Central locking problems

[Brian H]

I compiled the info below a few years ago, may be of some help to you?

Boot Loom Wiring

There are 9 wires in the boot loom, below the 9 wires are grouped with the function attached. The lock/unlock and switch position functions are controlled via the central ZKE module

The two wires below are part of a common loom that triggers the door actuator/lock.

• 1.5 BL/GR blue/grey - boot lock motor wire
• 1.5 WS white - boot lock motor wire

The three wires below are supply wires and lock position wires, the supply is fed from fuse 7 (5amp)

• 0.35 RT/GN red/green - boot lock switch - supply wire
• 0.5 WS/BL white/blue - boot lock switch - unlock wire
• 0.5 WS/GN/GE white/green/yellow - boot lock switch - lock wire

The two wires below are for the third brake light, the fuse for the third brake light is fuse F46 (15A) and controlled via the brake light switch.

• 0.5 BR brown - 3rd brake light - earth
• 0.75 BL/RT blue/red - 3rd brake light - supply Wire

The two wires below are for the boot interior light, this switch is located in the boot latch. The fuse for the boot light switch is F33 (10a).

• 0.5 BR/WS brown/white - boot light switch supply wire
• 0.5 BR brown - boot light switch - earth

HTH

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Thanks Brian
I will try to find the time next week to look at the boot loom. Last time I found two broken so will unwrap and have a much closer check and hopefully I will find anotherbroken
I will report back Geoff

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Untaped the loom of doom could not find any more broken wires, so with it un taped I shut the boot put key in lock and they all locked, unlocked put key in door locks and all work but there is a delayed action on the door locks some times and if I keep locking and unlocking it seems to stop working ?
I have taped the loom up again and all is still working.
Any suggestions as to what is causing the delayed action sometimes .Geoff

 

[g8jka]

You must have disturbed something, still sound's like a bad connection that you have temporarily fixed when taping it back up. Even though the wiring insulation looks OK on the outside the wires may still be broken inside. You need to test the continuity of all the wires really to check for breaks or even strip them back and redo them again making sure they all work properly.

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Yes you are probably right will see how it goes for now but if problem returns I will have to strip all the wires

 

[Antm72]

Sounds to me like an internal break on one of the cables it may be the outer is intact un wiring them as said has possibly given a connection at least you are in the correct area now for a fix but hopefully yoy may have it resolved

 

[Geoff Crispin]

By just feeling the wires one by one they did seem ok but as you say one could be broken or that I have made a bad connection on the two that I found broken last year, any way I will wait and see but the problem does seem to be a wire one but not sure if that would cause the delayed action sometimes of the locking and unlocking

 

[Geoff Crispin]

You can use INPA to monitor the central locking operations. It will show you which of the signals (contacts) are not working on the doors and boot. The contact positions are indicated by black and white dots, you watch the black dots jump from open to closed etc. If you don't have any movement or have 2 or no black dots, then you have found the fault.

Someone near you may already have INPA installed to help you.

My BMW nephew has installed the fault finding programe into my laptop but I am a tecnaphobe and will wait till he can come down from Surrey to help me check it out also my remote needs redoing

 

[Brian H]

Great news you have not had to strip the door apart, next time you have the loom apart feel down the wires and you are looking for a change thickness.

INPA will not help at this point, it will simply show you the state of the devices, this you already know, INPA will not track the cable fault, this you have to do manually.

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Put car away into garage last night unlocked, took car out to super market but all locks would not operate so used key in other locks.
Been playing with it again and if patient enough the locks eventually work so I think some lubrication is needed, but where ? any ideas ?

Put some chrome effect bits on ie wheel nut covers, door handles, window washer jet covers, not much more to put on nowas I dont like the window screen chrome and not too sure about chrome strip that goes along top of door right round the hood at the back to the other door.

 

[jonco]

Put car away into garage last night unlocked, took car out to super market but all locks would not operate so used key in other locks.
Been playing with it again and if patient enough the locks eventually work so I think some lubrication is needed, but where ? any ideas ?......

Geoff, Are you opening and closing the boot lid during these work/won't work situations? If so it is highly likely you have partially severed wire(s) in `loom of doom' and you are making/breaking circuit as cable flexes. This also confuses continuity checks that @g8jka referred to previously.
I had same scenario on mine and eventually grasped the nettle and spliced in new DIY section of loom - easy enough job. This sorted problem although passenger door remained sluggish until actuator solenoid was replaced a few months later.

Out of interest can you ask `BMW nephew' which INPA module is used for door contacts? I've never been able to find it on my 98 model

 

[NZ00Z3]

The Central Locking is controlled by the GM4 (ZKE4) module.

 

[jonco]

The Central Locking is controlled by the GM4 (ZKE4) module.

Thanks for that Murray - found it and have tried but unfortunately cannot access. Suspect it may be the same problem as I have with Instrument Cluster where I'm told you need a serial port and ADS interface.
@littlefeller I think you have same BMTechnics package and car model - can you access it?

 

[littlefeller]

Thanks for that Murray - found it and have tried but unfortunately cannot access. Suspect it may be the same problem as I have with Instrument Cluster where I'm told you need a serial port and ADS interface.
@littlefeller I think you have same BMTechnics package and car model - can you access it?

dont think i have ever tried, will give it a go

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Geoff, Are you opening and closing the boot lid during these work/won't work situations? If so it is highly likely you have partially severed wire(s) in `loom of doom' and you are making/breaking circuit as cable flexes. This also confuses continuity checks that @g8jka referred to previously.
I had same scenario on mine and eventually grasped the nettle and spliced in new DIY section of loom - easy enough job. This sorted problem although passenger door remained sluggish until actuator solenoid was replaced a few months later.

Out of interest can you ask `BMW nephew' which INPA module is used for door contacts? I've never been able to find it on my 98 model

Jonco I have asked my nephew but as yet no reply he might be away

 

[jonco]

Jonco I have asked my nephew but as yet no reply he might be away

Thanks Geoff - Murray Wall answered question previously. It is ZKE4 but I cannot access it - see comments above. You may have similar problems depending on your hardware.

 

[littlefeller]

well, i plugged it in, no joy, it wont let me into the module, this is one of the modules you need the serial port for. i did alot of googling when i brought my inpa to see if it was possible to install a serial port emulator for the usb, but its not that simple.

 

[jonco]

............. i did alot of googling when i brought my inpa to see if it was possible to install a serial port emulator for the usb, but its not that simple.

Agreed - the penny has just dropped - have vague recollections of discussing this with you on .net a few years ago when we both bought the Technics package.

 

[gookah]

I can access my ZKE4 unit with my usb version of INPA from under the bonnet, I can open close windows, lock unlock doors etc by forcing outputs with the software,

 

[jonco]

I can access my ZKE4 unit with my usb version of INPA from under the bonnet, I can open close windows, lock unlock doors etc by forcing outputs with the software,

Sounds good - any link details for version.
I am still trying to run old BMTechnics INPA version on an old Windows laptop and have been considering buying OBD doctor for my MacBook. Have used their free Lite version for error codes using WIFI and it seems quite good.
Apologies @Geoff Crispin for diverting your thread but it may be relevant for your problem.