Control Check fixed/not fixed??

[Ian Dodd]

Haven't visited the forum in a while (frankly, haven't needed to), but I come hat in hand with a conundrum.

A while back I started getting the "Check Control: Owner's Manual" warning on the dash display. My mechanic said it was just the module that had gone out. As it didn't affect anything else, I let it go several weeks until I got time to deal with it today.

After picking up the car I drove a few miles and turned the car off. That's when I got the "Trans Program" warning, which I've seen once before. I turned the engine back on and it disappeared. After several more miles I got "Brake Light" warning which, when I parked the car and had somebody check for me, turned out to be a false reading. When I turned off the engine I got the "Check Control: Owner's Manual" warning again.

The mechanic had said that by leaving in the bad module for so long that the fault may have become permanent. Huh? Now, I'm no electronics expert, but I fail to see how a fault could become permanent. It's not like the module was sick and contagious. Needless to say, I'm not happy abut having spent $290 and not getting the problem fixed. Now I have to call and leave a message for the mechanic telling him I'll be back on Friday, but I hope he doesn't tell me it's my fault for not taking care of it before.

So, I'd love to be armed with the knowlege of the experts here on the forum? Does this sound at all feasible? Moreover, what can I do to fix this problem? TIA,

Ian
'95 525i
105K

[shogun]

If you have a PEAKE fault finder and reset tool: reset the messages = delete them and they are out of the memory. Then drive again and see if the same warnings come again or not.
If you do not have a PEAKE:
http://wwww.peakeresearch.com

Check your battery voltage and the charging voltage. Too low voltage can also be the cause of such faults.

Finally you can do a reset by disconnecting the battery and clear all rubbish for your ECU and other units which need power.
Procedure is on my website below.
Try that and let us know what happened.
When you do the reset, do not forget to write down before the radio code and/or other codes for alarm systems etc.

[Ian Dodd]

I tried your link to peakeresearch.com but it looks like a broken link.

The tip on your website, are you refering to this one:

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e32/4933785-1.html

Thanks.

[shogun]

Yes, that is the link for the reset. Forget the part about the re-synchronisation of the V12 engine.
The link to Peake had one w too much. Here one more try
http://www.peakeresearch.com/

Edit:
I have to add that the PEAKE only is good for emission related functions of the engine, but not for the complete chassis electronics. So the PEAKE will not detect a microswitch defective in the door mechanism and such things, just the engine functions.

[Javier]

battery voltage, try unplugging the CCM module, sitting side by side the LKM module at front fuse box, spray some contact cleaner in the connecting sockets and module pins, and plug it back (Stabilant 22 would be great if you can get it).

Use the opportunity to clean also LKM contacts.

This is specially important if you have had the car parked some long time, or exposed the front fuse box area to unusual corrosive environment, liquids, cleaners, or vapors.

Javier

[Ian Dodd]

Sorry (for myself) that I have been so delayed in getting back to the forum; been out of town.

I tried Shogun's suggestion this morning of disconnecting the battery and running the system down with the hazard lights on. Reconnected the battery but still get the Control Check warning.

Now I'm going to display my ignorance publicly for all to admire. Javier, which is the CCM module and which is the LKM (whatever that is) and where are they. As I look under the hood, I see a small black plastic box just in front of the left (driver's side) strut tower (excuse the vocabulary if I'm wrong). Inside that box are two plug in modules, one green an one yellow. Are these what I'm looking for? And do I need to disconnect battery before I pull these to clean the contacts?

Thanks for your insights.

Ian

battery voltage, try unplugging the CCM module, sitting side by side the LKM module at front fuse box, spray some contact cleaner in the connecting sockets and module pins, and plug it back (Stabilant 22 would be great if you can get it).

Use the opportunity to clean also LKM contacts.

This is specially important if you have had the car parked some long time, or exposed the front fuse box area to unusual corrosive environment, liquids, cleaners, or vapors.

Javier

[DanH]

The LKM and CCM have markings on them that should be readable. I think the LKM is the longer rectangular black box nearest the fender?

[Ian Dodd]

I tried Shogun's suggestion this morning of disconnecting the battery and running the system down with the hazard lights on. Reconnected the battery but still get the Control Check warning.

Well, as a follow up, I was frustrated when I still got the warning on the dash the first time I fired up the car. An hour later I went out to do some errands, fired it up and got no warning. I have stopped and started the car perhaps a dozen times in the hours since and it's still behaving nicely. Thanks to Shogun for the tip!