Hello to everyone and all the best for the coming year!!

My daughter is having issues with her car, it started with the battery loosing power, I told her to have boyfriend take the battery out and charge it over night, the car started,  and then I found out it was going flat again and her boyfriend was having to jump start the car for her several times to get her going.  The idea was to replace the battery (waiting for her to find receipt as battery was only 15 months old) she told me that one day she had no indicators and this was for a couple of days, and then that the head lights came on after putting the key in ignition.  After delving further the boyfriend had been jump staring the car at the battery in the boot and not under the hood in the engine bay. He then tried to jump start the car rolling down a slight gradient and he did get the car running but said the engine was idling rough and the wipers were now coming on. I had a larger battery and put that in and got same results no start and lights came on, with just a click what seemed to come from the starter.  Then there was lights on the ignition.  I took both battery`s home and charged them up. They were both reading fully charged.  Went back to the connected original battery in boot and placed the other batter to the terminals under the hood, left it for 10 mins and tried to start nothing. so I then connected the jump leads from my car to daughters, before this I swapped the BMW 1 3 5 SERIES E60 E87 E90 F10 F30  6901469 black relay behind the glove box. When put the key in ignition I had lights on the dash again. tried to start the car after about 10 mins and I heard a slight move on the starter but that is all, gave up in the end until I can find some info on what the issue could be.

 

Grateful for any imput

Morning David

Welcome to the Forum

I fear that the jump starting at the Battery may have caused damage to at least 1 of the control units or relays. Check carefully in the boot at the battery connections I have seen a situation where the small lead lead at the live connection became damaged/dislodged by putting jump leads on.

The symptoms described seem the same as a failed or failing Footwell Control Module (FCM) a failing FCM can also prevent the car going to sleep causing battery drain. The only way to be sure is with a diagnostic scan. BMW will tell you they are the ONLY ones who can change it !!! This is because if it is changed the replacement needs programming to the car BMW store mileage/chassis details in 2 places if they don't match you will get a tamper dot next to the mileage on the dash. How ever anyone with INPA/ISTA or now several other BMW capable systems can also do it. It needs the replacement FCM having it's original Mileage/Chassis details reset with those from the car it is being installed in.

Dave

6 hours ago, Greydog said:

Morning David

Welcome to the Forum

I fear that the jump starting at the Battery may have caused damage to at least 1 of the control units or relays. Check carefully in the boot at the battery connections I have seen a situation where the small lead lead at the live connection became damaged/dislodged by putting jump leads on.

The symptoms described seem the same as a failed or failing Footwell Control Module (FCM) a failing FCM can also prevent the car going to sleep causing battery drain. The only way to be sure is with a diagnostic scan. BMW will tell you they are the ONLY ones who can change it !!! This is because if it is changed the replacement needs programming to the car BMW store mileage/chassis details in 2 places if they don't match you will get a tamper dot next to the mileage on the dash. How ever anyone with INPA/ISTA or now several other BMW capable systems can also do it. It needs the replacement FCM having it's original Mileage/Chassis details reset with those from the car it is being installed in.

Dave

    Afternoon Dave,

thank you for your input, I am going to check the cables to and from the battery making sure all connections are good if still the same will look into changing the FCM, I watched a video the other day of someone changing one which seems straight forward, but the programming will have to be left to someone who knows, I use to use a local independent indie  BMW specialist so he may be the man. One again thank you

 

Regards Dave

Morning David

I have changed a couple of these it actually takes longer to swap the units than reprogram them  so your BMW man should be able to do it for you

Dave

6 hours ago, Greydog said:

Morning David

I have changed a couple of these it actually takes longer to swap the units than reprogram them  so your BMW man should be able to do it for you

Dave

Hi Dave,

I ask at BMW specialist and they said they don`t repair or reprogram them do them, said a place in Exeter does, need to find out. I have noticed a couple on eBay and online that repair and send back, if its the same unit does mean it does not need to be reprogrammed.

 

Dave

Morning Dave

If the unit is repaired it should not need programming the only time it needs programming is if the stored mileage/chassis details are different to those stored in the Binnacle or IKE. If you swap the unit everything will work all you will have is the little tamper dot by the mileage covered.

Never had one of these repaired but Companies like BBA Reman or ECU Testing may help

Disappointed for you with your BMW specialist so if he fitted a New Part he has to program it to the car is he saying he can't do that?? The process is the same, when the replacement unit is fitted it it will show the details Chassis Number Mileage of the donor car a New Unit will be blank if left blank the tamper dot will show. So first note the mileage covered by your car, delete the donor cars Chassis/Mileage and enter yours or if New just enter your information.

Dave

 

 

9 hours ago, Greydog said:

Morning Dave

If the unit is repaired it should not need programming the only time it needs programming is if the stored mileage/chassis details are different to those stored in the Binnacle or IKE. If you swap the unit everything will work all you will have is the little tamper dot by the mileage covered.

Never had one of these repaired but Companies like BBA Reman or ECU Testing may help

Disappointed for you with your BMW specialist so if he fitted a New Part he has to program it to the car is he saying he can't do that?? The process is the same, when the replacement unit is fitted it it will show the details Chassis Number Mileage of the donor car a New Unit will be blank if left blank the tamper dot will show. So first note the mileage covered by your car, delete the donor cars Chassis/Mileage and enter yours or if New just enter your information.

Dave

 

 

Thank you for the info, thats good to know will let you know what happens

 

Dave

On 2/2/2023 at 5:17 PM, medi1 said:

Thank you for the info, thats good to know will let you know what happens

 

Dave

The boyfriend who kept jump starting the car at the battery terminals and constantly said its nothing to do with what he did!! (bearing in mind it was a flat battery one morning previous to this the car ran fine) as now taken the car to his friend who knows a lot about BMW`s so it will be interesting to hear what feedback will come from this will keep you posted when I hear anything.

An update on issues with car.

The FRM Module was re-programmed and I got the Terminals on the ends of the cables to the body of car renewed. Car runs as it should now  many thanks for info off everyone appreciated.

 

I had the FRM reprogrammed at DSR Remapping & Auto Services Exeter

Top Man 

Great information on FRM repair/re-mapping service 

Dave