Keyless entry/drive away protection system

[bbig119]

On my car the remote is integrated into the key. A few weeks ago it went from intermittantly working to not working at all. The battery was recently replaced, and reinitializing the key according to the manual does no good. After some research, it seems that since my car was produced in 1993, it pre dates EWS I and just has an original drive away protection system. This correct?

If so, what does this mean in terms of installing aftermarket systems?

Based on some of the information I got primarily from a thread here: http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthr...hlight=keyless

I called a dealer(actuall two- the first guy had no clue about the problem), and they said it could be that the receiver needs to be reset, but he hasn't ever had to do it, or the amplifier on the antenna needs to be replaced which is more expensive than a reset. I can't find anything on the amplifier or antenna.

Is the module in my car located on the passenger side of the battery under the seat like other EWS systems?

There doesn't seem to be much information, or what is out there is very unclear about what I can/can not do to get this working. I like keyless entry and the alarm is a nice touch, but not necessary. However if I can get it back for $100 or so then I'd be happy to look into doing the work or getting somebody to do it for me if that's what it requires.

Thanks.

[stx133]

i am interested in the same, mine has not been re-set since the lock in incident

[joshua43214]

You have EWS-II. No one you can talk to at the dealer will now anything about it. Its an abortion set up grabed from the 7series and kinda melded into the e34. its a very buggy system when it ages and very hard to diagnose intermittant problems with. Both the transmitters and the ews module can fail, You will most likely be told to start with a new key, and if it does not get better, get a new ews module, unless the tech happens to see it act up while the DIS machine is hooked up.

Just go in, not call, and make sure it goes to one of the "old timers", the newer techs will have to spend a bunch of time in research and will most likely just toss it back with "can not duplicate concern" scrawled on the RO rather than learn a system that they will never see again. Keep in mind the service advisors are just salesmen, and they will just nod their head and go along with anything you say, even if they can't really help you. If you can, slide into the shop and ask one of the techs which tech knows hows to service EWS-II, then go to that techs service advisor.

The system only allows a limited number of "false" signals before it needs to be reset, and only the dealer can do that. The module is under the back seat on the left under a plastic cover and is not visable.

[bbig119]

You have EWS-II. No one you can talk to at the dealer will now anything about it. Its an abortion set up grabed from the 7series and kinda melded into the e34. its a very buggy system when it ages and very hard to diagnose intermittant problems with. Both the transmitters and the ews module can fail, You will most likely be told to start with a new key, and if it does not get better, get a new ews module, unless the tech happens to see it act up while the DIS machine is hooked up.

Just go in, not call, and make sure it goes to one of the "old timers", the newer techs will have to spend a bunch of time in research and will most likely just toss it back with "can not duplicate concern" scrawled on the RO rather than learn a system that they will never see again. Keep in mind the service advisors are just salesmen, and they will just nod their head and go along with anything you say, even if they can't really help you. If you can, slide into the shop and ask one of the techs which tech knows hows to service EWS-II, then go to that techs service advisor.

The system only allows a limited number of "false" signals before it needs to be reset, and only the dealer can do that. The module is under the back seat on the left under a plastic cover and is not visable.

Thanks for some of that clarification. I'll try to find some time during a day to make it into to the $tealer to see if this can get fixed up.

[Bill R.]

date you show. Here's some info on the driveaway and the ews I , II etc.

And then this pertains to EWS II

This shows the dates for the various EWS and driveaway protection

Thanks for some of that clarification. I'll try to find some time during a day to make it into to the $tealer to see if this can get fixed up.

[Bill R.]

And then this link to Techboy's site has more info on the actual alarm and locking system for your car which is probably what the problem is.

Thanks to Shogun for the link to Techboys site

[bbig119]

Bill, thanks for that stuff. That link to the pdf seems right on. I'm still unsure where the problem lies, but if nothing else I could print this out and give it to a tech at the dealer as a place to start looking for repair.

Page 16 of the linked PDF explains a reciever 'blocked' state. Is that common or a probable explaination for my problem? The description of the symptoms sound right, but the causes do not-- but it also seems like the most straightforward and cheap fix.

What's the deal if the DWA itself is bad? can I troubleshoot it, or would I just have to get it replaced(used or new)?

Thanks so much for you help. I haven't found anything this useful searching the archives here and roadfly.

[Bill R.]

I'm not a dealership mechanic and i haven't run into it before. I've always been able to get them to initialize by disconnecting the car battery for a few minutes, then the battery on the remote and running through the initialization again. Some cars take me more trys than others, I just had a nissan pathfinder 99 model that wouldn't initialize the key. I kept thinking i wasn't getting the sequence of events quite right and kept trying it. After the 3 try i got it to work. I would read through as many initialization procedures as you can find and check the see if any of them have any differences that you may or may not have been doing correctly.

Bill, thanks for that stuff. That link to the pdf seems right on. I'm still unsure where the problem lies, but if nothing else I could print this out and give it to a tech at the dealer as a place to start looking for repair.

Page 16 of the linked PDF explains a reciever 'blocked' state. Is that common or a probable explaination for my problem? The description of the symptoms sound right, but the causes do not-- but it also seems like the most straightforward and cheap fix.

What's the deal if the DWA itself is bad? can I troubleshoot it, or would I just have to get it replaced(used or new)?

Thanks so much for you help. I haven't found anything this useful searching the archives here and roadfly.