AN ILL BMW

[paneuro]

Hi, I have an E61 530d which will not start. I fitted a new battery 3 years ago with a 5 year warranty and noticed lately that it seemed a bit lazy when starting. I went to it today and it just wouldn't turn the engine over, battery was dead. I tried a jump start from my wife's car and it was spinning the engine no problem but it wouldn't fire up. I had a friend look at it and put his code reader on it and its coming up with 4A 63  EWS  MANIPULERING  INCORRECT RANDOM CODE. Any body got any ideas.

Cheers Paneuro

[Greydog]

Morning Andrew

You either need INPA or someone who understands INPA to scan the car. If they know what they are doing they can try re-syncing the EWS Shft F6 EWS -- Start value comparison and Shft F7 EWS CAS -- Start value comparison. Let it run. If all is OK they will re-sync and you should be able to start your car.

If not Stu should be able to help he went through a lengthy saga with his X5

Check your battery just because it is only 3 years old doesnt mean its OK. Before doing any scan work or programming the battery must be in a fully charged condition.

Good Luck with a finding a simple fix

Dave

[X5smw]

Morning !   I used PASoft 1.4.0 to read the faults and diagnose all the issues. If you can run a live dianosis, when you insert the key into the ignition and turn one click, you should see the ews read the transponder in the key and go green, showing the code is a match. My key fob transponder failed and stopped the car starting. 
the ews has a rolling code that changes every time the car is turned off. Can you try with another key? 
with pasoft, you can reset and re sync the dme and ews units to correct some issues.

[X5smw]

Also, the battery might be ok but the alternator might not be charging it effectively…  charge the battery fully and try re syncing. Then, if it starts. Check the running voltages and state of the battery. 
pAsoft can tell you this too. 
 

inpa will do everything too. 

 

[paneuro]

Hi guys, this is the full story that I should have posted to begin with but some of it hadn't happened.

As i said when starting my car it was a bit lazy and I suspected the battery was the problem. It was three years old but had a five year warranty. I took it back to the supplier and they tested it and said it was good but needed a charge. I had started it and driven it 6 miles to their shop so it had some charge in it from the alternator. The reading was 5.68 EN on their testing machine and they said it was still over the parameters where they could replace it.  It failed completely around 2 weeks later. I had home start with Green Flag breakdown and they came out and tried to jumpstart it from the points under the bonnet but it refused to start. They plugged in their diagnostic tool and it was giving a fault code 4A63 EWS Manipulering Incorrect Random code .I phoned the shop and told them and they said remove the battery and bring it in and they would replace it. I did this and they lifted the battery out of the boot of my wife's car and without any testing whatsoever carried a new battery out to my car. I told the manager I was not happy and that had they given me a new battery when they tested it and not waited until it completely failed the problem would never have happened.  
Paneuro.

[paneuro]

 The car is now with the BMW dealer who charges £168.00 GBP to plug it in to their diagnostic equipment and the same charge per hour thereafter. I have given them the error code which I saw on the breakdown peoples diagnostic equipment as I would like to make the battery supplier pay for any expense incurred, but I'm not sure if the BMW dealer will commit this cause to paper. Is there anywhere this code is listed as the cause of my problem so I could at least be armed with some sort of leverage. I know they will try and disassociate themselves with this if possible, so the more info about this i have the better.
Thanks Paneuro.

[paneuro]

Hi, I also forgot to say they also tested the alternator and it was reading 14.20 volts  no load and 14.29 loaded. I have all the readouts in print but don't know how to post a picture on here. thanks Paneuro.

[X5smw]

Buy pasoft….. it’s about £40 ish. It’s easy to use and has solved all sorts of issues in lots of BMWs for me. …. I think I’m on number 10 top of my head… it sounds like you maybe just need to re sync the ews and dme. I would expect a technician to do this on the initial diagnosis 

[paneuro]

Hi Stu, I don't know about pasoft, from what you said about turning the key one click and light turning green!  My car does not work like that, I don't turn the key, its just a push in key. Although its 2008 its late in the year and its an LCI model.  cheers Paneuro.

[paneuro]

Just now, paneuro said:

Hi Stu, I don't know about pasoft, from what you said about turning the key one click and light turning green!  My car does not work like that, I don't turn the key, its just a push in key. Although its 2008 its late in the year and its an LCI model.  I was thinking about the Foxwell 510 elite which seems reasonably easy to operate. cheers Paneuro.

 

[Greydog]

Morning Both

Stu 1.4.0 is not compatible with Andrews car which uses a different bus system. As a rough guide 1,4,0 will work on models up to 2005/2006. That was when Ibus stopped and the updated Bus systems K & Dcan Icom came along 

Andrew if you are buying a Diagnostic suite ISTA/INPA is hard to beat though there are systems now by Foxwell, Icarsoft and a few others. The advantage of ISTA/INPA is it has the workshop information built in

Both of my X5's (E53 4.6is and E70 3.0d) show 14.8v alternator output and 12.8 battery engine off car asleep 

What did BMW suggest ? Or did they just hand the results over?

Dave

[paneuro]

On 5/7/2023 at 8:05 AM, Greydog said:

Morning Both

Stu 1.4.0 is not compatible with Andrews car which uses a different bus system. As a rough guide 1,4,0 will work on models up to 2005/2006. That was when Ibus stopped and the updated Bus systems K & Dcan Icom came along 

Andrew if you are buying a Diagnostic suite ISTA/INPA is hard to beat though there are systems now by Foxwell, Icarsoft and a few others. The advantage of ISTA/INPA is it has the workshop information built in

Both of my X5's (E53 4.6is and E70 3.0d) show 14.8v alternator output and 12.8 battery engine off car asleep 

What did BMW suggest ? Or did they just hand the results over?

Dave

 

[paneuro]

Hi guys, it wasn't BMW that tested the battery and alternator it was the company who supplied the battery and they gave me the print out from the machine. I was there and he handed it straight out the testing machine. BMW have the car at the moment and they have got it going. They phoned me and said they were monitoring the battery overnight to see if there was any drain, if not I can go and collect it tomorrow.

[Greydog]

Well that is at least progress Andrew did BMW tell you what was needed to get it running?

These days they don't test batteries as they used to with a drop test across the terminals. So many suspect batteries remain in use with owners struggling.

If they find no drain I would check the starter I have seen failing starter motors draw massive amounts of current killing the battery in a couple of turns of the key.

Good Luck 

Dave

[paneuro]

Hi guys, car is now fixed and it cost two hours at the BMW dealers.  thanks for all the advice.

Paneuro

[paneuro]

Hi guys, just to let you know I sent copies of the receipts to put the car right to the battery suppliers (£352.00) and they reimbursed the full cost within an hour. thanks Paneuro.

[Greydog]

Great result Andrew

What fault did BMW find/fix

Dave

[paneuro]

Hi Dave, just noticed your question. BMW were not specific but they did put in writing that the problem in their opinion was caused by suspect low voltage which most people on this forum and others suspected from the beginning. Anyway car is running well now thanks to people on the forum and the BMW dealer.

thanks Paneuro.