E46 M3 OBD2 Error

[Lord Pikey]

Good Afternoon all,

My 02 E46 M3 vert has just given me the eml and engine warning lights. Not all the time, sometimes they come on after a while and then disappear.

I tried a friends OBD2 reader and I could not get it to "communicate" at all with the car. I suspected it was just his reader so I ordered one of the EML327 Bluetooth plug-in readers from fleabay.

I tried for a few hours over the weekend and with 10 different apps on my phone as well as the the supplied software using my laptop to check the error codes. Only once did i get it to work and give the the live information (via the Torque app) and an error code. I put my troubles down to user error so i didn't write the code down and promptly forgot it like an idiot. Since then it has not communicated successfully once. It seems to connect to the EML327 reader fine, just not with the car.

I did some reading online and there is a lot of chatter about E46 M3's needing a recall to fix "this" issue. however I get the impression that its a bit US-centric recall. It is titled "Voluntary Emissions Recall 06E-A03: S62, S54 - DME Reprogramming for OBD Communication "

So, my question fellow M3 owners is this. Has anyone in the uk heard of this recall or had similar problems reading codes on their m3?

Cheers LP

[MMT]

There's a trader, Chris B M Technic, over on M3cutters selling cables and software. He has his own section and I don't think I've ever read a post where somebody is having problems with their OBD port not working. I bought a cable from him and have only used it once, to activate TV in motion, and it worked no problem.
Might be worth starting a thread over there as its a bit more focused to your issue.
http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=7...

[Lord Pikey]

Thanks MMT,

I actually posted there first late yesterday but have yet to get any replies. I thought, like you that their info might be a little more specialist.

Hopefully ill get some info today. Ill do some reading on Chris@BMTechnic's posts as well

[8bit]

I haven't got an M3 but I use a similar ELM OBD bluetooth gadget with the Torque app. I found that the first OBD bluetooth gadget I received was similarly flaky, I contacted the seller and they agreed to let me return it for a new one, which worked fine.

There are a number of people on the Torque forums who have had issues with these adapters and had to have replacements sent out so might be worth trying that. The one I have now works great for me, the only car I haven't been able to get it to talk to is my brother's 406 coupe.

[shibby!]

Where do you live?

I have the kit, and can read that for you depending on where you are. ( i am in Dunfermline, in Fife)

I got a laptop one, and a blutooth one.


The bluetooth works just fine for me with the torque app. Had no issues with it at all. Does the car go into safe mode/limp mode?

[Lord Pikey]

Hi Shibby,

Thank you for the offer, but i am in Munich Germany. Annoyingly i actualy live 2km from BMW's headquaters!

Car does not go into limp mode. I get the EML light and occasionally the other Engine outline light on but not all the time and they come and go. I suspect the throttle pedal or inlet pots at the moment

Last night i ordered a cable and software package from www.bmtechnic.co.uk after a poster above suggested it. Should arrive out here next week. Ill report back if it fixes the issue.

[shibby!]

Ah, so your not close then! hahahaha.

No worries, thats the setup i have too!

Some interesting bits and pieces on it! although some bits are in German! can even unlock the CSL Mtrack mode with that bit of kit !