[SOLVED] HELP! Major (?) Electrical Issue / Gremlin - I've no idea!!

[IAmOrion]

Well, a big thanks to all that helped with information. A HUGE thanks to bigwinn, who posted me some modules to test and diagnose etc. The culprit was dead (well, fritzed) instrument cluster! Rather than messing with coding and tamper dot issues, I used a hot air station, removed my EEPROM from my dead cluster, then removed original EEPROM from donor, replaced with *my* EEPROM - meaning VIN number and mileage etc would obv match, and hey presto (almost*) everything is working perfect again!! Very happy and couldn't have done it without the kind help of others.

*Aftermarket HU -> Speakers not working, but pretty sure it's unrelated. I can hear the "beep" of pressing stereo buttons through speakers fine, but no actual music etc, so could just be a buggered stereo. I'm not worried about it for now though. Car runs great and usable again so I'm happy

[enuff_zed]

Result! As these cars get older we are going to need the help of others to sort stuff out and it is through mediums like this forum that we will get that support. The willingness to send valuable items to people we’ve never met relies on our basic trust of forum members.
I’m pleased to see it working. As we drag our cars towards classic status it’s good to see the basis of a great support structure emerging.
Oh, and glad your cars fixed

[IAmOrion]

Very true! I'm also glad I've helped enough people freely to also be seen a reputable member which obv helps add to the trust level.
Defo what a good community is about - helping anyone and everyone where possible, which is why forums like and it's members this are amazing

[bigwinn]

Good work- well done identifying the issue and fixing the eeprom- you could teach Martin and I a few things on that as its clearly going to start occurring more as the cars hit 20 years old!

[bigwinn]

IAmOrion

I'm linking you and

Rix

together

This afternoon I did the EWS delete on Lix new DME

However I saw a few symptoms that you quoted in your thread here as we couldn't get it to start and as far as INPA went, a few modules and controllers were absent?

Thought it was worth a quick chat regardless

Stuart

[Rix]

Cheers Stuart, and valiant effort but no cigar!

Between me nipping in and out for work calls, Stuart did the reflash with EWS delete and updated the VIN - whether or not it's a factor, my code reader picks up the VIN with an extra '1' at the end but that may be just a check code?

Anyway, my donor DME was a matching part number box, but from a 2.5 X3 - presumably with cruise and auto fitted (my Z is neither). With the donor DME reflashed and fitted I've since managed to get the car to fire but it immediately died. It's now back into crank no start mode... I found a forum post which suggested this was consistent with a EWS conflict. The fault codes my reader now picks up are the same as the donor DME was showing before the reflash - cruise time out, EGS no comms, EWS tamper and also now fuel pump relay activation. It was my musings as to whether it might have been that the reflash didn't go over, as it was still looking for the cruise and auto modules, which might also explain the EWS tamper warning, further musings re the fuel pump relay activation code may be (I'm completely guessing) that the DME wasn't expecting a fuel pump if the X3 was fitted with a pump module rather than relay?

Stuart picked up that this might have been a similar issue to you IAmOrion with another module being dead?

Either way, this has proved that my former DME was definately dead beforehand (no comms) and the fact that I got a second of life out of it before it dies is encouraging!

Any thoughts/assistance welcome!!

[IAmOrion]

Have you ruled out the cluster being an issue? It turned out to be the cause of all my issues, since it’s basically the central gateway for all the connecting kbus/canbus devices.

[Rix]

Stand down - against my thoughts of mild frustration, I've got the daft thing going again! Two years off the road and it's absolutely sweet. Turns out, the DME or other modules were remembering some fault codes which were present before. I did the car shut down / battery drain thing which meant I could clear the codes but was still showing a code for the pump relay. Took the relay off and jumped the terminals and it fired into life! Tested the relay and terminals for voltage and confusingly they were all ok, with voltage being sent to the pump relay on start up... With nothing else to think of, I popped the relay back in with a firm push - success! Car now starting/running well - fingers crossed! I now have the SRS light on which I don't seem to be able to clear, but will have a proper look at that at the weekend - at least the car seems to be fit! Now on for a decent service and MOT and if all goes well I might even treat her to shedding the RFTs for some half decent tyres...

I'm sooo happy, it's like getting a new car - all thanks to Bigwinn and his knowledge/kit!

[enuff_zed]

Am I confused? Are you saying Stuart sorting the new DME sorted your issue or not? I can’t work out how your new DME remembered an old fault?
So who fixed it?

[Rix]

Ha, no I'm not entirely sure! Stuart definately fixed the DME with a reflash and EWS delete but we didn't get it going by the time he left - it appeared from the codes on my reader that the EWS conflict was still stopping the car being started - that fault code seemed (to me) to be stopping the pump from working. However, all along and after the DME fix, a pump relay fault code was still showing too. It appears very likely it was that which was also preventing starting after DME was sorted. The reset of the car, sending it to sleep and leaving the battery off, cleared those codes and then fiddling with the relay did the trick. Ultimately, the old DME was dead and the repurposing of the donor was successful!

[enuff_zed]

So you couldn’t reset those codes normally then?

[Rix]

So you couldn’t reset those codes normally then?

No, they were showing as cleared but would then reappear when the engine was turned over. Touch wood, they have not reappeared since getting it running!

[Rix]

Update - SRS light cleared. Power of Google and forums identified that it was probably one of the body modules - satellite right if I recall correctly. Next stop, MOT and a mega service!