Hi Guys,
Question for you all before I invest in parts.
Came back to the beast today (2000 P38 4.6) after being in the shops and the engine immobilised press remote message came up. No worry's has happened before and as I get the car from storage each year I am used to it I simply get out enter the EKA and Bobs your auntie. This happened a few weeks ago and took two goes before it worked. Today no joy. Grrrrrrrrr, mumble, curse, I have now tried it many many times, went home and got the spare key also no joy. The drivers door opens and so does the tailgate but the central locking does not fire the rest of the door locks and the engine is still immobilised and the little red light on the dash top is flashing.
I am guessing that the microswitch in the door lock has failed. My question is, if I order a front door latch assembly is the micro switch in this part as the assembly has a connection cable attached to it? or do i need another part? and if I fit it does it then need something to re sync it to the brain or is it just plug and play?
Thanks for any help or advice guys as being in Crimea I am a bit limited for RR garages or parts, my thoughts at the moment are that the beast just goes back on axel stands two weeks early and waits until my return in November. I will still have the problem but I will have been able to pick up the spares in UK on my way back. thanks again guys.

Hi Gunner ,, ok first , is the battery fully charged .?? what is it saying exactly on display after turning key to 1st position on ignition . ?? are batteries in fob ok ?? have you had the battery off the car after the problem started ?? finally when you were driving to shops was the door switches ( drivers side ) clicking up/down ???. ok answer these please and process of elimination onward we go cheers Mozz

Hi Mozz, Thanks for getting back to me. Yes the battery is good as with the winter here I keep an eye on it. On the display at position 1 just the usual mileage comes up it says engine disabled press remote when I turn the key to engage the starter. The battery's in the fob are good but I don't use it as I disconnected the RF lead about 5 years ago due to battery drain. After trying the EKA quite a few times I did disconnect and reconnect the battery but the result was the same.
Not yesterday but in the past on occasion the door locks have clicked up and down.
Should I try re connecting the RF lead and trying the fob?
Cheers Gunner

Gunnerhavesome said:

Hi Mozz, Thanks for getting back to me. Yes the battery is good as with the winter here I keep an eye on it. On the display it says engine disabled press remote. The battery's in the fob are good but I don't use it as I disconnected the RF lead about 5 years ago due to battery drain. After trying the EKA quite a few times I did disconnect and reconnect the battery but the result was the same.
Not yesterday but in the past on occasion the door locks have clicked up and down.
Should I try re connecting the RF lead and trying the fob?
Cheers Gunner

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As you say, re-connect the RF lead and use the FOB.

Datatek said:

As you say, re-connect the RF lead and use the FOB.

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Will give it a go and report back. Cheers

Re connected RF lead and no difference tried both FOBs so still stumped

It sounds to me like a new door latch (comes with the switch-pack) is required.
The opening of the drivers door is done by the key-barrel flag and the link to the latch itself so the key will always open the drivers door IF the link is present and clipped/adjusted properly.
The opening of all the other doors is I think achieved either by the CDL microswitch in the drivers latch switchpack telling the BECM to open all the doors (if unlocking with the key), OR, by the valid decode of an RF fob telling the BeCM to unlock all the doors.
So, if the other three doors are not popping on the drivers key unlock. the CDL switch has gone Kaput.
This is confirmed by the fact that the EKA cannot be successfully entered. Sadly, your rolling codes are so far out of synch you now need to enter the EKA code but can't.
All I can suggest is entering it via the wiring loom and a jumper so you can resynch your fob(s) and use fob lock/unlock again.
EDIT: I have had the codes so far out of whack only clearing RF memory with a Nanocom got my fobs talking to the BeCM via the RF unit again.

DanClarke said:

It sounds to me like a new door latch (comes with the switch-pack) is required.
The opening of the drivers door is done by the key-barrel flag and the link to the latch itself so the key will always open the drivers door IF the link is present and clipped/adjusted properly.
The opening of all the other doors is I think achieved either by the CDL microswitch in the drivers latch switchpack telling the BECM to open all the doors (if unlocking with the key), OR, by the valid decode of an RF fob telling the BeCM to unlock all the doors.
So, if the other three doors are not popping on the drivers key unlock. the CDL switch has gone Kaput.
This is confirmed by the fact that the EKA cannot be successfully entered. Sadly, your rolling codes are so far out of synch you now need to enter the EKA code but can't.
All I can suggest is entering it via the wiring loom and a jumper so you can resynch your fob(s) and use fob lock/unlock again.
EDIT: I have had the codes so far out of whack only clearing RF memory with a Nanocom got my fobs talking to the BeCM via the RF unit again.

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Thanks Dan,
I don't want to appear thick but I don't want to bodge this up.So if I take the door card off is this plug easily accessible? Do I remove the wires from the plug and cross them like morse code? or do I leave them in the plug and insert some sort of small probe to enter the code? The car is sat in a shopping centre car park so I don't really want to be stripping a lot out and its raining. I dont have access to Nanocom but may invest in one on my trip back through UK later this year.
Thanks again for any help.

The single or (2000 or later MY dependent) or pre 1999 double plug(s) are pinned with plastic pop-in clips on the reverse-side of the inner skin of the door framing below the latch and lock.
I think it is just a case of tapping out (almost morse-code) the lock/unlock digits into the wiring with a jumper. Effectively, this is all the door-latch switches do (Make/Break connections between wires).
The common pin (as per the pictures) is the black one (from memory) and lock is one of the other colours and unlock is another colour (red & white wires I think).
The start sequence is the 4 "locked" actions which is acknowledged by the lights (dashboard or side-repeaters, depending on BeCM setting). Once you see your "make/breaks" are being "seen" the numbers alternate on the lock/unlock wires.
Good Luck! I don't think it can do any harm going across these specific wires as they are the wires you test to see that the switches in the doorlatch are working OK with a continuity meter. Just keep away from the other wires. All this is doing is simulating successful operation(s) of the switches inside the latch assembly.

DanClarke said:

The single or (2000 or later MY dependent) or pre 1999 double plug(s) are pinned with plastic pop-in clips on the reverse-side of the inner skin of the door framing below the latch and lock.
I think it is just a case of tapping out (almost morse-code) the lock/unlock digits into the wiring with a jumper. Effectively, this is all the door-latch switches do (Make/Break connections between wires).
The common pin (as per the pictures) is the black one (from memory) and lock is one of the other colours and unlock is another colour (red & white wires I think).
The start sequence is the 4 "locked" actions which is acknowledged by the lights (dashboard or side-repeaters, depending on BeCM setting). Once you see your "make/breaks" are being "seen" the numbers alternate on the lock/unlock wires.
Good Luck! I don't think it can do any harm going across these specific wires as they are the wires you test to see that the switches in the doorlatch are working OK with a continuity meter. Just keep away from the other wires. All this is doing is simulating successful operation(s) of the switches inside the latch assembly.

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Thank you, it will be tomorrow now before I get a chance but will let you know.

Hi Gunners & Dan ,, I agree with Dan so try his solution see how you go , I would check connectors both side in a-frames , check for damp ect green etc , dry out completely and use electrical componement spray cleaner ( NOT WD40). make sure connectors are nice & clean & dry . the wiring for doorpack i.e. drivers door is higher up in door frame it comes from separate loom i.e. from dash ,, check connectors for green / damp as well ,!!!! these are behind door card .. also are the carpets in front driver/ passenger side wet ????? if so this is problem i.e . dampness to becm , but from what you say sounds as though the cdl microswitch is problem there is also 2 other micro switches in door pack so suggest at last resort to change complete doorpack ,,,, speak to martyuk , he supplies them ,,,,let us know how you go on , kind regards Mozz

Hi Mozz, If the weather is better tomorrow i'll give it a go as today it's been raining all day. The carpets are dry inside so hopefully no issues with the becm. But if I don't get it started it will be the back of a truck job to my parking yard and onto axel stands for the next 10 months as I leave here to go back to work in 2 weeks and if I order a part it just wont get to me in time. I'll update tomorrow on proceedings. Thanks for the pointer to Marty and all your help. Best regards Gunner

hi gunners please see your messages …. cheers mozz

All read and contact made and to keep others up to speed with what's happening. Here we are, On going issue with this problem but have spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Mozz today whilst stood in sub zero temps trying to sort this with a poor internet connection and cars all around being got into and out of and people using their remotes so my old RF receiver if it was working would have gone hands up what the F451k I give up. Short answer car still buggered.
Thanks again Mozz for all your time, help and support.
For the followers of this thread/ problem we are taking an off line approach so there is not a big trail of who said what who did what.
But any result and I will post and let you know as always information is power and with a P38 any information I good.
It is likely that the beast will be parked up again until November and while I am away I will pick up a new part IE door pack to solve the problem as at the bottom this seems to me to be to fault (Marty UK look out for my message sometime in October if that's ok). but the beast is nearly 20 years old and these things happen, just lucky that this happened only 300m from my usual
Parking place for the time I am away for work, Not that the recovery guy will give me any dispensation on that as I think the price is the same for 1km as 50km after that it goes up, and as the beast will not be running I will have to hand jack up each corner to put the axel stands under to protect the tyres and suspension airbags for the 10 months I am away. Bugger..... but hey ho such is the life of owning the best 4x4 by far