E46 M3 left me stranded(almost) - Dorkiphus.net
Navigation » Dorkiphus.net > Technical & Track Disussions > BMW Technical Discussions » E46 M3 left me stranded(almost)

BMW Technical Discussions BMW related technical discussions and questions go here.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-24-2012, 11:53 PM
tdatk's Avatar
tdatk tdatk is offline
Moonshine Tester
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Winchester, Va /Orlando,Fl/Tennessee
Posts: 2,927
tdatk has one HoF thread
Default E46 M3 left me stranded(almost)

The M3 has been down since the weekend before last. I took the fam up to Niagara Falls for a family reunion and to visit some old friends. Everything was going well until we got finished shopping for refreshments at the store, I got in and the car would not start, it would crank, but no start. After a couple triies it fired right up, I figured it was being a BMW and it has had more than a few electrical gremlins. We got to the picnic and didn't give it another thought until we tried to leave....got in and turned the key....nothing, no crank, only odo,radio, interior lights, and airbag warning, none of the dash display would light up. I figured it was the immobilizer or the transponder on the key acting up.huge bummer, we had to get 400 miles home and the BMW would have no part of it. I spent the next 2 hours checking fuses, connections, dme relay, smg relay, you name it but no go. My brother was kind enough to put us up for the night and I was dreading the thought of flatbedding the car to the dealer it was Sunday and I waited till morning to call them up, got the usual asshat in charge of service and he said just drop it off here and he could try and squeeze me in probably by Tuesday...WTF
Monday morning I got up at 5 am and got my brother to take me to the park where I had to leave it, I was desperate to try everything I could and told him I would try until noon and then would call the flatbed. I went over everything again, then one time while trying the key for the hundredth time I saw the dash flicker....HOPE...that was around 10 am, I was still screwed as I tried it maybe 50 more times....then at exactly 11:57 am, I tried one more time.....and start, to say I was happy...well...as happy as I can get...I told my brother to follow me to a gas station to fill up and then to his place to pick up the wife/kids, i called the wife and told her to get our shit and meet me in the driveway as I wasn't about to shut it off and we were heading home. We drove straight through the entire way, I told the family as we were in my brothers driveway "If you need to do and business get it done now cause for the next 6 hours we ain't gonna stop. We got home around 7 pm and I pulled the car onto the lift and shut it off, tried to start it again and no dice, I decided I needed a new key and still figured it was the immobilizer so I ordered one from the dealer....$200 bucks..., well that was a waste , it still didn't work....dove into it again tonight and after some deep thought and heavy reading I deduced it had to be in one of the power circuits from the ignition or a relay, I pulled lower steering column covers of and started probing all the circuits. Turns out my ignition switch has a bad set of contacts for power to all the above mentioned circuits. The switch is easy peasy to get to and replace and about $70 bucks for the new part, it will be here by the end of the week and I'm positive it's the fix.
So for you Bimmer guys, add the ignition switch to the list of spare to throw in the glove compartment, just in case cause it can and will happen at the worst time.
I'll post a pic in the morning.



BTW, heres a link to BMW electrical schematics....your welcome.
http://wds.spaghetticoder.org/en/

And just the ignition switch
http://wds.spaghetticoder.org/en/svg...7209.svg?m=e46
__________________
Tim
05 Cayenne TT
03 M3 (sold)
82 911 SC (sold missed)
90 C2 (sold missed)
87 928 S4 (sold)
85.5 9 fofo (sold )

Last edited by tdatk; 07-25-2012 at 12:00 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-25-2012, 07:19 AM
tdatk's Avatar
tdatk tdatk is offline
Moonshine Tester
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Winchester, Va /Orlando,Fl/Tennessee
Posts: 2,927
tdatk has one HoF thread
Default

A couple of pics of the Joy
Attached Images
   
__________________
Tim
05 Cayenne TT
03 M3 (sold)
82 911 SC (sold missed)
90 C2 (sold missed)
87 928 S4 (sold)
85.5 9 fofo (sold )
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-25-2012, 08:11 AM
Trak Ratt's Avatar
Trak Ratt Trak Ratt is offline
Senior Curmudgeon
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Alexandria/Mt. Vernon, Va
Posts: 27,256
Trak Ratt has one HoF thread
Default

Help a brother out here. Can't really see any issue in the pic. Assuming the problem was inside the switch, how'd you deduce that?
__________________
David

I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk!

Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand... Homer Simpson

"That's what's keeping me out of F1.... Too much mental maturity...." N0tt0n

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.

CHAOS, PANIC, AND DISORDER my work here is done...

Live without pretending, Love without depending, Listen without defending, Speak without offending
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-25-2012, 08:40 AM
smdubovsky's Avatar
smdubovsky smdubovsky is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Posts: 5,281
smdubovsky has three HoF threadssmdubovsky has three HoF threadssmdubovsky has three HoF threads
Default

Way to go Tim! Stuff like that is so frustrating to track down until it fails completely. Who was the OEM for the switch? Wonder if its the same co vw/audi/porsche uses. The red loctite on the setscrews holding it in is even similar
__________________
Stephen
www.salazar-racing.com
1970 914/6 - 3.0L GT
1983 911SC - 3.32L IROC
1984 930
2008 S2R1000, dirt bikes (some gas, some electric), Sherco trials bike
Sold: 2001 Boxster (hers), 2003 996tt x50 , SpecE30, 1996 E36M3 GTS2 racecar, 2015 Mustang GT
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-25-2012, 09:08 AM
BobNovas's Avatar
BobNovas BobNovas is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 1,475
BobNovas
Default

Dave, can't you see the rusty hammer by the switch? He obviously used the hammer to deduce the problem.
__________________
88 911
00 Boxster S (wife's ride, becoming mine too)

Even duct tape can't fix stupid... but it can muffle the sound!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-25-2012, 09:30 AM
magnetic1 magnetic1 is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Norbeck, MD
Posts: 789
magnetic1
Default

Tim, double check, but I think replacing that switch requires "keying" it to the rest of the system.
__________________
Wonger
EX-#121 IP/GTS3 BMW E36 M3
HERE-#121 GTS3/4 BMW E46 M3
http://www.Salazar-Racing.com
http://www.brakeswap.com
PM me parts/brake requests and orders. I will donate a portion of order to DorkiBoard!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-25-2012, 10:52 AM
tdatk's Avatar
tdatk tdatk is offline
Moonshine Tester
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Winchester, Va /Orlando,Fl/Tennessee
Posts: 2,927
tdatk has one HoF thread
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trak Ratt View Post
Help a brother out here. Can't really see any issue in the pic. Assuming the problem was inside the switch, how'd you deduce that?
The switch had no physical damage that you can see. The internal contacts are fubar. I used a meter to check voltage outputs from each terminal and key position and used the schematic I linked to, to determine what/where.
HTH


Quote:
Originally Posted by smdubovsky View Post
Way to go Tim! Stuff like that is so frustrating to track down until it fails completely. Who was the OEM for the switch? Wonder if its the same co vw/audi/porsche uses. The red loctite on the setscrews holding it in is even similar
Steven, Don't have the switch in front of me, but it started with a V, maybe valero? Twas a bitch fo sho.

Quote:
Originally Posted by magnetic1 View Post
Tim, double check, but I think replacing that switch requires "keying" it to the rest of the system.
Eric,
Na this is a dumb part, all mechanical/contacts. Thank Dog!!
Might wanna keep one around as a spare tho...
__________________
Tim
05 Cayenne TT
03 M3 (sold)
82 911 SC (sold missed)
90 C2 (sold missed)
87 928 S4 (sold)
85.5 9 fofo (sold )
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-26-2012, 12:07 PM
ausgeflippt951's Avatar
ausgeflippt951 ausgeflippt951 is offline
Shock Whisperer
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 3,261
ausgeflippt951 has one HoF thread
Default

Good to keep in mind -- our E46 has been flawless but is now approaching 80k miles so I'm anticipating something at some point.

Way to go.
__________________
Collin M.
I wear a cowboy hat.

'86 951: lucky number 13...rare 6.0L edition.
'06 M3: hers.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-26-2012, 05:00 PM
Lupin..the..3rd's Avatar
Lupin..the..3rd Lupin..the..3rd is offline
tire walls are bouncy
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 5,748
Lupin..the..3rd
Default

Good troubleshooting skillz there Tim! New cars these days have so many electrics and electronics it's scary.
__________________
George
2004 BMW 325iT
1998 MB E300 turbo
Vindaloo Racing FTW!!
944's are fun

When the Wright brothers set out to create a flying machine, Science told them it was impossible.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump