XSeries-forum

Glad you appear to know what the issue is but getting it sorted isn't straight forward. Hopefully the AA will sort it and recover you to the dealer. You may otherwise need to arrange a flatbed yourself (think about £100ish) but that is more a last resort. Hope you get it sorted soon.

How is the garage concluding it's the key ? It could also be a problem with the EWS(immobiliser) control unit or the aerial around the ignition barrel. The most likely suspect is the key itself if this is at fault it cannot be recoded / reset you will need a new key, you can recode the central locking function of the key but not the immobiliser.
If the car does not crank over at all it is very possible its the key at fault , if you order a new one from Bmw a remote key is aprox £120 and will not need programming and should start the car if the original key was the fault. The other option is to order a non remote key from the main dealer to eliminate the key from the problem this is half the price of a remote key and then you would not need recovery anywhere to eliminate the key , best case then the car would start and you would have a working remote with the old key for the tome being or if it still won't start you have eliminated the key and still have a cheaper spare.
Remember of you do order a key you will need to go to the dealer with the log book and two forms of identification to verify you are the owner
Hope this helps and good luck
Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve,

After speaking to the garage today you are correct in what you say.

I rang my local BMW dealer in Nottingham and explained my situation and my god they had a real attitude. But as you have mentioned above the BMW dealer said that you can not recode a key and that I would need to buy a new one. The garage where the car is at present confirm that their diagnostic check showed a fault of "Number 39... immobiliser error". I explained this to the BMW garage and their responce was "waste of time, a rubbish diagnostic check and what can they do with that?!".

They quoted £160 for a new key plus £100 for their diagnostic check.

So thank you Steve for your reply as your information has been far more useful/helpful than the so called expects that provide a so called excellent customer service!!!!

$160 for a key seems over the odds to me, priced up a new key for my e53 and if I remember rightly it was $100 on the mark

I thought that was steep too........ I will ring again tomorrow and hopefully a more helpful person will pick up the phone

Ah yes, the 'We didn't do it so we'll rubbish it' approach from a BMW Dealer. The Not Invented Here attitude makes me spit, but they're no worse than a lot of motor dealers - although they ought to be an awful lot better given how much they charge!

The figure for the key sounds roughly about right based on my wife's E46 needing a new one a few years back and it was £115 +VAT then, albeit covered under warranty and ultimately not the problem so it was free.

Do you know what the actual fault code was? I though they were a lot longer than that, at least four digits and possibly more, but the last four are the important ones. One of the folks with access to a scanner may be able to say more on this.

The garage diagnostic read... "number 39 immobilise error" they said their software would not go further than that on this issue.

E46 key is same as e53 key, £115 sounds more like it, defo not £160

Looking through my service history again I have noticed another invoice/description...........

"REP
Investigate customer report of battery going flat after car is left for a couple of days car will not start loses immobiliser code and code has to be reset manually."

"1231509
Check alternator and regulator; OK"

"6100005
Inspection using diagnostic & inform system; CHECK & RECODE EWS system"

"0000555
Interrogate fault memory in diagnosing system"


The above is Chinese to me.... anybody able to translate?

Well talk about chalk n cheese...

Rang my BMW dealer again today and spoke to a really helpful guy in parts..... just to confirm

£133 for a remote key
£52 for a non remote
£36 for the basic key that will just start the car not allowing access to the boot or glove box.

If I you order a key before 3pm they will more than likely take delivery the next day.

Sooooooo my plan of action is drive over with my documents and order the basic key, hopefully receive it tomorrow and try it on my car. If it works then I know it is the key and if it does not then I know it probably has something to do with the immobiliser in the car and will have to get it recovered over to them.

No joy with the new key

Looks like I have no choice but to p**s about getting her to the BMW garage....

What a nightmare Lee,you will be wanting to set fire to the car if this carrys on!

Really feel for you because i have a tvr aswell & that spent 9 months off the road having work done...then two weeks after i got it back the starter motor packed up 2 days before we were moving house!!

So then had to pay to have it trailored down south!! & then starter only lasted a year & broke again!

I can totally empathise how you must be feeling.

Heres hoping you get it sorted soon.

If the key has not worked and it still will not crank over it's probably the ews(immobiliser) control unit playing up providing it has all it's feeds and earths.
This is not a massive job and should be easily diagnosed and rectified by your dealer.

After researching BMW specialists in my area (Mansfield, Nottingham) I found a company "Martin Wright LTD".

Rang them Monday and explained my situation, they provided a transporter to transport my car from the present garage to theirs, work carried out;

Diagnostic check
Reprogram EWS ECU
Re-coded engine ECU
Aligned control units
Cleared fault codes
Test drive - OK

With the above work, recovery truck and VAT the bill was £250.

At last...... we are back on the road

Sounds like a good result. Any indication as to why the issue occurred in the first place though?