Dead battery, car doesn’t start even with jump starter

That's a yes then?
Just checking. thank you.
A clear NO! :D
@RobbiZ4 - would a code reader with the ability to wind back the rear brakes for pad swaps etc be able to release the handbrake, or does that go through that damaged module?
Why do you ask? You already know the answer. :D
The intended function of this module is to drive these two handbrake motors. If the EMF works fine, you can activate/deactivate the brakes with a good tester. If the module is dead like above, there is no communication possible between tester and EMF.
 
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A clear NO! :D


The intended function of this module is to drive these two handbrake motors. If the EMF works fine, you can activate/deactivate the brakes with a good tester. If the module is dead like above, there is no communication possible between tester and EMF.
I meant yes to it needing to pass through the control module. So i was violently agreeing with you. :rofl:
Cheers Robbi :thumbsup:
 
Hello, I managed to release the parking break!

Couldn't find a fuse holder ( Order expected to arrive tomorow) to do what RobbiZ4 suggested but I applied 12 V to the + and - terminals inside the conector.

1.I took the - terminal off the battery ( don't know if it is necessary but seeing that that car so "sensible" to any parasite electricity I didn't want to take any risk ).
2. I had the old battery that I took of the car before installing the AGM one and hooked the jumpercablet to it and then attached a multimeter cables to the jumpers. Because the tip of the multimeter pens were not long enought I inserted some pin removal tips and...VOILA!
3. I had to keep the pins connected for 2-3 seconds ( tried to figure out how much time I hear the breaks take to release/engage )
BMW Z4 - parking break.jpg

Now the rear breaks are detached and I no longer have the parking break error light.

I will get to do what Robbi sugested in order to install the EMF but the user of the car ( my wife ) wants to install a new EMF:censored:

In Romania I could find the exact same part number for a used EMF but found some for different production years and engines. I think that the breaks apply the same for every engine...right?... Can I buy one that has a different part number? For example, this one if for a 2014 z4 e 89 2.0i :1767627905790.png

Olso, If I move the car to the service that will install the new EMF ( because it has to remove the pin from the connector and I dont have the hardware to do it myself )....stupid question but....the rear breaks still work, right? I mean the EMF only managed the parking break, correct?

Thanks for the pacience!
 
Olso, I still have water going inside the BOOT! I will search if there is a thread about this but it gets me crazy!
I think I will seal the Modules in the back so that the water doesnt get to them anymore...
 
Did you seal the 3rd hole in the body, that typically stays open for water if new backlights get installed?

⌛ E89: Collection of the 9 typical age-related defects in the roof environment
No answer.


Olso, I still have water going inside the BOOT! I will search if there is a thread about this but it gets me crazy!
I think I will seal the Modules in the back so that the water doesnt get to them anymore...
Nonsense!
You have to keep the water out of the trunk. You red fusebox as well as the hydraulicpump are also in danger.

07147162569 is the partnumber of the official "protection foil" / "Schutzfolie", if your wife want's to keep originality.


Can I buy one that has a different part number?
The correct partnumber should be taken from realoem:

...the rear breaks still work, right? I mean the EMF only managed the parking break, correct?
Correct.
 
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Hello, It has been a long month but I think I got to the bottom of the cars electric problem.

I changed the EMF ( ordered one from UK that never got delivered so I attempted to "transplant" the PCB from my EMF to a F10 EMF case that has the same design and that was in very good condition - if you think you would like to see how it went I will post a message about it ) and the parking break works fine.

The only thing that keeps happening is that I find the car "dead" sometimes. the key doesnt work, nothing that is electric work. If I connect the jump starter to the terminals under the hood it shows that it draind ( goes from 100% to 70-75% in about 6 minutes ) but the car doesnt wake up.

The only thing that makes it wake up is if I "jiggle" the Junction box ( passenger footwell ). Its clearly not a solution but I got it working whenever I found it dead. One of the last time this happened I didn't connect the jump starter and I only touched the JBE a bit and everything went on! The car started without skipping a heartbeat....so I dont suspect the battery dying overnight ( I also purchased a battery tester and the next time this happened, without cranking the engine I tested the batterys CCA. I have a 70Ah battery, so 760A and the reading showed 716 A. Did the reading a few more times in consecutive days with the car not being driven and the CCA is in the same range. So battery is good!)
Last evening I wanted to see if the car is fine, it was not so I wanted to take a more carefull approach and try to touch one cable at a time on the JBE to see which one is the problem. The first ting i touched and moved a bit was the B+ Terminal ( thick red wire that feeds the JBE ) and the car woke up immediately.

Got home and started to search about this and found out that the first years production Z4 E89 had some recalls regarding this exact problem (https://www.bmwparklane.co.uk/content/bmw-recall-information/ . Also found a thread here that says the recall had cars up to sept.2011 in the recall - https://z4-forum.com/threads/e89-10-recall-notice.124384/ ) . I called BMW Bucharest this morning, they told me that there is no recall for my VIN number but that there are E90 models from that period that had recalls ( and apparently have similar electronics ) and I set up an appointment to check the JBE.

I will get back to you with info after next thursdays visit!

Have a great weekend!
 
...so I attempted to "transplant" the PCB from my EMF to a F10 EMF case that has the same design and that was in very good condition.
Would be interesting if that F10 module will work at all in the E89.

I assume, there are different characteristic matrix fields programmed into as the brakes are different.

Update & reminder 4 me:
to test my (already bought years ago) F10 EMF in my Z4-Tower, if it can be aproached or even re-programmed with ISTA/P.
 
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Hello, It has been a long month but I think I got to the bottom of the cars electric problem.

I changed the EMF ( ordered one from UK that never got delivered so I attempted to "transplant" the PCB from my EMF to a F10 EMF case that has the same design and that was in very good condition - if you think you would like to see how it went I will post a message about it ) and the parking break works fine.

The only thing that keeps happening is that I find the car "dead" sometimes. the key doesnt work, nothing that is electric work. If I connect the jump starter to the terminals under the hood it shows that it draind ( goes from 100% to 70-75% in about 6 minutes ) but the car doesnt wake up.

The only thing that makes it wake up is if I "jiggle" the Junction box ( passenger footwell ). Its clearly not a solution but I got it working whenever I found it dead. One of the last time this happened I didn't connect the jump starter and I only touched the JBE a bit and everything went on! The car started without skipping a heartbeat....so I dont suspect the battery dying overnight ( I also purchased a battery tester and the next time this happened, without cranking the engine I tested the batterys CCA. I have a 70Ah battery, so 760A and the reading showed 716 A. Did the reading a few more times in consecutive days with the car not being driven and the CCA is in the same range. So battery is good!)
Last evening I wanted to see if the car is fine, it was not so I wanted to take a more carefull approach and try to touch one cable at a time on the JBE to see which one is the problem. The first ting i touched and moved a bit was the B+ Terminal ( thick red wire that feeds the JBE ) and the car woke up immediately.

Got home and started to search about this and found out that the first years production Z4 E89 had some recalls regarding this exact problem (https://www.bmwparklane.co.uk/content/bmw-recall-information/ . Also found a thread here that says the recall had cars up to sept.2011 in the recall - https://z4-forum.com/threads/e89-10-recall-notice.124384/ ) . I called BMW Bucharest this morning, they told me that there is no recall for my VIN number but that there are E90 models from that period that had recalls ( and apparently have similar electronics ) and I set up an appointment to check the JBE.

I will get back to you with info after next thursdays visit!

Have a great weekend!
The main red wire incorrectly routed was the subject of the recall..looks like a broken wire / dodgy connection
 
Would be interesting if that F10 module will work at all in the E89
No, I didnt install the F10 EMF in the Z4. I only used the casing and installed the Z4 PCB in the F10 EMF case.
I didnt do a very clean job but it works. I later glued the corner that misses from the case and also glued the lid on the module:
1770375971713.png
the F10 EMF case after taking the PCB out ( I had to cut those corners because i couldnt disconnect the conenctors that kept the PCB in the case )
1770376029164.png
the pins that go through the plastic and connect with the socket

1770376062833.png
My Z4 PCB ( the part of the PCB that is not visible when taking the EMFs lid off

1770376108956.pngThe Z4 PCB mounted onto the F10 EMF case.

*I also removed all the wires on the conenctor that goes into the EMF in order to clean them and take the pin that was missing from the original EMF case:
1770376222007.png
1770376228855.png
sorry, the camera couldnt focus on the pin.

Later EDIT: I also cut those mounts on the side of the F10 EMF case in order to slide the module in its slot.
 
I also removed all the wires on the conenctor that goes into the EMF in order to clean them and take the pin that was missing from the original EMF case:
That is what I was not able to achieve. That's the reason I developed the workaround with the external wiring and fuse.

But didn't your wife insist on a new module? :unsure: :ROFLMAO:
 
How did you manage to get all those spreaded pins out of the PCB?
1770376029164-png.290134


That seemed to be too risky for my as I feared to destroy the PCB.
 
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  • Wow
Reactions: B21
How did you manage to get all those spreaded pins out of the PCB?
I wanted to film it but I had no idea what I was doing with those spreaded pins so I forgot about setting the GoPro. I have some pictures and I can try and explain how I managed to get the PCB out.

I first tried to take the good PCB out of the broken case and I completely distroyed it in order to see what is undeneath the PCB:
1770384687226.png
here you can see how the spreaded pins go through the PCB. The 3 pairs on the back are larger and they are only meant to hold the PCB in place. The ones that connect with the pins inside the socket are smaller but they have the same principle of working. 1770384735605.png
1770384866955.png1770384856707.png

They are like that so the PCb wont move. the electrical connection between them and the PCB is made only by physically touching, there is no solder underneath.

I used a very small pliers to try and squeez the tip of the spreasded pins and it worked very well. The ones grouped 3 by 3 on the socket part were a little tricky as i couldnt get the pliers to squeez the middle one but i tried twisting it 45 degees and then managed to work. After pressing all the spreaded pin tips I inserted two plastic priers and lifted the PCB from opposite sides at the same time. I wiggled it a bit and it came out fine. I tested the conductivity of each pin hole them mounted it on the F10 case. I tried bending the tips a bit and 2 days later I took it to a GSM service so they could soulder the tiny pins using a microscope.

I hope it will work for long but I cant see what can go wrong with it.
 
Would be interesting if that F10 module will work at all in the E89.

I assume, there are different characteristic matrix fields programmed into as the brakes are different.

Update & reminder 4 me:
to test my (already bought years ago) F10 EMF in my Z4-Tower, if it can be aproached or even re-programmed with ISTA/P.
@RobbiZ4 your Z4-Tower is truly a thing of beauty.....
 
@RobbiZ4 your Z4-Tower is truly a thing of beauty.....
OMG, in my mind "a beauty" might be sth different, like ...
20260206_113729(1)(1)_cpr.jpg
:unsure: ;)

But indeed, the Z4-Tower in between is a physical impressive thing with it's already high weight.

And a perfect solution to test things, you wouldn't do inside of your fine working car.
 
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Good evening! I got the car back from BMW last week and tried to stress test it before giving you an update. I wasn’t lucky enought for my VIN to have a recall ( I understand that because of the low sales the e89 had in Romania the model was not recalled- doesnt make any sense but that was their off the record response).
Anyways it was a 300 euro repair. They cut the B+ terminal that gets to the junction box and replaced it with the revised cable ( the plin on the end of it looked different ) and changed the socket in which the cable mounts on the junction box.
So far so good. It rained, it snowed, i drove the car on bumpy roads, jiggled the junction box and I no longer find the car “dead”.
I hope this is the end of my E89 “electrical hard crash-course”.
I will ways a few more weeks untill adding a later edit to the initial message in case someone else has similar issues in the future.
Have a great week!
 

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