Thanks for that, seems far far too easy and sensible. Of course it will play nice whilst I'm testing it but will pack up the next time I pop in to the petrol station
 
When I got mine I set up a RR fund and started putting £50 a month in it, it now has about £2.5k in it...................... The £3k I've actually spent came out of a different account :D
 
I have been out to the car this morning, was frosty here last night so cold, car wouldn't crank, this is probably a good thing as the fault is present so I can diagnose the issue, I couldn't see any obvious corrosion so went about trying to get the volt meter on the back of the plug whilst rotating the key it cranked and started. I separated the plug and all looks clean, I have pictures but apparently I don't have permission to upload them?

Put the plug back in and it wouldn't turn over, when I turn the key there is a noise (Like Dah, Da, Da, Da)emitted from the white box to the side of the ignition switch which I think is the immobiliser, I wondered if maybe it is the key so I went and got the spare and it started with that, I then swapped back to the original key and that works too.

Anybody got any ideas what I can do next? I have left the console stripped down so have access to the ignition switch.

Thanks
 
ignition2.jpg
ignition1.jpg
ignition1.jpg
ignition2.jpg ignition1.jpg ignition2.jpg ignition3.jpg
 
OK I might be being thick here but I pulled off the big plug with the wires in it to expose the pins on the switch, put my test meter into Ohms setting for resistance, it automatically ranges itself, with the key out there is an open circuit between all pins i.e. no reading given.
Key in position 1 then we have same reading I get when I touch the tester probes together, which on my meter is 0 on Terminal 2 and Terminal 6, open circuit on all other pins.

Key in position 2 I get same results on Terminal 2 and 6 and now 6 and 9 all other are open.

Finally with the key held in the start position I get I get same results on Terminal 2 and 6 and 6 and 9 and also between terminals 8 and 5

I did try with another test meter I can set the range on and I get the same results regardless of the setting, but the car will crank and start at the minute so the results may not mean much.
 
Everything with keys appears to work, both lock and unlock the car remotely or by the physical key. Both unlock the steering column and gear shifter when inserted into the ignition barrel. Is the noise from the immobiliser normal. Iam not sure it does it when it starts normally as I expect you can't hear it over the starter motor. As nothing ticks or makes a sound when it won't turn over it is very obvious, even more so with the console out.
 
Dragged and dropped after reading an old post, the OP had same issue, the buttons that pop up are odd though hence the duplicate image, there was only 3 when I dropped them
 
OK I might be being thick here but I pulled off the big plug with the wires in it to expose the pins on the switch, put my test meter into Ohms setting for resistance, it automatically ranges itself, with the key out there is an open circuit between all pins i.e. no reading given.
Key in position 1 then we have same reading I get when I touch the tester probes together, which on my meter is 0 on Terminal 2 and Terminal 6, open circuit on all other pins.

Key in position 2 I get same results on Terminal 2 and 6 and now 6 and 9 all other are open.

Finally with the key held in the start position I get I get same results on Terminal 2 and 6 and 6 and 9 and also between terminals 8 and 5

I did try with another test meter I can set the range on and I get the same results regardless of the setting, but the car will crank and start at the minute so the results may not mean much.
If the drawing in post #18 is correct for your car, put the meter on Ohms, 200 if the range is selectable and test across C099-5 to C099-8 turn the key and you should get zero ohms, wiggle the key about and see if the reading changes.
Do the same for C099-6 to C099-4.
 
Datatek, am I right in thinking C099 is the ignition switch and -5 is pin 5, -8 is ping 8 ect?

If so there is nothing connected to pin 4, in fact looking at the picture there isn't even a pin at position 4

The connections are:

Purple/Black Pin 2
Red Pin 5
Red Pin 6
Black/Yellow Pin 7
Green Pin 8
 
Datatek, am I right in thinking C099 is the ignition switch and -5 is pin 5, -8 is ping 8 ect?

If so there is nothing connected to pin 4, in fact looking at the picture there isn't even a pin at position 4

The connections are:

Purple/Black Pin 2
Red Pin 5
Red Pin 6
Black/Yellow Pin 7
Green Pin 8
sorry, I don't know as I have never actually seen the switch.
 
Understood Datatek, it is too dark to go look now but I will look in the morning, I assume I can remove the switch from the barrel so I can put it on the bench and clamp the probes to the pins to measure the resistance properly.

Incidentally I see from another post on here that they are a BMW Part (#6901961) and I can get a new £15 replacement from an auction site, I am not thinking that a £15 part is going to make a good long term replacement but would be cheap enough to fit and see if the problem persists, if it does I guess it isn't the switch, if it clears up I can look at buying a quality replacement, I see the LR ones are £120 but I can see FEBI BILSTEIN for under £50.

Just a thought
 
Those colours and pins match the info on the diagram. I'll see if I can find out what the wire in pin 2 is for.

upload_2023-1-26_18-32-12.png
 
Thanks,

I guess pin2 turns on everything with ignition switch position 1 as it forms a circuit with pin 6 when you turn the key?
 

Similar threads