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.

And that won't work on a BMW. It trips a switch tht will have to be reset. It's not capacitor memory.
Also a side not te reason you can't use a cheap parts store scanner is that a those year BMW does not use a sguare port it uses a round obd plug they won't have.
Not trying to come off strong on this. I have just dealt with it mny times and hate to see you chase your tale.

Sorry one more thing. You can do the battery an that will erase the memory but light are mechanical trigger if that makes sense.

I'd pay the $275 and have a Bavarian technician tell you what is going on. I know first hand that a new ECU for an 05 x5 will run you $1500 (At least that was the price 17 days ago) just for the ECU (no labor). You might already have a spendy situation with the transmission but you don't want to ad a new ECU to the bill because you tried to save $275 with a paper clip and cooked something.

2002 does have the square OBDII port, as well as the round BMW plug under the hood. However, an OBDII scanner will not reset the trans error. Ask me how I know.

Yes you can! My friend is a factory trained BMW tech and he had me do this when my computer flipped everything to Kilometers, It was doing a few other wierd things as well. I disconnected the battery touched the positive and negitive for 30 seconds, reconnected and everything was back to normal.

That will just wipe out the memory on things that are held by capacitors. The safe modes/oil lights etc is a mech switch.
An once again there is nothing to short using the paper clip. You are simply grounding out a switch. It is completely aside from ecu. He asked how to do it himself. I wouldn't show or suggest it if he would fry something. I hope you get it looked at regardless.

fixx
 

they have to be obdII complyant and the connector cant be no further than 12'' from the steering colum..worked for bmw for many years, years ago.



http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=343518

Yes it does sometimes. Many of the earlier ones used an adapter. It's weird.
What I was trying to explain was the cheap scanner won't Reset the codes. We tried a bunch of them. Just last week on a 99
M3 auto. You have to use factory tool to do it. They have greater capabilities as far as doing the hard resets. That's why we use the old reliable paper clip. I am pretty sure one of the pins is
#7 if I get time tomorrow I will look up the other one.
I would say again that this will not fix the problem. Transmission codes are not like knock sensors on the fritz etc. have it looked at.

fixx
 

yep it sometimes worx and other times it wont work on hard codes,but the cheap scanner will read obd II codes which i mentioned on on my first quoat,not all will clear them but most will read them..i have a blue point mini scanner that will read them and clear most of them..if it gets too detailed then ill drag out my otc genisys and go to the europien section that i have for the german cars..

The Peake R5/FCX3 code reader and reset tool is a great item to get. BMW only uses the bare minimum that the gov makes them for OBDII codes, unless your doing a smog test, they're a mostly worthless. The peake reader will tell you everything you need to know as well as reset most codes. It will not reset the transmission/airbag codes but it does work great for just about everything engine related.

What will happen to the radio code when he disconnects the battery?

Take the OBD plug out of the beemer and look at the back side. There's only 3 or 4 wires connected. It is NOT a full OBD connection.

Round plug is the only way if in limp.

Wifey has same car and I have an E38. The E38 went into safe mode because the battery voltage was low. I bought a new battery and monitored voltage across the terminals when running. Should be 13.5V or thereabouts. Turned out to be the $500 water cooled alternator which I replaced.

Anyway it may never just reset because either your battery or alt is shot. Monitor voltage at the battery and confirm system is charging...
I googled my problem at the time..some shops replaced the tranny as they try and lock in 1st or 2nd in safe mode :lolhit:
and..have fun!

I was thinking again ;) about the E46..I had similar issues with that car but not sure it went fully into safe mode. First thing I did was replace the battery..about a year ago. Anyway a place to start if it has the original batt which is 10 yrs old. Testing it may be a pain since its buried in the trrunk..putting it on the charger may elevate its voltage and perhaps clear the safe mode..if it is the battery. Hopefully not a hard lock from something else as Bill suggested..
Lane

im a factory trained tech for bmw 8years at the dealer, with my own shop after hrs for everyone at a way way lower labor rate..pm me if you need a hand..im in Novi/walled lake area