j the range said:

you should not need the 4 turns to start the eka, i think it was started on the later r/r.

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jerrytlr said:

hi I've read loads of the alarm threads on here and tried many of the suggestions, but haven't found anything that solves my problem... so apologies for starting yet another thread on this topic.

I've had the car for a few months now (1995 2.5DT) and alarm and immobiliser have worked fine up until now.

Today I go to unlock the car and the fob won't work. The lights on the fob shine nice and bright. Use the key in the drivers lock, unlocks all the doors fine, but can't start the engine and have the 'engine disabled... press button on remote' message. Second fob does exactly the same thing.

Have tried the EKA procedure several times but to no avail. I do not have the lockout message.

I have also tried the 'hold the keyfob button down while turning the key in the lock' process, no difference.

Car is currently unusable.

In order to understand what is going on, please could somebody let me know the following:

- the central locking works fine with the key in the driver's lock. The indicator lights and the red LED on the top of the dash all seem to respond to the turn of the key. Does this mean that the microswitch in the lock is OK, or is there another microswitch that the EKA unlock process uses?

- a question for those who have successfully used the EKA process - is there any kind of acknowledgement after each of the key turns, eg a light on the dash? Is there any indication after putting in the four lock turns at the start that the system is ready to receive the code?

Any other ideas re what I should check?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Jerry

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zzr1200 said:

Hi Jerry, I have a 1995 2.5DT, I've scanned the EKA input instructions from my Owners Handbook in PDF format, but the file is to large to upload it here. I've found your email addy (googlemail) and sent the instructions to it.

I was staying near Gourdon (Mandou) in July/August anywhere near your location???

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rasheed said:

hi, ok lets try to take this step by step:

1. if the doors don't open even though there's a light on the fobs go to a local electronics repair place. They usually have a device for testing things like TV remotes and will tell you if your keys are at least transmitting a signal. If that works then try removing the blue antenna cable from the receiver, this will reduce its sensitivity to ambient signal "noise" and allow it to read the fobs better but only from close range. You mention that you already tried close range but leaving the wire on. That won't work.

2. I've heard of two ways to resynch the fobs. There's Datatek's way in the car's ignition and the one I use which is the driver's door. Insert key, turn to lock while pressing lock on fob, turn to unlock while pressing unlock on fob. Neither will work if there is too much ambient signal noise.

3. If your doors open but engine doesn't start have you noticed if the "check engine" light comes on first when you turn the key in the ignition? If it does not, the immobiliser is still armed at some level. It won't always show a message in the display. Since you are able to disarm it using the EKA (for now..) what it means is that the BECM and ECU have lost synch. Using a diagnostics tool can help you to resynch. The problem is that its a rolling code that is written each time the car is turned off and stored in the various places in the BECM and in the ECU. It is written on to EPROM chips which in our P38s are getting pretty old and so may be losing re-write integrity. Changing the chips is probably not an option but you still have two choices; Either carry a diagnostic tool and resynch the two CPUs every time they fail to connect or else you can use the tool to permanently disable the immobiliser. You'll need full scale diagnostics though not just a code-reader. If you choose this option do check first that it won't void your insurance. It didn't affect mine so that's what I have done. You'll probably find the thread in here somwhere if you do a search. I only mention is as you say you are way up in Dordogne and maybe your broker will let you get away with it.

4. A related problem is the RF buffer which specifically stores the lock unlock codes from the fobs. This is also a rolling buffer but I have heard that if it doesn't clear properly it will gradually fill with fragementary bits of junk code and stop working. Must have been written be Microsoft! Anyway, diagnostics can be used to clear the buffer which then needs to be done periodically as to my knowledge there is no permanent solution to this. One thing Datatek said is new to me, that the buffer stores both spurious signals as well as genuine ones, that it doesn't overflow but just moves the code on. I'thought it would wake up but then just see them as incoherent noise and go back to sleep again after a delay. If Data is right then changing the receiver will reduce the number of "false" signals being stored in the buffer and prevent it rolling on but if its again an EPROM issue a new receiver will help but not totally cure the problem.

Actually thinking about it, if the receiver keeps waking up the BECM and regardless of whether its rolling the code on or writing junk to the buffer you should be experiencing some battery drain. Remove the EAS delay control relay to isolate the self-levelling, put a voltmeter across the battery, set it to record peak values and if the leads are long enough put it on the floor under the car leaving it connected but with all the doors and bonnets etc closed. Wait a few minutes (about 3 for the BECM to go to sleep) reset the reading and then walk away. Next day see what the peak reading was. It will not be 0 because the BECM still has to monitor the volumetric alarm and watch for signals from the RF but I think it shouldn't draw more than about 0.3A (somebody will come along with the right numbers). If its higher than that means your BECM woke up in the night due to a prod from the RF receiver.

Bonne chance!

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JohnP38 said:

You cannot put a voltmeter across a battery to measure current!,if you do this and set it measure current you will short out the battery and probably melt the leads and start a fire.

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jerrytlr said:

Thanks for all the input. I will try with the antenna wire disconnected and see if I can get it the fobs to resync - I take it I need to be right next to the rear window in order for it to work?

Modelman that sounds like something worth trying too - which ECU did you disconnect, presumably the BECM?

996turbo - I would be happy to disable the immobiliser, however how much of the alarm/central locking system remains in place with this mod? Do you lose remote locking completely??


Cheers,

Jerry

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