Eka for every start.. any advice?

Chrismuzzy · Nov 30, 2011

Hi everyone...

My 4.6 will not start unless I use the EKA code everytime I want start up.. The keyfob will not unlock the car, I have to use the key in the door which does unlock all the doors... Dash says engine disabled everytime..

I have put a new battery on the car and replaced keyfob battery.. All was fine for about 6 weeks until now.

Advice please?

Saint.V8 · Nov 30, 2011

Sounds like you need to re-synch the BeCM to the Engine ECU.....

Either a kind soul close to you (put your location in your profile) can pop over with a reset tool or Diagnostic system to re-sycnh it, or get yourself online to Black Box Solutions and get a SyncMate tool.....around £80-90.

Plug it into the ODB socket do the do and with luck off she goes....

As for the Key Fob remote not working, you may need to synch that with the car too, depending on year it is either a simple case of putting the key in the ignition and turning the car on, or if it is an earlier model, you have to put the key in the door lock and turn it to lock, then press the LOCK button, then turn it to unlock and press the UNLOCK button....with luck that should resynch the remote locking.

996TURBO · Nov 30, 2011

Disable your EKA using a Testbook and set the BECM first on Aussie market.

Rick-the-Pick · Dec 2, 2011

You don't need a resync tool & you don't need top set the becm settings to the australian market.

If you car has had an alarm or battery issue there's a high chance the fob code has corrupted rendering your fobs useless.
Getting hold of the lockset barcode for your vehicle & getting the fob code verified is needed.

Rick-the-Pick · Dec 2, 2011

& for christ sake, don't disable the EKA.

A lot of people say to disable this feature but there's absolutely no benefit in doing so. It doesn't stop the immobilser from arming & if it does, the EKA is your trump card for turning it off.

Having this EKA disabled will mean having to get your vehicle recovered if it immobilises itself or the fobs pack in.

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

Disable EKA was advised by LR tech instructor Rick, it really makes life easier not having it that dangerous security.

Immobilizer isn't removed with that mod you're perfectly right.

It's the way how immobilizer is disarmed by the driver that changes.

Instead of having either to press the button of the remote OR entering the EKA to disarm the immobilizer, it can be no EKA ie open the door with correct key and that's fine.

No EKA code doesn't mean you're screwed at all if it happens, you simply unlock the door with the key and immobilizer stops as if you had done EKA or remote action.

Old door locks switches, broken door lock rods, bad EKA procedure (and 99% of the time it is) and you're stuck.

Once the missus entered the wrong code (because entered the wrong way) so many times and in an unpleasant part of Paris that i was almost ready to sent you the BECM that i was thinking an ''alarmed BECM''.

I have tons of happy customers that were scarred by being stranded in the middle of nowhere because they had EKA problems once. They'll no longer be scare.

I really call it a reliability mod along with the new RF receiver (that cures battery drain and RF interferences).

For test purposes, i did lock the P38 with the remote and unlocked it with a valet key (no remote at all)... the car starts.

It's so good to have total control on the vehicle that people thought that they had removed the immobilizer. Even if it's not totally true, at least it looks like it...

dougdotcom · Dec 2, 2011

Quote..."For test purposes, i did lock the P38 with the remote and unlocked it with a valet key (no remote at all)... the car starts"

INTERESTING.. do you have a read out of your Becm when you could do this?

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

dougdotcom said:
Quote..."For test purposes, i did lock the P38 with the remote and unlocked it with a valet key (no remote at all)... the car starts"

INTERESTING.. do you have a read out of your Becm when you could do this?

What do you mean by read out of my BECM exactly?

Because i have a Testbook at home, so can do few things

dougdotcom · Dec 2, 2011

not sure if you can see this image attachment but thats the sort of thing id like to see.

ive shown a locked Becm as it is ok as an example.

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

dougdotcom said:
not sure if you can see this image attachment but thats the sort of thing id like to see. ive shown a locked Becm as it is ok as an example.

I'm not able to screen print that on the Testbook...

Looks like you have a MSV Extreme like my mate (he programmed me one touch for all windows because testbook only allows front windows)

But i can do a read out of the BECM programmation (now i understand better) with my testbook and take a picture with my Iphone.

Gearbox : Automatic
Sunroof : Enable
EKA : Disable
Market : Unknown (before i had Australia. Now unknown since MSV allows unknown function for the Testbook like One touch all windows)
....

Testbook doesn't show Immobilizer parameter as it can't disable it but i believe you can on with the MSV.

Is that what you wanted to know??

dougdotcom · Dec 2, 2011

Yes, i ask because with my Range rover, GEMS 1997 at the moment with EKA enabled but immobiliser disabled i can start and unlock via the door key WITHOUT ANY BATTERY'S in the fob. so even with the EKA enabled i can start run and open my Range rover. when locking by key i get the indicators flash and the red alarm LED flashing and all doors and boot lock, i have removed the blue wire from the RF box but that's a normal cheep fix for now.

One thing i have noticed and will be getting round to soon is the fob codes, mine has a digit missing on key one but no matter how hard i try to correct it i still get the same via the Obd2 port on a unlocked Becm, think i may have to take the Becm out and connect via the cpu and read and write back to correct settings.

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

dougdotcom said:
Yes, i ask because with my Range rover, GEMS 1997 at the moment with EKA enabled but immobiliser disabled i can start and unlock via the door key WITHOUT ANY BATTERY'S in the fob. so even with the EKA enabled i can start run and open my Range rover. when locking by key i get the indicators flash and the red alarm LED flashing and all doors and boot lock, i have removed the blue wire from the RF box but that's a normal cheep fix for now.

One thing i have noticed and will be getting round to soon is the fob codes, mine has a digit missing on key one but no matter how hard i try to correct it i still get the same via the Obd2 port on a unlocked Becm, think i may have to take the Becm out and connect via the cpu and read and write back to correct settings.

I believe that since you had the immobilizer disabled, it's even better than disabling the EKA. (problem is your car is more at risk like that)

Whatever EKA is disable or enable on your's, it will never serve.

With immobilizer enable and EKA disable, the thief that manages to enter the car can't has to crank it in less than 30 seconds...

The way your's is, it has no limit of time at all.

Rick-the-Pick · Dec 2, 2011

With the passive immobilser disabled the car still needs to see a valid door lock input to disable the immobilser to allow to start.

Having the EKA enabled or disabled does nothing. A becm can alarm itself no matter what's turned on or off. Having the EKA active at least allows you the chance to gain entry & perform a start.
There's absolutely no way possible of stopping a becm from alarming itself.

Doug, if you keep changing the fob code & it reverts back tells me you have a memory problem. I can sort that out for you if needed.

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

Rick-the-Pick said:
With the passive immobilser disabled the car still needs to see a valid door lock input to disable the immobilser to allow to start.

Having the EKA enabled or disabled does nothing. A becm can alarm itself no matter what's turned on or off. Having the EKA active at least allows you the chance to gain entry & perform a start.
There's absolutely no way possible of stopping a becm from alarming itself.

Doug, if you keep changing the fob code & it reverts back tells me you have a memory problem. I can sort that out for you if needed.

Rick,

Having the EKA disabled prevents somebody being stranded in the middle of nowhere because his remote failed and his EKA code wasn't accepted for many reasons. Read the boards, there's plenty of posts like that.
Read the AULRO board, not many failures like that...

Do you know the reason why Aussie setting works this way?

May you explain me why an alarmed becm says "KEY CODE LOCKOUT" when you don't even start entering the code? If it says that when alarmed, please explain me how you enter the EKA code...

Last winter i couldn't after letting sit my P38 during a month in a garage with dozens of them, turn the immobilizer off either with remote or with EKA (i know the code and i master it since i'm teaching the procedures to customers).
Of course battery was low and message center was saying "KEY CODE LOCKOUT" even with another battery and wires.

I let it sit one day and was ready to dismantle the BECM to send it to you as it looked like an alarmed BECM.

My mate managed to plug the testbook to it, change the settings to Australia and EKA/disable and it cranked...

I don't know if either it was a bad door lock or a bad BECM but it started.

No more problems.

JohnP38 · Dec 2, 2011

I dont know whether "becm Alarmed" is an actual status designed by Land Rover or a unintentional short coming of the Becm.
If it is a LAnd Rover feature,it is pretty point less as even the dealers with Testbook cant "unalarm" and restore BECM operation.
If it is a BECM short coming then I guess the symptoms and the events causing it may be varied.

The Key CODE lockout feature occurs after a number of attempts to enter the EKA code were incorrect.It is simply a delay
(10 /30 minutes) before an attempt can be made again.Thsi indicates to me that Land Rover did intend the owner/dealer to be able to start the vehicle even after numerous failed EKA attempts, but to act as a deterent to anyone attempt an unauthorised EKA start.

These are just my thoughts.Be interesting to know the actual facts as there are many different theories on the net.

996TURBO · Dec 2, 2011

JohnP38 said:
I dont know whether "becm Alarmed" is an actual status designed by Land Rover or a unintentional short coming of the Becm.
If it is a LAnd Rover feature,it is pretty point less as even the dealers with Testbook cant "unalarm" and restore BECM operation.
If it is a BECM short coming then I guess the symptoms and the events causing it may be varied.

The Key CODE lockout feature occurs after a number of attempts to enter the EKA code were incorrect.It is simply a delay
(10 /30 minutes) before an attempt can be made again.Thsi indicates to me that Land Rover did intend the owner/dealer to be able to start the vehicle even after numerous failed EKA attempts, but to act as a deterent to anyone attempt an unauthorised EKA start.

These are just my thoughts.Be interesting to know the actual facts as there are many different theories on the net.

Actually, i have a friend who doesn't have Rick's special stuff to unlock BECM and who managed to unalarm some of those with a Testbook by another path.

.
You give that guy a P38 with security set and you don't tell him what your EKA code is nor a functional remote and he's able to enter it and crank it in 10 minutes...

He managed to sort out a P38 that wasn't running since 2 years, battery was low, indicators were acting like crazy, horn beeping, saying code incorrect... the whole nightmare. Bought it for nothing as it was for parts only...

The KEY CODE lockout may occur like that without any attempt when the BECM goes bad...

I really believe the BECM going into alarm state is similar to a computer losing datas when battery is low.

Once i got some strange signals from the message center speaking another language or displaying faults with numbers (japanese market) when my battery was very low and i know that BECM going to alarm state often change of language (often french).

Really looks like it's battery related...

dougdotcom · Dec 2, 2011

I had same problem with a armed Becm, after looking on blackbox web site i noticed that someone else had put a Becm settings page up stating he could not axcess the settings through the Obd2 port, the setting were just the same as mine so i think this display must be the Default page when its armed its self. Here are the two images. Rick thanks for the offer, if i calnt get it altered through SM035 software ill give you a call.

JohnP38 · Dec 3, 2011

996TURBO said:
Actually, i have a friend who doesn't have Rick's special stuff to unlock BECM and who managed to unalarm some of those with a Testbook by another path..
You give that guy a P38 with security set and you don't tell him what your EKA code is nor a functional remote and he's able to enter it and crank it in 10 minutes...

He managed to sort out a P38 that wasn't running since 2 years, battery was low, indicators were acting like crazy, horn beeping, saying code incorrect... the whole nightmare. Bought it for nothing as it was for parts only...

The KEY CODE lockout may occur like that without any attempt when the BECM goes bad...

I really believe the BECM going into alarm state is similar to a computer losing datas when battery is low.

Once i got some strange signals from the message center speaking another language or displaying faults with numbers (japanese market) when my battery was very low and i know that BECM going to alarm state often change of language (often french).

Really looks like it's battery related...

The battery being flat certainly seems to be one of the causes.
In my case the BECM went into Keycode Lockout at a petrol station in the UK.Waiting for any period did not( RR was abandoned there for 4 days) remove the message to allow entry of the EKA code.
My msv and a autologic would not communicate with the BECM.A "test Becm" was brought to the RR and it started using this BECM.I was told to buy a new BECM.I then sent my BECM to Rick the Pick who unlocked and reset it.On return I installed it myself and the RR started even though the battery by this time was low and only just turned the engine over .It was worked ever since,The other item I replaced just after this was to replace the RF receiver with the latest version.

The BECM,s have different software and firmware versions,so I think some will react and show different symptoms.

JohnP38 · Dec 3, 2011

996TURBO said:
Actually, i have a friend who doesn't have Rick's special stuff to unlock BECM and who managed to unalarm some of those with a Testbook by another path..
You give that guy a P38 with security set and you don't tell him what your EKA code is nor a functional remote and he's able to enter it and crank it in 10 minutes...

He managed to sort out a P38 that wasn't running since 2 years, battery was low, indicators were acting like crazy, horn beeping, saying code incorrect... the whole nightmare. Bought it for nothing as it was for parts only...

The KEY CODE lockout may occur like that without any attempt when the BECM goes bad...

I really believe the BECM going into alarm state is similar to a computer losing datas when battery is low.

Once i got some strange signals from the message center speaking another language or displaying faults with numbers (japanese market) when my battery was very low and i know that BECM going to alarm state often change of language (often french).

Really looks like it's battery related...

It would be really interesting how your friend does it with Testbook,as I presume he is doing it via the OBD port.Prehaps he has the Land Rover factory software as I believe they can do it,but never made that capability available to the Dealer network.

rasheed · Dec 3, 2011

JohnP38 said:
It would be really interesting how your friend does it with Testbook,as I presume he is doing it via the OBD port.Prehaps he has the Land Rover factory software as I believe they can do it,but never made that capability available to the Dealer network.

Be interested in that too.

Also 996 I wouldn't keep recommending people disable their alarms / immobilisers at it may void their insurance. Changing country code may also affect certificate of conformity issues (don't really know but an intelligent guess) although I admit its highly unlikely to ever get checked.

Eka for every start.. any advice?

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