P38A FOB / unlocking problem

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Paul Coddington

Paul Coddington

Member
Posts
91
Location
Derbyshire
Hi All, can I prevail on the expertise of your good selves please. My P38A 2.5 DT has decided to throw me another head scratcher. Its was last used on Friday and was fine ran Ok started no problem etc. Today when I pressed the fob to unlock it ..Nothing, I checked the fob the led was flashing when it was supposed to. I unlocked the vehicle with the blade key and only the drivers door unlocked. I turned the ignition on and the engine disabled message appeared. I've attempted to re synch the key as my first thought .. nothing.. I've also attempted the EKA procedure and I can hear the rear passenger door clicking, but cannot be sure the indicators are flashing, the first two attempts at that gave no results. But I'm going to have another attempt, when the key code lockout disappears again. Battery is showing plenty of volts, the idea the BECM may have gone down has occurred to me. Any body any ideas
 
If you try the EKA again if you open the door after 2 attempts you will not get key code lock and you can try again and again as long as you keep opening the door,
if your having trouble with the locks this may help
 

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Hi Paul,
You probably know all there is to know about EKA entry. But just in case, because some people get it wrong, read it wrong or just are over eager in their attempts to enter the code. .... SLOW & DELIBERATE is best.

Start.....key turned (anti-clockwise direction) to locked & back to vertical four times. <<Tells the BecM you are now going to enter the EKA Code>
Then <1st digit> entered in the unlocked (clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <2nd> digit entered in the locked (anti-clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <3rd> digit entered in the unlocked (clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <4th> digit entered in the locked (anti-clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Finally, Turn once to unlocked and all the doors should unlock and the car "should" be re-mobilised.
It is very important to make sure you deliberately and carefully execute each key-turn AND back to vertical (and no further).
The doorlock contacts do go dodgy with age & use.
The flashing of the side-repeaters or the dashboard lamp (depending on how the system was set up) are your only indications that your entries are being seen.
If they are not consistently being seen then you will need a Nanocom to re-mobilise the engine.
 
DanClarke said:
Hi Paul,
You probably know all there is to know about EKA entry. But just in case, because some people get it wrong, read it wrong or just are over eager in their attempts to enter the code. .... SLOW & DELIBERATE is best.

Start.....key turned (anti-clockwise direction) to locked & back to vertical four times. <<Tells the BecM you are now going to enter the EKA Code>
Then <1st digit> entered in the unlocked (clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <2nd> digit entered in the locked (anti-clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <3rd> digit entered in the unlocked (clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Then <4th> digit entered in the locked (anti-clockwise) direction and back to vertical for each time.
Finally, Turn once to unlocked and all the doors should unlock and the car "should" be re-mobilised.
It is very important to make sure you deliberately and carefully execute each key-turn AND back to vertical (and no further).
The doorlock contacts do go dodgy with age & use.
The flashing of the side-repeaters or the dashboard lamp (depending on how the system was set up) are your only indications that your entries are being seen.
If they are not consistently being seen then you will need a Nanocom to re-mobilise the engine.
Click to expand...
 
Slight update on the problem, Another attempt at entering the EKA code has shown that the 4 turns to lock is being accepted as the indicators can be seen to flash. The actual code though is not causing any flashing lights, either on the lock or unlock parts of the code. I'll carry out the latch tests Dan kindly sent me later today see what that shows.
 
Grrrrrr said:
Depends on the frequency, I think. It was my weather station that was stuffing mine. Something up town as well.
Click to expand...
No doubt true, but even parking on the roof level of a multi story car park next to a mobile phone aerial has not caused me a problem although I did need to get very close before it would unlock:D
 
Latest twist. Just prior to starting the latch test, I decided to have another go at the EKA procedure, but this time just for the hell of itm I did the fob re sync as well. That is to say that after the 4th EKA digit I did another unlock/lock with the relevant button depressed and Voila, the bloody thing works. Interestingly it says that the alarm had been triggered, I didn't hear anything and no neighbour has said anything. Could the heat have affected the alarm or something like that..
 
Congrats! Did all the doors unlock too?
I would ask around @martyuk for a replacement drivers door switch-pack thingummy-doo-dad.
Glad you are back and all in synch again.
 
DanClarke said:
Congrats! Did all the doors unlock too?
I would ask around @martyuk for a replacement drivers door switch-pack thingummy-doo-dad.
Glad you are back and all in synch again.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dan. Yep all the door buttons popped up.. started first turn of the key. Aye I think it's a possibility that the lock will need a serious looking at.
Ta for the input everyone. .
 
Hi all, I'm resurrecting this thread as it seems my problem hasn't quite dissapeared.
on a couple or so occasions since the initial problem, the vehicle has taken upon itself to disable the engine. Todays incident is typical. I went to refuel and stopped at the pump, did the usual fuel thing got back in and bingo "engine disabled" the vehicle hadn't been locked, even so the fob wouldn't work the locks. I did the simple key re-sync and everything was fine.
Can the fob lose it's sync without any obvious reason and if so is it usually the fob or the BECM. or has anyone any other ideas as to the cause of this problem.
Cheers in advance
 
Passive immobilisation is "on" and your don't have a working sensor coil, or its buggered.
I get the same. Press "open" on your remote and it says "Start Engine"?
That's a feature ;-)
 
Paul Coddington said:
Hi all, I'm resurrecting this thread as it seems my problem hasn't quite dissapeared.
on a couple or so occasions since the initial problem, the vehicle has taken upon itself to disable the engine. Todays incident is typical. I went to refuel and stopped at the pump, did the usual fuel thing got back in and bingo "engine disabled" the vehicle hadn't been locked, even so the fob wouldn't work the locks. I did the simple key re-sync and everything was fine.
Can the fob lose it's sync without any obvious reason and if so is it usually the fob or the BECM. or has anyone any other ideas as to the cause of this problem.
Cheers in advance
Click to expand...
If the car is post 1999, it should have the coil on the ignition barrel for passive re-sync.
The FOB uses a rolling code and it's possible that interference from a transmitter at the petrol station could cause loss of sync if the car has the earlier RF receiver.
 
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