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1996 E36 318is- EWSII ECu problems (FIXED)

14K views 60 replies 7 participants last post by  Ronnie 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all i have an old 1996 318is [1900 m44 engine].During the recent bad weather the engine ecu was waterlogged and destroyed.[bosch 0 261 203 667].Now being clever or so i thought i went on ebay and purchased a used ecu with the same number...YOU KNOW WHATS COMING NEXT>>> the car wont start now .. It turns over but no go_On speaking to my local bmw expert STANFIELD GARAGE in bournemouth they imform me that the car has a chip in the key and uses the EWSII sytem for immobilisation..GREAT..So what i need to know is if this system can be bypassed to enable the car to run with this new ecu.Or can i swap some chips from my old ecu.. does anyone know which chip holds the code?? I saw a similar post and apparently it can be done so ime begging someone to tell me how please..so i can return the old beemer to the road and not the crusher..I have contacted the seller of the ecu and he does not have the matching ews box or transponder key so ime stuck.Your help would be much appreciated lads...I WOULD BE HAPPY TO RECIEVE THE INFO BY PM IF ANYONE CAN HELP OR I WILL EVEN CALL SOMEONE IF I CAN HAVE THEIR PHONE NUMBER ...
 
#2 ·
Apparently the ECU can be flashed. There is a member on here that posted this method on the forum a short while ago. Not sure if your year ECU can just have a chip swapped:confused

If this is not an alternative then it would mean purchasing a replacement ECU, chip in ignition key and EWS module i'm afraid:frown

Do you still have your old ECU as I believe Gildersol had the very same issue on his sons beemer but rectified it himself???
 
#4 ·
When you say the old ECU was destroyed, do you mean the printed circuit board was corroded etc. These can often be rescued by carefully drying it out and cleaning the board with PCB cleaner. (I used small amounts of WD40on a cloth and used a magnifying glass to determine where all the gunge etc was).
However, even once it was perfectly clean it still wouldn't start so I also bought an exact copy DME from e-bay. This wouldn't start the car either so I swapped the original main chip out of the original unit and put it in the new unit and the car started first time. Our car was also EWSII.

The main chip usually has a white sticker on top with the part no. on it and is a plug in type so just carefully prise it out taking care not to damage the pins and gently line it up on the new socket and push it home.

Good luck mate, this is a common problem at this time of year.:thumbsup
 
#6 ·
Hi Thanks for the reply.The old ecu is still intact it just does start anymore after the flooding.I have looked at it just now and all the chips are soldered in . looks a nightmare to change.I think a by pass operation is favorite if its possible.Is there a post somewhere with instructions or is it not possible ? Thanks
 
#9 ·
Bypass the ECU? :eek

or EWSII?

if its the EWS, then yes, it is possible but I would only share this info with a trusted member not a new one. Sorry.

Gildersol, I think the chip on EWSII equipped cars is soldered and sealed in place....

Its EWS1 OBD1 E36 chips that are easily swappable iirc.

I would suggest getting the ECU aligned by your nearest BMW main dealer to the old ECU. Then you get to keep EWS and start your car!
 
#11 ·
mine is a silver label ecu but i was told they cannot be reprogrammed. Can they?.Can you tell me which chip i would have to change as i have a very good electrician who can unsolder surface mounted chips so he may be able to do it if i know which one holds the code
 
#16 ·
318 ews

I spoke to Andy at stanfield garage .He always is helpfull..I think i can now get the matching ews unit for the ecu but still no key transponder will this help at all ??. Or what about an older non ews ecu from a 93 car will this work ?.I need to sort this car out as if its not running by the end of the month when the tax runs out it will be scrapped...I can offer a donation to the charity if this will persuade anyone to tell me the info i need for the bypass....
 
#20 ·
The chip should be able to be programmed as it's a EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), the key needs to be programmed to the EWS II module, the EWS II module stores a ISN(Individual Serial Number) that must match the DME every time the ignition is switched on.

The EWS II module along with the DME disables injection, ignition and starter operation until a correct key is recognized.
 
#24 ·
UPDATE AND I STILL NEED HELP PLEASE
I bought an ecu with the correct number as my old one and matching ews box and chip for the key .Installed them and the car is still the same as it was before.. No go .What happens is the spark is erratic and the injectors seem to open to often causing the car to flood and backfire etc when trying to start it .I have also put a crank sensor on it but still the same .Do these cars suffer from common wiring problems anywhere on th engine or loom ?Any more ideas would be great as i am loosing interest in the car now !!! SLEDGEHAMMER TIME SOON>>>>
 
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