Engine Disabled, Diagnostics Mode?!?! Slight emergency.

Just a quick one.

My brother is stuck in a carpark in his 1995 DSE.

He has key fob and a Nanocom with him, but the car is immobilised.

Car is not taking the EKA from drivers door lock.

Car is not unlocking or locking on the fob.

Car is not re-syncing the fob using the "lock button and then lock with key" method. Although probably can't re-sync at the mo because the car is alarmed?

Nanocom reports differing messages from the RF outstation saying either the BECM has received a valid code, and then it has not.

Message centre displays "Engine Disabled Press Remote" although once or twice it has shown "Diagnostics Mode"

I'm stumped. And idea's folks? Is there something simple to try?

I've told him to disconnect the battery for 10 minutes and then be ready with the EKA.

He's about 10 minutes away from calling the RAC.

cant get thru to datatek.

wammers is ere

I thought there was a way to enter the EKA via the Nanocom, but it doesn't seem to be taking that either.

Unless of course he's doing it wrong. He's probably cold and tired by now!

Diagnostic mode is for BECM inputs from Nanocom. You cannot change BECM settings with engine running. You do them in diagnostic mode. Go to BECM go to utility enter EKA and press DISARM.

Cheers Wammers, I'll forward it on.

MrGorsky said:

Cheers Wammers, I'll forward it on.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify. When at EKA input press on EKA to get a keyboard type code and press OK. Code should then be in EKA box Press DISARM.

Maybe you should say which carpark he is stuck in. You never know, 10 members may descend on him to offer help. It it were Wigan/St Helens, I'd pop down to offer what help I could...

Nik

He's a long way from St Helens, in Bucks.

He's done the EKA entry as instructed, but it's not having it. He's also suspecting low battery volts now, so that won't help will it?

Is it possible the battery is too low to allow the EKA input? It's been (and now is) pretty cold today.

The RAC are on the way. Perhaps their battery booster thing will help.

I have used this method twice and it worked ok.

Alternative "Key in Position II" Disarming Procedure

An alternative procedure for getting the system out of disabled mode is to disconnect the battery, and reconnect it with the key in position II. Steve Glover of New Zealand tried this with great success on his 1999 Range Rover Autobiography. "We recently lost the only key that worked by remote on the vehicle. Our second key had stopped working remotely on the vehicle a couple of years ago, our dealership told us it was impossible to fix and we needed to buy a new one. We used this key to try the “key turn method” of EKA but to no avail no matter how it was done it would not disarm the alarm. We then towed the vehicle home with the alarm tooting its head off. We kept trying the key turn method at home but [it had no effect]." Steve offer the following details of how he succeeded with the alternative "key in position II" procedure:

1/ Open the Vehicle manually with the key (the alarm will be going off the whole time) and open the bonnet (it is extremely Important to leave the bonnet and the door open or you may be locked out).

2/ Disconnect the main 12 volt vehicle battery.

3/ Put key in ignition and turn to position II.

4/ Reconnect the Battery.(window unset alarms will be going off)

5/ Start the engine then push the lock and unlock buttons on the key while the engine is running.

6/ Open and close all the windows to reset them.

7/ You are done.

Cheers for that Colin.

I think he's had to retreat to the pub to warm up!

MrGorsky said:

Cheers for that Colin.

I think he's had to retreat to the pub to warm up!

Click to expand...

Yeah I bet he is a bit cold .

it may or may not work but worth a try , it worked for me twice on 2 different range rovers . An old guy who is a RR mechanic told me about it but i not understand so looked it up on google and found this .

Good luck mate

All sorted, and thanks for the tips.

I understand it just needed more power!

He's just ordered one of these...

Thanks chaps. I did indeed retreat to a pub to warm up a little.

Fortunately I had the RAVE guidance on resynching keys etc. Unfortunately, nothing worked. In the end I used the Nanocom to switch off the immobiliser and the alarm in the BECM settings. After that it cranked but I'd killed the battery with the glow-plugs by then. A mate then cam out with jump-leads and we got it going. Find it a little odd because I thought the alarm setting just stopped the alarm from sounding. Similarly I thought the immobilisation just stopped passive immobilisation rather than immobilisation per se. Either way, it worked!

Got back, all working as it should again. Put battery on charge overnight but have also ordered a new battery from the battery megastore just in case.

Thanks all!