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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 ...
 
#31 ·
1996 E36 318is- EWSII ECu problems

Its one i bought with the problem already present.It must be electrical somewhere i think i will strip the wiring loom and see what i find.Does anyone have a diagram of the pin out for the ecu please so i can see what goes where??
 
#35 ·
Before you go spending any more money and pull whatever hair you having on your head it will be well worth having a mobile auto electrician run a diagnostic scan on your car. If there is an EWS fault then this will be recorded on the ECU as will the likes of the cam or crankshaft sensor.

I have had both of the above faults and both were stored on the ECU.

You may also think it worth your while to purchase your own code scanner. I use Peake Research and this is the scanner I used to obtain the EWS fault. It's only draw back is it does not work with the ABS system:confused

http://www.peakeresearch.com/appmech.htm#fcx
 
#37 ·
I had stanfields scan it first off and there were no fault codes but the crank sensor was sending irregular signals to the test computor.{by the way they have the same equipment as bmw dealers}.Thats why i went for a crank sensor first off.So dont really know
 
#43 ·
IIRC I've had a M44 engined Z3 do it before and that ran fine :)

You can always have a go at measuring the sensor, should be a smooth rise and fall in resistance when you operate the pedal.

Is there any evidence of the engine being apart before? leads on correct? front coil lead going to number one, next coil lead going to number 2, and so on.

It's always easier when the car is in front of you :rofl
 
#46 ·
yes it is .If you take the plugs out and look for a spark it just seems to spark whenever it wants to when you turn the enine over.Also it pumps so much fuel into the cylinders that it hydraulic locks sometimes when you turn it over and if you take the plugs out and turn the engine over it gushes out of the plug holes...
 
#47 ·
Check the wiring harness to the fuel injectors for breaks and poor earths. Had exactly the same problem on another car (not BMW). The main injector harness had worn through and was earthing against a coolant pipe. This caused two injectors to stay open and fill the bores up with fuel :eek. Its worth checking each injector harness for continuity. :thumbsup
 
#49 ·
When my DME got flooded, you wouldn't beleive the things the car was doing. (The plugs were sparking and the injectors were pulsing when the car was just sitting with the ignition switch on.

Since you have changed to a different DME and still have the same symptoms, it may still be a problem with a sensor, however, it would be worth checking the big multiplug at the DME if you haven't done already. Check the pins for any corrosion or gunge caused by the water. The part with the pins can be pulled out a bit from the plug cover to allow you to see where the cable cores terminate at the pins. Check there is no shit in there as well.
 
#51 ·
Just spent most of yesterday and today tracing and testing the wiring loom .Cant find anything wrong.Power is getting where it should and all wires test ok to the ecu from the cam and crank sensor and injectors.i even had the fuse box apart to see if there was anything dodgy but all ok.If i take the crank sensor out and turn ignition on and rub the sensor end over a metal part on the engine i get occasionally a pulse from the fuel pump and the injectors click but not every time only about one time in 5-6 goes also if i crank the engine with the crank sensor out it still tries to fire the same as it does when its back in its hole.I took all the plugs out and cranked the engine and the spark just seems to happen whenever it feels like it sometimes constantly on a couple of cylinders ???? weird !!! almost give up now and thinking about putting on ebay as non runner
 
#54 ·
Yes i admit i was a bit peed off about being kept in the dark but i can understand..I could have been trying to steal the car..As it happens i wasnt and it ended up costing me a fair bit in parts but .... i think i have just found the problem..I took out the crank sensor and looked into the hole in the engine block while turning the engine by hand and lo and behold half of the pick up ring is missing that goes round the crank..I am going to see if i can fit the sensor to the front pulley as this appears to have a similar ring attatched to it.Has anyone done this before ???
 
#58 ·
Ok i get you , i never imagined the info to be used in that way . My apologies .
Im into older cars like Capris and such where things like that arent really an issue .
Also for reference , i wasnt looking for that info , i just picked the 1st thread i saw with e36 in the title and popped in .

PS at least you stood up and took notice of the new guy . :thumbsup
PS This is for anyone i upset . X
A20 RYM . Love the car mate , i have been inspired to maybe take my new hobby to the next level and spray my car white after seeing that .
Dont tell anyone , right , but my M3 . Its not really an M3 . Its a 318 iS Coupe . All the kit and interior are genuine but not the engine or clocks . Ill put some pics up in the members forum . If you fancy a swap , No problem . :hihi
 
#60 ·
right then... made a braket up to make the crank sensor run off the front pulley.Lined it all up lovely ,fitted it turned the key and low and behold... it started up,runs like a dream.So thats where the sensor is staying now...JOB DONE !!! at last.Thanks for all your suggestions and help lads.
 
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