didn't buy a new CPS without checking the resistance of the old one first. I fear that you may be in dire straights if the EWS has failed. It seems that you don't have the option of EWS delete like we do with the M50.

As Supertech777 mentioned, it may be worth it to find a used DME for a pre-95 318 and see if the EWS delete procedure used on the M50 will work. It's worth a shot and may only cost you about $60-$75 for the DME.

Earlier I had mentioned the possibility of a motor swap to a M50. As I said, that would be a very big project. However, I looked up the 318 motor (I admit I know very little about it) and it appears that your 318 has the M42B18. It appears that this is the same engine used in the E36 318 for all years (I am speaking of North America models only however). If that is indeed the case, then I would think there is one more option; still a pretty big project, but not as big as an engine swap.

Here's the possible idea: Perhaps you could get the wiring harness from a pre-95 318 (including the pre-95 DME) and swap it into your 95 model :dunno: I can't think of a reason you could not do this. The harness could be sourced from a local pick and pull type salvage yard.

Your thoughts? (and an other interested parties?)
 
#196 ·
Hi Steve ! , but wouldnt the wiring harness be the same for a 93-94 318 and the 95 model , since he already spliced and cut the wires for the delete procedure . I'm just wondering cause the e34 pre ews2 is the same for the 95 e34 . Gosh this it would be cool to fix this and you can add it to this thread ... Regards
Noel

Sent from my Desire HD using Bimmer App
 
#197 ·
Hi Steve ! , but wouldnt the wiring harness be the same for a 93-94 318 and the 95 model , since he already spliced and cut the wires for the delete procedure . I'm just wondering cause the e34 pre ews2 is the same for the 95 e34 . Gosh this it would be cool to fix this and you can add it to this thread ... Regards
Noel
As Supertech777 mentioned, it may be worth it to find a used DME for a pre-95 318 and see if the EWS delete procedure used on the M50 will work. It's worth a shot and may only cost you about $60-$75 for the DME.

As seen above, I agree with you on trying a pre-95 DME for the 318 and try the EWS delete mod as it is with the 6 cylinder. I think this would be the best option to try first. Thus far, I am not finding any information that indicates that the EWS delete mod we used on our M50's will work on the M42 in the 318. If ttaylo036 were to try it ..... and it worked ..... that would be so :banana:

The wiring harness for the pre-95 318 would not be the same since it did not have the EWS as far as I know. That's also why he would need a DME that goes with the pre-95 harness.

If it doesn't work, then the wiring harness swap is an option as far as I know. I would think it would be better than scrapping the car. Heck, if ttaylo036 couldn't get it done, he could still part out and/or scrap the car. I just hate to see a Bimmer go to the bone yard simply due to a security system anomaly limited only to the 1995 model :cry:
 
#198 ·
If he could get a wiring harness from an earlier 318, he can surely get the ecu from that.

The wiring harnesses pre ews and post ews should merely have additional wires for the ews system and not swop anything else around. I believe this is the case because there are empty leads on the computer clamp that goes on top of the ecu. If you take it up and look underneath, you'll see where leads poke into the plastic mesh and where they don't. It is designed this way to allow easy wiring upgrades with minimal redesign.

The wiring harness swop would be a very extensive affair. It would be less expensive than an engine swop, but I would prefer an engine swop because really the 318 is damn slow compared to a m50b25. :)

That being said.....an engine upgrade would also involve upgrading the transmission. Way too much money.

Dude, source for a pre ews2 ecu online or by calling the yards around (not all the yards will list their stuff online, you'll have to call). If not, then have your existing ecu repaired. There are no other practical options. Swopping wiring harnesses will, considering the delicate nature of the task, could cause far more problems than they solve. Getting a new ecu without the ews system, repairing your current ecu, or even getting a different ews2 ecu and then having the dealers code it to work with your car, would be a far better plug and play solution. Of course, anything involving the dealers will be costly and will require your car to be towed there which adds to the expense. So I'd suggest you spend a day scouting around for a 318is ecu.

In fact, its quite probable that any m42b18 ecu would work on your car. You might not need one specifically from an e36 coupe.
 
#199 ·
Here you go, at $100.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/91-92-BMW-E...&fits=Model:318is&hash=item337c0d27d0&vxp=mtr

If it doesn't work, you can always resell it. ECUs are always in demand dude.

ANd here's an EWS delete chip :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-318i-is...&fits=Model:318is&hash=item232326571b&vxp=mtr

It pays to take time searching through Ebay. Sometimes you might need to ask the sellers some questions and wait for a reply to confirm things.

Steve, do you think his ECU is screwed ? If so, then my recommendation to you is to purchase the cheapest working 318is ecu that you can find, and if it has the EWS function (and there are many that don't, from the listing years in the auction), then purchase a delete chip and plonk that in. The delete chips will also have performance upgrades, and you'll get a nippier car ! Always turn a repair into an upgrade wherever possible, not just in cars, but in life.
 
#201 ·
A few thoughts.

First of all, the DME listed in the Ebay link you provided clearly states it is for the E30 chassis only. ttalylo036 has an E36, not an E30. While the engines are both M42, I do believe there are differences. Specifically, the E30 M42 was a single cam design and the E36 M42 was a dual cam design with a DISA valve. So, the DME you listed would not work.

Regarding the link to the EWS delete chip, note a couple of things. Firstly, the seller indicates that the DME will work for 318s manufactured from 1992 up to 1995/6. If ttalylo036's car was manufactured after June 1995, then the chip will not work. My assumption is that the EWS system was installed in the 318 with a manufacture date of 7/95 and after. Also note that in the description, it indicates "no EWS function", not "EWS delete". Those two statements are not the same. My thinking is that the chip will work for pre-EWS cars, but not cars equipped with EWS. I do not believe that this chip would work for ttaylo036. I would like to know the date of manufacture on ttaylo036's car (could you oblige us sir? It's located on the sill plate when you open the driver's door).

ttaylo036 indicated that a delete chip for the 318 is not available. For some reason, I seem to recall that he called Turner Motorsports on that and, if anyone would know, they would. Again, the key phrase is "EWS delete".

I am not still convinced that the problem lies with ttaylo036's DME. As you may recall, in my case, I was able to ultimately determine through the process of elimination that the DME was the problem. However also recall that my symptom was only a no-start. The engine would crank over all day so that essentially ruled out my EWS system. ttaylo036's situation was a no-start and no-crank situation. And, given that his car would crank over after he cut the wires, that tends to make me think his problem was more than likely somewhere in the EWS system itself.
 
#200 · (Edited)
I did a search on ebay for the following phrases.

" 318is ecu dme "
" 318is performance chip "

...and I looked through the description in some of the listed auctions. Those for the performance chip do state that the EWS function has been removed. Please correspond directly with the sellers for precise information.

Please take action on this immediately and let us know. The problem has been solved. I wouldn't worry about the money your spent on your new CPS. That's an important anticipatory repair and will eliminate some common no-start situations for BMWs. Good move. You'll also need to purchase an oem fuel pump relay and an oem fuel pump. Please do those within the next 3 months and have them installed. Your car will likely never suffer a no start issue ever.

And if I were you, I would purchase an additional spare ECU and just keep it with me in the car. If you ever sell off the car, you can separately sell off the ECU for at least the same price as you bought it. With our older cars, it is only prudent to invest in insurances such as these.
 
#202 ·
Thanks for all your help I'll be out in the garage tonight, havent bought anything new. Been dong lots of research on this and its seems that this site is the best.

Anyways my name is Tim and its needs to be mentioned this car only has 10,000 miles.
You would mind to post the guys who make the DME repairs? I think that may be my next move, it would rule out at anyways. I'll post up the details of the build date later tonight.

Also this car progressivly got worse when it came to starting, it would start sometimes and got to the point where it would not crank at all. At that point I had a new key made, that didnt help. All that led me here.

Again thanks to all for your help, Id rather not scrap this car (see pics)

:cry:
 

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#203 ·
Hey Tim. Your ride is beautiful. Not my cup of tea on the styling wise, but a gorgeous speciment of an E36.

I'm perplexed that the car would gradually have the starting problem. That almost makes me wonder if you had/have a problem with the neutral safety switch or something other than the EWS or DME.

Specialized ECU Repair (BMWDME.com) is the company that I referred to. Their number is 800-328-1425.
 
#204 ·
I believe I jacked up the computer by hooking and unhooking the battery, this car sets ALOT so I have the battery unhooked and rehooked and unhooked and rehooked....this car was built 3-95

Could it be that resistor on the 12 gauge battery wire (the smaller wire) I've heard that these do fail and it jacks the car up.


This car has always started without the need to push in the clutch, just sayin.
 
#205 · (Edited)
I looked at both adverts. They both refer to 318/318is as well. The is models were the ones with the 16 valve M42 engines. I believe they should work.

And if they are ecus for cars without the EWS system (rather than an EWS delete), then they will work with a car's EWS system deleted, which is something that Jim is now familiar with. An EWS delete chip specifically functions on a car with an EWS system, but without requiring you to do any wiring to delete that system. The chip itself is installed on the existing functioning ECU after its existing chip is pried out. That was a good point that you mentioned sir.

In any case Jim, you need to look at your ecu's part number and ask specific questions to the sellers of those ecus to confirm that things will work before making a purchase. Even if the listed auctions are not the right ones for you, the sellers may have the correct ECU elsewhere and could still sell it to you.

The part number can be found on your ecu and also on www.realoem.com you'll just need to plonk in your vin number (the last 7 digits).

The car got progressively harder to crank over time - could this be a battery failure situation? How old is your battery ?

It is possible that more than one culprit is at play over here. Jim, you need to start ruling things out. Ensure that the battery's fully charged. First, make sure that the fueling system is working fine all the way from the pump, to the fuel relay and the fp's fuse. Check if you're getting continuity at the fuel pump, current at the fuel pump's connector, and a very slight pressuring noise from the engine (with the hood up) when you key2 the car. Then you need to check if your CPS ohms out fine, or you need to install a new one (that's needed anyway). If these things are ok, then its your ews system or your ecu or both. If its your EWS system, delete the EWS and get a new EWS delete ecu or a non-EWS ecu and things will work. If its your ECU, get a non-EWS ecu, delete your EWS, and then it should work.

Perhaps it would help us understand this better if you told us exactly what happened and exactly how it happened from the very beginning, taking care to leave nothing out. I realise that you've been unclear from the beginning and we've been making assumptions to fill in the gaps, which is always unwise.

Your car looks neat but the rims are way large and I don't know how much they slow the car down considering that its just a measly 1.8 litre engine.
 
#206 ·
I just took another look at your post Steve and yes you're right the E36 318is in the later years had that valve (which apparently changes the size of the intake to allow more air in), which means the E30 ecus might not work or might not work well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-BMW-31...&fits=Model:318is&hash=item3f1ab1ca74&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bmw-E36-M44...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ec27a904d&vxp=mtr

These look like they would work. However, they probably have the donor car's EWS system in them, and Jim will have to purchase a separate performance chip with EWS delete to go with them :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Racing-Chip...Parts_Accessories&hash=item4abc1ee78c&vxp=mtr

I believe most performance chips being sold do not have the EWS system in it, if not it would cost way too much for the buyer to go back to the dealer and recode etc etc. That being said, Jim you should check on all of these directly with the seller.
 
#209 · (Edited)
I have a 96 Z3 with a transplanted 98' M3 S52 in it.

Ever since I have owned it, it has always taken 3 times to crank. Basically, turn the key and spin the engine, turn it off, turn on and spin, turn off and then turn it on again and it starts and runs perfectly.

Just recently it has been taking doing the on/off on/off on/off switching for as many as 20+ times before it starts and once again runs perfectly. It almost seems like it may never run and then when you've almost given up it starts.

Troubleshooting:
I have replaced the fuel pump (had a bad Gauge sending unit anyways)
Replaced the fuel filter
Replaced the Crank Position Sensor

I have then tried to reset the computer. I unplugged the negative on the batteyr and turned on the flashers to drain it.
After this it started on the first try for 3 times and then it went back to not wanting to start.

It seems to be getting worse to where it almost won't start.

Could this be the DME or a bad ECU? :dunno:
 
#211 ·
I have a 96 Z3 with a transplanted 98' M3 S52 in it.

Ever since I have owned it, it has always taken 3 times to crank. Basically, turn the key and spin the engine, turn it off, turn on and spin, turn off and then turn it on again and it starts and runs perfectly.

Just recently it has been taking doing the on/off on/off on/off switching for as many as 20+ times before it starts and once again runs perfectly. It almost seems like it may never run and then when you've almost given up it starts.

Troubleshooting:
I have replaced the fuel pump (had a bad Gauge sending unit anyways)
Replaced the fuel filter
Replaced the Crank Position Sensor

I have then tried to reset the computer. I unplugged the negative on the batteyr and turned on the flashers to drain it.
After this it started on the first try for 3 times and then it went back to not wanting to start.

It seems to be getting worse to where it almost won't start.

Could this be the DME or a bad ECU? :dunno:
1. NEVER drain your battery.
2. Codes can be deleted via the stomp test or by unplugging the ecu for a few minutes.
3. If you noticed, you made progress of some importance. You managed to get your car to behave normally for 3 startups. This is highly relevant.
4. Redelete your codes, then see if you can start the car normally. Keep doing it until it goes back to behaving badly. Then, CHECK your codes. You might just have a new error code in there now. It may be the clue to what's gonig wrong with your car.

5. Please start a new thread and don't threadjack. You will also get more responses from the general members.....this thread is for EWS system related issues and those uninterested in this will not even bother to click on it, and you might lose the attention of someone with the right approach to solving your problem.

rgds,
Roberto
 
#215 ·
Even though this relates to an E36, I'm posting it here because it has the same M50 engine and electrical system as the E34.

This is the story of a BMW lover's journey ......

I consider myself an electrical moron, so I have to tell you, I was scared to start cutting and bridging wires. So, I cut the green wire #4 and capped off each end. I then cut wire #1 and #3 at the EWS module and spliced them together. I put the red label DME in the car. I turned the key and the dashboard lit up as usual, but the engine would not turn over. Remember me mentioning how the EWS was activated when I forgot to put the antenna ring back on the ignition tumbler when I replaced it? Well, I knew that the EWS was being activated because it was the exact same scenario. So, I also spliced wires #1 and #3 on the DME side as well. Again I tried to crank the car. This time the engine would turn over, but it still had no spark and would not crank. Now I was really ticked off and thinking that I had no chance of fixing this thing. So, I just put the wiring back to as it was from the factory and I put the silver label DME back in it with the intention of having it towed to my mechanic........

I hope this long winded dissertation has or will help someone who faces a no-start situation.

Best regards,
Steve
Given attecntion to what you mentioned about the cutting and splicing of wires #1 and #3....

I just had to switch a new(to me) DME into my 1996 328is, so I followed the video instructions and cut/capped the green wire of the EWS to disable it and now the car will turn over but will not crank. I then tried the original DME and the same thing it would turn over but not crank.......Did I miss something about splicing wires #1 and #3?

After reading this post, this is my TO DO LIST when I get off work this evening:
1-Retry new DME with it in compartment and properly grounded as mentioned previously in thread
2-If still no crank... trouble shoot if it is fuel or spark issue
3- If injector or spark issue return to EWS disable method(and hopefully hear something from this reply by then:))

Thanks to Steve for this awesome thread/write-up, and thanks in advance to those who read/reply,
Best Regards,
Caleb
 
#216 ·
If there is no crank, it cannot be a fuel, spark or crankshaft sensor issue. Those would only cause a no-start situation. In fact, it cannot even be a bad dme. That would cause a no spark issue too, but the cranking would work as long as the battery has juice. However, if the EWS system is defective, the battery is dead, or the battery's fusible link is damaged, or of course your starter is busted (pretty rare) you won't get a crank at all.
 
#221 ·
In short, yes. If the ews system is missing, you need to get an ecu that does not look for an ews key. The red label dme would be the one :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/93-94-95-BM...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a7b60281f&vxp=mtr

Please read the product description for more details. If in doubt, write the seller and request confirmation....they don't always include much details.

This ecu is too expensive, imo. $50-$60 should be the right price. If I were you and had time, I'd keep looking....

rgds,
Roberto
 
#223 ·
This is a good alternative to getting a new ecu :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E36-325...Parts_Accessories&hash=item23259ca7ac&vxp=mtr

You can transplant this into the existing ecu and provided the ecu is not itself damaged, it will work fine.

The chip not only has the EWS2 references removed from it, it has a performance tune as well. Thus, you turn a repair into an upgrade, which is always a good thing to do where possible.

You will need something like that to get your silver lable dme to work at all, if not you can't even use it as a spare even if it is undamaged.

These are alternatives :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/93-94-BMW-E...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e7247d24e&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Racing-Chip...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5aeb77ed1f&vxp=mtr

However, those two do not have proper descriptions. Please write to the sellers directly to confirm if the ews 2 system is deleted from the chip, before you confirm the purchase.

You can always purchase a red label dme AND a performance chip, if the current dme is damaged, or if you want a performance dme and also a backup ecu. IMO its worth investing money in it, and can always be sold off later for the same price if your friend decides to sell off his car.

rgds,
Roberto
 
#227 ·
Steve, perhaps you could consider ammending your thread's title from " EWS Delete / Bypass and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read " to " EWS Delete / Bypass 2-STAGE fix and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read ' or "2-STAGE EWS Delete / Bypass and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read" or something like that, to further suppress the possibility of confusion especially among noobs already stressed out by a problem. This is relevant considering that it is one of the most widely googled threads on the fest, despite not being a sticky.


rgds,
Roberto
 
#229 ·
Steve, perhaps you could consider ammending your thread's title from " EWS Delete / Bypass and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read " to " EWS Delete / Bypass 2-STAGE fix and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read ' or "2-STAGE EWS Delete / Bypass and no-start problem finally solved - VERY LONG read" or something like that, to further suppress the possibility of confusion especially among noobs already stressed out by a problem. This is relevant considering that it is one of the most widely googled threads on the fest, despite not being a sticky.

rgds,
Roberto
It is already confusing enough. I'm going to leave it as it is.
 
#230 ·
Thanks for all the insight, looks like I need to hit the repair manual again.
Just a reminder that I have a silver dme stock on a 4cyl car built in March of 95. I sure wish I had gotten the V6 seems a little bit easier to deal with lol...

Again thanks for taking all the time to share your knowledge :)
 
#231 · (Edited)
:thumbup:I had some help tonight so I went out to tackle the BMW once more.

Please allow me to recap.
I have a 4cly E36 made in March of 1995 with 10K miles, my symptoms started with a intermit starting to a complete "no crank" and yes I had dash lights, windows work, headlights work and taillights work.

So I:
Had a new key made at BMW- (still no crank)
Did EWSII bypass as instructed (THE CAR WILL Crank!!) but no start
Tested CPS and passed at 1.25 ohms across pins 1 and 2
Bypassed clutch by combining the blue and brown wires together.
Bought a known good DME from Bavarian (silver) as a manufacture replacement
Bought a new Optima Yellow top battery
Made jumper for fuel pump relay and confirmed pressure
Removed resistor ring from around key hole

Ok, so after all this I still have confirmed no spark while car is cranking.
I have good battery power, I can hear a clicking as when I turn over the key. I don't think the fuel pump is engaging to pump on attempted start-up. Which leads me to believe its still a EWS II issue but I'm all out of ideas

Ideas?
Thought about testing the relay to the DME but not sure of ohm values.
Also this car will NOT provide me with any codes doing the stomp test.

Thanks to everyone that has any input
 
#236 · (Edited)
:thumbup:I had some help tonight so I went out to tackle the BMW once more.

Please allow me to recap.
I have a 4cly E36 made in March of 1995 with 10K miles, my symptoms started with a intermit starting to a complete "no crank" and yes I had dash lights, windows work, headlights work and taillights work.

So I:
Had a new key made at BMW- (still no crank)
Did EWSII bypass as instructed (THE CAR WILL Crank!!) but no start
Tested CPS and passed at 1.25 ohms across pins 1 and 2
Bypassed clutch by combining the blue and brown wires together.
Bought a known good DME from Bavarian (silver) as a manufacture replacement
Bought a new Optima Yellow top battery
Made jumper for fuel pump relay and confirmed pressure
Removed resistor ring from around key hole

Ok, so after all this I still have confirmed no spark while car is cranking.
I have good battery power, I can hear a clicking as when I turn over the key. I don't think the fuel pump is engaging to pump on attempted start-up. Which leads me to believe its still a EWS II issue but I'm all out of ideas

Ideas?
Thought about testing the relay to the DME but not sure of ohm values.
Also this car will NOT provide me with any codes doing the stomp test.

Thanks to everyone that has any input
Have you checked your coil and have you checked your main relay? Unfortunately, it still sounds like an EWS issue, but perhaps the coil or main relay are the problem.
 
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