Anyone on here work on BMWs?
 

I know its kind of a long-shot, but the people on the BMW forms seem to know more about bolting on fins and bumpers than they do motors.

I'm having an issue with my E46 BMW 2002 CI. There is a "safe mode" that the transmission goes into when it thinks there is a problem. I can't get it out of that mode. I tried disconnecting cables, etc. but nothing.

I know people on here are much more knowledge about electronics and motors, and I figure SOMEONE has to have owned and wrenched on a BMW before. From what I understand it's a fairly common problem, but I don't want to have to pay a dealer $250 to run my codes and tell me I have a bigger issue when I know I don't.

It's been awhile but you jump two pins up under the hood of the car in one of the service ports. Google how to reset your computer. You basically use a paper clip an leave it there for 15 seconds it resets everything. You can't hurt anything doing it this way it's how we reset them at the race shop whenever I couldn't find the tool.

It's the round service ports by the front near the a/c panel.

my vw tdi did that and it was a fuel injector but this is diesel.

On that new of a vehicle you probably need to use a scanner to reset it. Thats how my 99 Tahoe is and I actually had my scanner in the back seat for the same exact problem a few months ago. Poking around with paperclips may cause more damage ( $$$$) than you want to think about. Usually they go into the failsafe mode when the ecm detects too much slipping in the transmission. It ups the line pressure to firm up the shifts. There can be a serious issue so it would be worth getting it looked at.

I know someone that works on BMW's, I will shoot him an e-mail and ask his suggestion.

Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

i know this is going to sound silly but my beemer did it once and if i remember right you were suppose to shut off the car turn the key on and pull up the ebake i think i had read it in the manual

fixx
 

look at the drivers side foot well next to the trunk release button,their will be a black panel,in that panel theirs a little trap door,flip the door down and you will see a obdII plug their,thats the plug you need to do the dionostics from..go to your local auto zone and have them do the free computor scan,,have them do it with a global obdII scanner,this will give the information you will need..just clearing the service code wont fix your problem,,when the trans goes into safe mode its usually a internal problem wirth the trans and the vehicle will be stuck in 2nd gear..you can try clearing the codes by removing the + and - cables thenon the cables NOT the battery touching them together with a jumper wire for 10 minutes,,this will wipe out all the stored fault codes on all 18 + computore in the car..if the code still persists then its a hard code and their is no way of removing it until the problem is fixed..

w,

Here is the reply from my BMW guy:

"Limp home is usually reset with a key cycle. It won't reset if it has a hard code. The code needs reading first and it may be resettable with a scanner. If it has a current code it will either not clear or come right back. Snap on with euro should read and clear."

Bill

You can reset your computer by disconnecting the battery and touching the positive and negitive cables together for 30 seconds.

Look it ain't a tahoe. I know I have one I ea. autozone etc can't do it. BMW does not use those kind of service ports. E36 and e46 use same sort of reset function. The machine tht the dealer will hook it to, to reset will simply ground out the pin in the service port, just like the paper lip which is what most techs will use so they don't spend all the time hooking up the scanner. A autozone type scanner will not reset anything on that car. The reset tool is around 300. You can get one of those or carry a paper clip.
Now this is all good but only masks the problem. Those cars are pretty complex and sensors can give you nightmares.
Now people can laugh at how we reset these cars but it's how it's done(:
And yes I own an e36 m3, just sold an e46 m3. Amazing cars but can be a biotch. That's why I keep the Tahoe.