I'm Dumb, I have proof

[Qsilver7]

Did the car battery die when the key was in the ignition? If it did...for some reason it has been observed that in some cases this will kill the key. I have no reason why, and have never heard why it happens...but I have seen this same story on e38, e39 & now e53 forum (?). And it has always been the new style (diamond shaped) remote key that has croaked when left in the ignition and the car battery dies.

[jdstrickland]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Did the car battery die when the key was in the ignition? If it did...for some reason it has been observed that in some cases this will kill the key. I have no reason why, and have never heard why it happens...but I have seen this same story on e38, e39 & now e53 forum (?). And it has always been the new style (diamond shaped) remote key that has croaked when left in the ignition and the car battery dies.

No, the key was in my pocket. The car was parked on the street in front of my house and the alarm started sounding for no apparent reason. It stopped after a minute or two, whatever the normal length of time that it would sound. After the alarm went off, it made a chirp every so often, minute or so, kind of like the smoke alarm will chirp in your house when it needs a new battery.

After getting the jumper cables out and starting the car, I discovered that the buttons on the key would not lock or unlock the doors. This is a battery issue with the key, but it strikes me as a very strange coincidence that the car battery and the key battery would die at the same moment in time, and there was no advance warning of the impending doom.

In any case, I took the car to the shop because I have no further capability with the PA Soft. The shop says I have to buy a key, upon which time that key will talk to the EWS and allow a platform from which the other keys can be enabled again. If I could enable the keys that I have -- both are currently disabled -- then a crook could come along with a key that does not work and start PA Soft to enable it and drive the car away. An enabled key is required as an authentication source to enable other keys. Somehow, the dealership will provide an enabled key that can be used to authenticate the keys I have.

[David.X5]

Talking in generalities here. I've bought keys cut for my car from the dealers, sight unseen. So that means they have a way of knowing what code the EWS system is looking for from the key in the ignition (not talking keyless entry here) AND they have a way to write that to a blank key (since they never touched my car, they can't have added to its list). So, they should be able to write that code to your two old keys. I suspect BMW NA actually cuts and programs the keys, so the only way for the dealer to discover your cars secret code is to read it out of a working key... Still don't know how..,

I have read and written those codes from the cars memory on an early R53 (MINI) using DIS, but on that car, you actually go into the cars memory and program each new key. It's clearly different than the E53.

[Qsilver7]

When the car rolls off the assembly line...10 key codes are programmed into the EWS control module. The 1st owner received 4 of those keys (2 remotes, 1 spare, 1 valet).

Your EWS control module's 10 key codes are specific to each BMW based on the car's VIN. That is how the dealer can order keys & they come from BMW already programmed with your car's ISN (individual serial nbr) that matches the same EWS ISN burned to your DME, EWS-CM, & other keys.

See info below how the original 10 key codes are programmed at the factory...and as previously mentioned...EWS is not the same programming as FZV (remote central locking) & DWA (anti theft alarm siren system).

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

No, the key was in my pocket. The car was parked on the street in front of my house and the alarm started sounding for no apparent reason. It stopped after a minute or two, whatever the normal length of time that it would sound. After the alarm went off, it made a chirp every so often, minute or so, kind of like the smoke alarm will chirp in your house when it needs a new battery.

After getting the jumper cables out and starting the car, I discovered that the buttons on the key would not lock or unlock the doors. This is a battery issue with the key, but it strikes me as a very strange coincidence that the car battery and the key battery would die at the same moment in time, and there was no advance warning of the impending doom.

In any case, I took the car to the shop because I have no further capability with the PA Soft. The shop says I have to buy a key, upon which time that key will talk to the EWS and allow a platform from which the other keys can be enabled again. If I could enable the keys that I have -- both are currently disabled -- then a crook could come along with a key that does not work and start PA Soft to enable it and drive the car away. An enabled key is required as an authentication source to enable other keys. Somehow, the dealership will provide an enabled key that can be used to authenticate the keys I have.

I believe that anytime the car looses power such as a dead battery or the battery cables being removed from the battery, you need to re-enable the remote function of the keys, at least, that was the procedure for my Audi. Never lost power to the BMW so don't know.

[jdstrickland]

Originally Posted by upallnight

I believe that anytime the car looses power such as a dead battery or the battery cables being removed from the battery, you need to re-enable the remote function of the keys, at least, that was the procedure for my Audi. Never lost power to the BMW so don't know.

Part of my confusion here is that only one key lost the ability to lock and unlock the doors, and both of my keys was able to start the car until I got my PA Soft fired up and started changing things.

I suspect that I actually have two problems that happened at precisely the same time, the battery in the car crapped out AND the battery in the key died. Since the car was at the curb in front of my house and I was in the garage with a dying key battery, perhaps the key called out to the car with its last dying breath and set off the alarm. My X5 is an '05 model, and I have no clue as to the battery history, I've had the car for a year and not changed the battery. I don't know when the seller changed the battery before I came along. I do know that I am the 2nd owner.

[jdstrickland]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

DISABLING KEYS
This is the source of my problem. I managed to disable both of my keys, now I have nothing to authenticate that a valid operator is trying to enable them again. I was not realizing what I was doing until it was too late, now with the affects being known, I understand what happened and why I'm in trouble. One MUST have a valid (ENABLED) key to enable any/all other keys that are disabled. PA Soft says my car has KEY0, KEY1, and KEY2, all other keys, KEY3 ~ KEY9, are not used. This is in line with the description you gave, and my recovery process from here is to buy one of the remaining keys that the EWS knows about. That key will be an authorized key that can be used as the authentication source to re-enable the keys that I disabled.

I was hoping for a procedure that I could do at home that did not involve buying a key for $150. Of course, the weak link in what I wanted provides an avenue for car thieves to steal cars. To get a new key from BMW, one has to prove ownership of the vehicle because the keys that can be bought are prepped and ready to start the car, so a car thief could buy a key for $150 and then go steal the car.

[TiAgX5]

What you did doesn't prove you're dumb (everyone has done things like this).

Not learning what went wrong, and allowing it to happen again would make you dumb.

This forum exists to keep owners from being DUMB!!!

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

I was hoping for a procedure that I could do at home that did not involve buying a key for $150. Of course, the weak link in what I wanted provides an avenue for car thieves to steal cars. To get a new key from BMW, one has to prove ownership of the vehicle because the keys that can be bought are prepped and ready to start the car, so a car thief could buy a key for $150 and then go steal the car.

If you have to go this route...shop around if possible to see if you can find a less expensive key.

You don't have to buy the most expensive of the keys (the remote) since you already have them. There is a much less expensive non-remote "valet" key that only operates the ignition & driver's door. It, too has an EWS chip inside of it that if ordered will come already programmed to start your vehicle. California dealers tend to charge higher than here in fly-over country..but the valet keys usually run between $45-$65 dollars here.

See key #3 in the diagram below...and here's the 11 digit part nbr (21 21 7 127 047)...you can call and give them this nbr and inquire how much they sell it for: