Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

UK forum for general and technical discussion about the Z3 roadster
Post Reply
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Right, I had my bonnet open earlier whilst doing a bit of work on the Z3, and got caught out in the massive storm we had earlier today. Thought nothing of it as I rushed out and closed it as soon as I realised, but upon trying to open my car to drive my sister in to town, I found I couldn't. Only by manually opening the drivers door could I get in, and then once I put the key in the ignition (all the dashlights, interior/exterior worked) I couldn't get the car to turn over. I realised the clock had reset so I straight away assumed the battery has reset itself.

What I need to know is, how do I go about calibrating the key to the car again?

Please help, in desperate need of the car tomorrow for work, and then to drive to Essex!
Image
User avatar
Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Brian H »

Hi Mark,

For the car not to turn over suggests a power issue, even if the immobiliser had kicked in it would turn over.

Have you checked the battery connections in the boot?

If you had the boot open for a long time when working on the car yesterday the interior light in the boot is a battery killer, maybe it just need charging or starting of a set of jump leads?

Brian
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the reply. The boot wasn't left open yesterday, only the bonnet. My first port of call was to check the battery, but the boots deadlocked and I can't get in. I tried jump starting it using the terminals under the bonnet, but it shows no life at all after the ignition turns on, no crank at all.
Image
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Fixed.

If anyone has this problem, exhaust all your options until your head clicks and you think "I wonder if the simple idea of putting the key in the ignition and leaving it for a while will recalibrate the coding to the car?" because it will. Put the key in to the first click position for all of 10mins (making sure all windows and doors are shut, and all lights are off), went back outside to it and when I opened the door no immoboliser light/hazard lights flashing at me - got all excited, jumped in the seat and started her up first time!

:-)
Image
User avatar
Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Brian H »

Glad you have sorted it.
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Spoke too soon. It works fine, but then as soon as you lock the car using the key fob you start the whole ordeal over again. Don't think I can stand owning a car I have to leave the key in the ignition for 10mins for every time I want to take it out, so a call to BMW it will have to be!

Before I shell out any money I will disconnect the negative battery terminal and leave that for 15mins to see if it resets, since I can open the boot after the key codes itself!
Image
Del
Joined: Sat 19 Nov, 2011 18:35
Posts: 2136

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Del »

To me this hints at a battery problem - the clue is the clock resetting after the first episode. I can't see that an alarm/immobiliser issue would have any impact whatsoever on resetting the clock. The clocks only reset themselves when disconnected from battery power. On the basis that most car faults are something simple rather than complicated - I would put the battery under the spotlight. :shock:

As Brian said, a car with an immobiliser issue will normally still turn over. The fact that nothing happened leads one to suspect either the battery or starting motor - but the latter would not mess up your clock and deadlocking around the car.

Modern batteries are strange beasts - they don't slowly fade away like the old days - they suddenly fail or start acting unreliably with no warning. I had a fairly new battery "play up" on my daily driver and it affected all sorts of things including the central locking. :roll:
User avatar
BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
Posts: 2225

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by BladeRunner919 »

The 10mins with the key in the ignition is a red-herring. There is no recalibration that takes place - the EWS either recognises the key or it doesn't.

Also, the central locking and deadlocking of the boot has absolutely nothing to do with the immobiliser system - they are completely separate. And the fact that you have two separate electronic systems playing up points at battery/fuses/etc...
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Robert T »

Which alarm? If you have the separate fob, the alarm is a separate unit. If the buttons are on the key it is more closely integrated.
In both cases the immobiliser is purely operated by the chip in the key. The difference is that the key can be used to cancel the alarm on the integrated button version.

I am not aware of a deadlock on the boot. Even when locked with the remote, the key should still open it. I wonder if you have a short in the boot lid wiring loom?

Disconnecting the battery may help with the battery issue, but it may well cause the separate fob type alarm to forget the remotes, so you could lose remote locking and alarm.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
bowei001
Joined: Mon 13 Apr, 2009 16:38
Posts: 211

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Sudbury

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by bowei001 »

On our facelift car, if I use a key without an immobilizer chip in it (bought a s/h key off ebay and put its remote locking internals in a new case with a new cut blade), I can open the car and can use the key in the ignition to turn on all the dashboard lights but the engine will NOT turn over. It seems that the immobilizer chip is needed not only to start the car but to crank it over (at least in a facelift model).
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Firstly I just want to say thank you for all the replies - great to be among enthusiasts who can lend a hand when needed! :)
Del wrote:To me this hints at a battery problem - the clue is the clock resetting after the first episode. I can't see that an alarm/immobiliser issue would have any impact whatsoever on resetting the clock. The clocks only reset themselves when disconnected from battery power. On the basis that most car faults are something simple rather than complicated - I would put the battery under the spotlight. :shock:
Absolutely, as soon as I saw that the trip computer and the clock had been reset I instantly turned my thoughts to the battery, but since doing the "10min in the ignition trick" and being able to pop the boot open and start the car fine, I soon realised that it must surely be something related to the chip within the key fob.
Robert T wrote:Which alarm? If you have the separate fob, the alarm is a separate unit. If the buttons are on the key it is more closely integrated.
In both cases the immobiliser is purely operated by the chip in the key. The difference is that the key can be used to cancel the alarm on the integrated button version.

I am not aware of a deadlock on the boot. Even when locked with the remote, the key should still open it. I wonder if you have a short in the boot lid wiring loom?

Disconnecting the battery may help with the battery issue, but it may well cause the separate fob type alarm to forget the remotes, so you could lose remote locking and alarm.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2
It's a facelift so it's the integrated unit, all within one key. Both the main key I use and the spare (identical fob) won't unlock/lock the doors. If you unlock the car manually you can start the car fine, but the second you touch any button on the remote (lock, unlock or the headlight button) it locks the car and you're then immobolised from getting in or starting it once you do (manually) get in.

I understand the way in which I've worded it might be confusing, but simply put I can use the car fine, so long as I don't use the key fob. If I do, it immobolises the car. I imagine it's a case of needing two new keys reprogrammed to the car.

Thanks for all the above replies again, really appreciate it!
Image
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Update; when driving the car earlier, the car locked itself and closed the drivers and passengers windows automatically, and wouldn't let me reopen them. Something seems to have gone seriously wrong with the electrics, would this sort of thing show up on a diagnostics?
Image
User avatar
bobandshar
Joined: Sun 22 Aug, 2010 22:36
Posts: 76

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Spilsby

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by bobandshar »

Your car's not called Christine by any chance :evil:
Image
User avatar
Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Robert T »

Short in the lock signal wire would be my guess. Locking the car and putting the windows up can be done by holding the drivers door in the lock position until the windows close. This could possibly be the boot loom or drivers door loom.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Image
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

sharon1967 wrote:Your car's not called Christine by any chance :evil:

The Plymouth might have been a more reliable choice, lol!
Robert T wrote:Short in the lock signal wire would be my guess. Locking the car and putting the windows up can be done by holding the drivers door in the lock position until the windows close. This could possibly be the boot loom or drivers door loom.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2
Sounds plausible, where would the connection be for this? Is it possibly under the bonnet near the drivers side suspension turret? I can see an exposed earthing cable there and this might have shorted under the rainfall!

Thanks! :-)
Image
User avatar
BladeRunner919
Joined: Fri 17 Feb, 2012 20:18
Posts: 2225

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by BladeRunner919 »

The boot loom is on the left when you open the boot. Have a look at:

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 18&t=34807

The drivers door loom is in the driver's door, or the wiring running to it. I'd start with the boot loom as a known weak spot and therefore the most likely culprit.
markhinton
Joined: Tue 11 Jun, 2013 16:01
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by markhinton »

Never did update this with the resolution, so for anyone with a similar (albeit a very rare) problem, this is what had happened;

The positive battery on my terminal was not secure enough, allowing the car to think the battery had been momentarily disconnected whilst the car was locked. I noticed this a while later when I went to start the car on a separate occasion and found it wouldn't crank, and completely killed all the electronics. Went in to the boot and pushed the terminals down, which is when I realised the positive one was ever so slightly loose (still connected, but with a good push you could turn it), but upon pushing it back down the boot light came on and I could start the car. Simples. Lead spacer and it's fine.

To resolve the key fob issue I went about reading the manual of all things, and reprogramming the keys as you would a new fob (holding down the unlock button and pressing the lock three times within 10secs - mines the all in one unit key which comes with the facelift, so I believe the procedure is slightly different for those with the earlier models), which brought both keys back to working spec - unlock, lock and turning on the interior light at will, allowing me to go back to my "James Bond" style of locking the car; turn and shoot (click!)

Hope this helps anybody with a similar problem! :-)
Image
User avatar
Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Immobiliser won't allow me to unlock/start the car

Post by Brian H »

Thanks for updating, glad it was something simples :)
Post Reply