Castor

Castor

Trainee maniac
I have another Q or two....re the Nanocom.

A little background first:- I've spent a goodly chunk of this week berating Siemens execs. re the quality of their manuals for their "TIA Portal" PLC configuration software. Many of the manual entries don't make sense because they assume a common conceptual base and prior knowledge of their users, which is simply not the case. Despite the protestations of my software engineers, Siemens insist that they are correct and the rest of the world is a: a bit dim, and b: wrong.

Now to the BECM & Nanocom; I'm trying to understand the functional difference between and correlation between the BECM states of "Alarmed" and "Locked" as I wish to completely own my P38. I wish to make the vehicle electronics completely incapable of immobilising the vehicle, as I can achieve the level of security I require by mechanical means.

From the Nanocom site:-
"It should be noted that if the BeCM ECU is Locked, which is the state it is shipped from new, then certain information is not accessible.
If the BeCM is Alarmed it will need to be unlocked by a specialist before any communication is possible.
The Nanocom Evolution does not have the ability to unlock the BeCM."

Can anyone help me unravel this? What do those two conditions actually represent?

It's no wonder that those with lesser experience find diagnostics difficult - I could rant for hours.
 
Last edited:
Although it doesn't fully address your quest, if you change the Region it will switch off a part of the alarm / disabling system and you will have no EKA code.

Mine is set to Australia (I think) and I don't have an EKA code, and I believe it makes life simpler and reduces the likelihood of being locked out .....

If you search on this there is loads of info.
 
SpiggyTopes said:
Mine is set to Australia (I think) and I don't have an EKA code, and I believe it makes life simpler and reduces the likelihood of being locked out .....
If you search on this there is loads of info.
Click to expand...

Yip! That is indeed a start - thank you indeed. I shall search.
 
Castor said:
I have another Q or two....re the Nanocom.

A little background first:- I've spent a goodly chunk of this week berating Siemens execs. re the quality of their manuals for their "TIA Portal" PLC configuration software. Many of the manual entries don't make sense because they assume a common conceptual base and prior knowledge of their users, which is simply not the case. Despite the protestations of my software engineers, Siemens insist that they are correct and the rest of the world is a: a bit dim, and b: wrong.

Now to the BECM & Nanocom; I'm trying to understand the functional difference between and correlation between the BECM states of "Alarmed" and "Locked" as I wish to completely own my P38. I wish to make the vehicle electronics completely incapable of immobilising the vehicle, as I can achieve the level of security I require by mechanical means.

From the Nanocom site:-
"It should be noted that if the BeCM ECU is Locked, which is the state it is shipped from new, then certain information is not accessible.
If the BeCM is Alarmed it will need to be unlocked by a specialist before any communication is possible.
The Nanocom Evolution does not have the ability to unlock the BeCM."

Can anyone help me unravel this? What do those two conditions actually represent?

It's no wonder that those with lesser experience find diagnostics difficult - I could rant for hours.
Click to expand...
The BECM is set by the factory, then locked to prevent access to certain information like FOB info for security. Other info like the EKA code can be accessed but not changed.

The BECM will go into an alarmed state if it thinks the car is being tampered with and also with a dodgy battery at times. This is not the same as the alarm being triggered. To clear the alarmed state requires the BECM to be unlocked, this can be done with module SM075 on the Faultmate Extreme.
There is a lot more detail but that is a rough guide.
 
Datatek said:
The BECM is set by the factory, then locked to prevent access to certain information like FOB info for security. Other info like the EKA code can be accessed but not changed.

The BECM will go into an alarmed state if it thinks the car is being tampered with and also with a dodgy battery at times. This is not the same as the alarm being triggered. To clear the alarmed state requires the BECM to be unlocked, this can be done with module SM075 on the Faultmate Extreme.
There is a lot more detail but that is a rough guide.
Click to expand...

With BECM unlocked Security code, EKA code and Fob code can be read. With BECM locked only Security code is visible. EKA and Fob boxes are blank.
 
wammers said:
With BECM unlocked Security code, EKA code and Fob code can be read. With BECM locked only Security code is visible. EKA and Fob boxes are blank.
Click to expand...
You can enter the EKA code from the Nanocom and see if a valid FOB code has been received..
 
Thanks chaps - I'm learning slowly.

Particularly helpful is the knowledge that the Nanocom can't unlock the BECM - I'm glad I didn't buy one now!
 
Castor said:
Thanks chaps - I'm learning slowly.

Particularly helpful is the knowledge that the Nanocom can't unlock the BECM - I'm glad I didn't buy one now!
Click to expand...
You are unlikely to ever need to unlock a BECM and the SM035 module costs an arm and a leg, cheaper to send the BECM to Rick the Pick. Nanocom does all you are ever likely to need.
 
Datatek said:
You can enter the EKA code from the Nanocom and see if a valid FOB code has been received..
Click to expand...

As long as you know the EKA code you can. But the EKA code is not visible if the BECM is locked. Neither is the FOB code. But you can read the RF memory to see if a valid code has been received, but the code itself is not shown.
 
Datatek said:
You are unlikely to ever need to unlock a BECM
Click to expand...

I take your point completely. But if I can't unlock it I don't own it, and it and its collective outstations have a level of codependency that I consider unnecessary and unhealthy. I want a vehicle I can rely on with a reasonable possibility of fixing it in the field. Any item which is capable of arbitrarily locking itself in the middle of nowhere is clearly not fit for purpose and needs dealing with. :mad:
If anyone has a "dead" BECM lying around I'd happily take it off their hands for research - my iron is hot! :D

Datatek said:
and the SM035 module costs an arm and a leg, cheaper to send the BECM to Rick the Pick.
Click to expand...

If I was advising someone else, that's exactly what I would say. :cool:

Datatek said:
Nanocom does all you are ever likely to need.
Click to expand...

If I was advising someone else, that's exactly what I would say. :cool:
 
Castor said:
I take your point completely. But if I can't unlock it I don't own it, and it and its collective outstations have a level of codependency that I consider unnecessary and unhealthy. I want a vehicle I can rely on with a reasonable possibility of fixing it in the field. Any item which is capable of arbitrarily locking itself in the middle of nowhere is clearly not fit for purpose and needs dealing with. :mad:
If anyone has a "dead" BECM lying around I'd happily take it off their hands for research - my iron is hot! :D



If I was advising someone else, that's exactly what I would say. :cool:



If I was advising someone else, that's exactly what I would say. :cool:
Click to expand...

I spoke to a guy in Hampshire once who claimed to have a stack of BECMs lying around. Scorpion Cars, maybe? He might help you out.

If you have the diesel you can replace the chip in the ECU but not set a security code. I think you could bypass the security and get it running in this state but best check with someone who knows what they're talking about first.

TBH if I was going somewhere that remote I don't think I'd be risking a P38!
 
Grrrrrr said:
I spoke to a guy in Hampshire once who claimed to have a stack of BECMs lying around. Scorpion Cars, maybe? He might help you out.
Click to expand...

Thanks - I'll hunt.


Grrrrrr said:
If you have the diesel you can replace the chip in the ECU but not set a security code. I think you could bypass the security and get it running in this state but best check with someone who knows what they're talking about first.
Click to expand...

I have a little device called a Mobi2:- Mobi-Lize

Grrrrrr said:
TBH if I was going somewhere that remote I don't think I'd be risking a P38!
Click to expand...

It *is* possible to get better reliability and availability out of ths ****ing things! Dammit!
 
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