Re: Computer and radio problems

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard,

You discovered why BMW puts the Anti-Theft feature into their radios.  
Unless you know the code, the radio is unusable.

You should have been given the code for your radio when you purchased the 
car.  If you no longer have it, you'll need to provide your VIN to a dealer 
(and probably show proof of ownership), and they'll be able to obtain the 
radio code from a database.

Note that if your car is no longer equipped with the original radio, you're 
probably screwed.

As far as resetting the Check Engine light...I don't know if OBDII cars will 
reset the light automatically if the fault clears and stays cleared.  The 
OBDI cars (pre -1996) will do this.

You should read the OBDII code(s) to see what tripped the light, in order to 
verify what the fault is.

If you KNOW that the cause of the fault has been cleared, wait a little 
while and see if the Check Engine light clears by itself.  I believe that 
the OBDI cars will shut off the Check Engine light if the fault has been 
cleared for TEN starts of the engine.  I don't know if the same thing 
applies to OBDII.

- -rb

>
>Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 05:48:48 -0600
>From: "Richard R. Coker, CIC (richardcoker.qqlink.com)" 
><richardcoker@domain.elided>
>Subject: Computer and radio problems
>
>Please help me, no radio is killing me!    I have a 96 328iS and the
>"check engine light" came on.  Since this has happened before and the
>dealer said it was just a gas cap and reset it a month or more ago, I
>thought why not just reset the puter by turning off the battery.  I did
>and of course the light didn't go off but WORSE the radio said enter
>code and I entered a bunch of numbers not knowing the code (The dealer
>told me this would happen but I would just lose my station presets) But
>now all I get on my radio is "CODE WAIT".  What is up with that and can
>anyone tell me most importantly how to get the radio working and also
>how to reset the "check engine light"????   Thanks so much!


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