PDC errors seen on INPA
 

Friends

I’m trying to fix my non working PDC. INPA shows two errors:

20 & 22

I believe these are sensors? Does anybody know which ones or have a list of error codes for PDC?

I read that PDC reports a sensor that is the last working sensor in the ring so the next sensor is actually the real failure? Does anybody have any docs on this please? Or can point me where to look.
Thank you.

You should be able to check the output of each sensor.

Testing PDC with Inpa | BMW E39 5 Series / E53 X5

I used BMW Scanner on mine and it gave me a much better view of the sensors and adjustments. I haven't used INPA but you might want to give BMW Scanner a try.

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/mem...canner-pdc.png

I found INPA to be pretty accurate in detection and testing of PDC errors. Are you not testing each sensor individually in INPA? You could also use DIS. If you end up having to replace the sensors, get OEM sensors - expensive but works long-term. I got cheap ones from ebay and they did not last more than a few months before going bad again. Got OEM and it has been a couple years now with no issues. Good prices at https://thebmwminipartstore.com

The issue is: INPA shows all the sensors as a black bar. They do not go green with the system on and me touching them. INPA (when reading the errors) shoes two sensors as bad but I cannot tell which two? I am assuming the bad sensors have switched the system off?

Are you getting the 5 second beep when going into reverse? That indicates the system is in fault and not working. If you simply put your ear next to each sensor, listen for a faint clicking when you put your hand in the view of the sensor. If they are good you will hear the clicking. No clicking and they would be the faulty ones. It may help you determine which ones are faulty..

I do get the 5 second beep going into reverse. But no clicking from any sensors?

Curious, are we diagnosing front PDC, rear PDC or both? Check the harness connections behind the front right foglight cover and the rear is just as it enters the rear spare tub at the right rear bumper mount.

Thank you.

The system has never worked in my ownership.

It has front & rear (eight) sensors as stock (4.8is)

I thought/hoped INPA would point me at the smoking gun.

I also have NavCoder and icarsoft. All see the system and communicate with it saying it has no errors. Only on INPA if I read the errors (F1) it shows 20 & 21. I am guessing that this relates to individual sensors? I cannot find which ones.

Can you hear any clicking from any of the sensors when you wave your hand over them? Have a listen and let me know.
*EDIT* I replied without reading back a few posts. Doh!
So check the 2 harness connections front and rear. One member had his front bumper removed by an INDY and they never reconnected it when they reinstalled it.

No clicking at all. I did fit a brand new OEM sensor on the rear to test with no clicking or change. A look in the trunk shows the ecu has all three plugs in place. I have disconnected both the ecumenical and the battery with no change. I keep reading that if one sensor is bad, it kills all the others for diagnosis?

:iagree: - start with the simple things! ;)

Just checking, you did have the PDC button pressed when you did you INPA diag?

Button was pressed with key in position II. I also tried with engine on. The front bumper had paint before I bought the car. It is possible that has NOT been connected again. Where is that connector on the front please?

Connector is front right, in behind the fog lamp. You may be able the remove the right fog lamp and get into it but if not, it's bumper off time...

I'lll find you a picture...

Seems a good place to start looking, given that the bumper was painted prior to you acquiring the car.

My facelift has it right behind the right foglight cover to the right side of the foglight assembly. Just pull the cover and you should be able to see it.

The rear is about 20 inches away from the PDC ECU on the right side where it goes through the body to the bumper area. Look close, it is tucked in under the panel.

Thank you. Is this front right. My right as I stand at the front looking towards the car?

Your right from sitting in the driver seat. That's right, you guys drive your cars on the wrong side. :nanana: Better check both sides, I'm not sure how the harness is run on the RHD.

Left and right for cars is always from the perspective of sitting in the drivers seat... so right is in front of the driver for us. :thumbup:

Here's the thread with the pictures - a picture is worth a 1000 words!

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...noperable.html

Great information and help. Thank you. I will try and have a look tomorrow in the daylight and report back. Thanks again for you patience.

*MOST* items are the same in the RHD cars as the LHD cars, in terms our components, looms etc. The whole car is not mirror-imaged - just the bits needed to move the driver position.

Which leads to an interesting minor issue for RHD card drivers - or at least those with a manual transmission.

In most RHD cars, the indicators stalk is on the right side of the steering column. This allows you to use your left hand to change gear and still be able to use your right hand to operate the indicators (signals). Handy on roundabouts etc.

With most Euro cars here (in RHD-land) we still have the same steering column as in LHD cars. This means operating the indicators (signals) with your left hand. Glad I have a auto....

You can always tell a newb Euro car driver over here - at the first corner, the windscreen wipers start going instead of the indicators (signals)! :rofl:

When I drove in Japan, I kept looking to the upper right for my rear view and every time I tried to shift, I ended up opening the door... :D

...And entering into the passenger side to drive the car and wondering where's the steering.....tell me about it :bustingup

brucemillar, any update on your PDC issue? :dunno:

No update yet. I had to go out today and it was raining and freezing. Hopefully tomorrow I shall be able to have a look. My money is now on the the looms being unplugged.

Well the front loom (beside the RHS fog lamp) is connected okay. I can see a square connector with a loom that feeds off the the sensors on one side and into the car on the other.

Now to check the rear loom.

Here's the location of the rear loom connector... X11335

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...is-sav/UHtyfe5

And here's the actual PDC unit, near the battery.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ol-pdc/Upks4HH

Thank you for this.

I now am seeing errors 20 & 22 when testing PDC with INPA. Does anybody have a list of these errors and what they relate to?

I believe they are dead sensors but need to know which ones to replace.

Can you try the clicking test again? Make sure the car is in reverse and sensors are on. Maybe even activating the button on the console to be sure. And listen closely. It is a real faint clicking. I can't imagine why none of them click with harness/power going to them. :dunno:

30 minutes of scouring the internet for you to identify those codes, all I can come up with was this. It leads right up to your error codes and shows the rears. So maybe the fronts?

16 ultrasonic sensor rear left

error frequency : 50

short circuit suppliercable/datacable to ground
open circuit
error present


17 ultrasonic sensor rear right

error frequency : 50

short circuit suppliercable/datacable to ground
open circuit
error present


18 ultrasonic sensor rear mddle left

error frequency : 50

short circuit suppliercable/datacable to ground
open circuit
error present

I wish you had BMW Scanner and we could turn off the fronts and see if the system works. I would suggest getting this tool, it can be had with dongle for about 25 quid.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Scann...cAAOSw2xRYPQey

I have now listened to the sensors with the ignition on > car in reverse > Green light on PDC On > SO PDC ON..

The rear outers and one of the inners tick. One inner (RHS Middle) does NOT tick. So that has to be considered faulty?

None of the fronts tick. Nothing, nil, zilch.....

On INPA and on NavCoder I can see the PDC with INPA listing errors 20 & 22 ?

I will replace the "suspect" rear sensor to see if that helps. But I am baffled as to why the fronts have no clicking/ticking at all? The loom is connected behind the front RHS Fog Light.

Will a single rear sensor failure cause the fonts to cease operation?

OK a quick question. When you hear the 5 second beep when going into reverse, is the beep in the front or the rear? From your findings, I think you may have 2 separate issues. In the rear you need the one sensor that has no faint clicking. In the front, there must be a wiring issue. Maybe a closer inspection to make sure the wiring is intact and not broken. I have read where some faults have been caused by rodents chewing the wires. Just an idea...

I believe that the Beep is the rear higher pitched tone.

It is continuous for around 5 seconds with a constant green light. The tone then stops the light changes to flashing and eventually stops after about 30 seconds (not sure on the exact timing)

I am unsure how you activate just the front sensors apart from using inpa?

When I retrofitted PDC on my X5 I got the rear 4.8is bumper with sensors. I added the module, gong and console switch but had the fault as I had no front sensors or harness. I used BMW Scanner 1.4 to change the 8 sensor settings to 4 and it picked up the rear only and has worked perfect. I am still looking for a 4.8is front bumper with sensors to finish the 8 sensor setup. It is not a huge rush as I can see the front distance so as long as I have the rears, I'm happy for now.

Any updates OP? Experiencing the same issue. The front harness is connected and the wiring is intact. I have to inspect the rear next.

Apologies. Christmas got in the way of car fixing ;^)

Using NavCoder, It shows that only the two middle rear sensors out of the eight on the car, are reporting back as functioning.

To be very clear here: NavCoder shows all eight sensors, then when I select reverse - with the Ignition on - Engine Off, I see the two middle rear sensors change colour and start blinking between yellow & red on my PC. All other sensors remain blank (dead)

Using INPA, It shows All Eight of the sensors, as a black bar with no green bar. That tells me that INPA thinks that all eight are dead? I have tried to watch the screen as I stand right in front of the sensors waving my hand over them. This makes no difference to the black bars on the PC.

Conclusions:

I struggle to see how all eight (or even six) sensors can be dead. SO I am now thinking it more likely that the ECU is the culprit here.

- Both front & rear looms are connected at the bumpers and at the ECU.
- I have tried a brand new OEM sensor moving it's position in the rear with no change. (Apart from NavCoder see's it in the middle slots).

Again to be clear here: INPA says there are NO Errors in the PDC system and shows all eight sensors as solid black bars with equal distance measurements next to each bar. I can test the system, switch it on or off (it beeps in response) I can <select> "front & Rear" and the system gives the corresponding tones. But it says no errors.

My choices now are to buy another ECU, but I fear throwing money after money. Or, but another six OEM sensors. But I still struggle to see how six would fail all at the same time.

INPA seems very limited in it's capabilities. I had hoped it would allow me to select the ECU or switch on/off individual sensors? If it does? then I cannot find that option (and I have looked).

Fed Up....

Hey Bruce, I agree that the PDC module may be bad. I have read about some failures. When I did my retrofit, I bought my module from eBay for $35. It might be worth a try, at that price, if it does not solve the issue, you can always resell it for the money you paid.

Yup. eBay is the way I shall go now.

You know what’s so frustrating is trying to diagnose these cars. I have, INPA, iCarsoft & NavCoder + an Autel Scanner. When looking at the car as s whole, all of them report different errors or no errors at all.

I thought that INPA would be accurate. But on both the PDC and the Air Suspension it is hopeless, giving vague pointers. It tells me my air suspension has no errors and is “okay”. Despite the car telling me it has an error and the suspension not working. Likewise with the PDC.

It is very frustrating. Reading the forums suggests that I am in the majority here.

I would be curious what BMW Scanner 1.4 showed. That's what I used for the PDC retrofit on my E53 and E46. It had a complete list of sensor faults when I didn't have my harness completely plugged in on my E46. I wish you had that tool.