E36 1995 M3 - stomp code 1281 after head gasket replacement

[m3f_LuckyM301]

So after a head gasket job i am getting code 1281 - Control Unit Memory Supply

I have:

swapped ecu out of a good m3 with dinan chip and it started right up and sounded great but the code came back

the code doesnt come on in the other m3

alternator has 14.2 volts while running

the battery has 13.3-13.8. is a bad ground causing this? its a new battery(2/16)

pulled the main ground strap and got .1 - .2 ohm reading which i got from a different 0 gauge wire i had laying around so thats good

really stuck and not sure if anyone has seen or experienced this code

i read its usually caused by low voltage but the code wasnt on before the head gasket job so what am i missing??

Thanks for reading

[m3f_NolliM3]

So after a head gasket job i am getting code 1281 - Control Unit Memory Supply

I have:

swapped ecu out of a good m3 with dinan chip and it started right up and sounded great but the code came back

the code doesnt come on in the other m3

alternator has 14.2 volts while running

the battery has 13.3-13.8. is a bad ground causing this? its a new battery(2/16)

pulled the main ground strap and got .1 - .2 ohm reading which i got from a different 0 gauge wire i had laying around so thats good

really stuck and not sure if anyone has seen or experienced this code

i read its usually caused by low voltage but the code wasnt on before the head gasket job so what am i missing??

Thanks for reading

I can tell you this one of the weirdest code I have ever seen after just having the car down for six months because I am still not sure what's the cause. Or, my solution just doesn't make sense. Since your car starts, at least it's not as bad as mine was. Also, most of the cars I have seen affected are 95's.



After changing DME and going through a whole drama of changing crank position sensor, camshaft sensor, battery, starter, and negative cable only to find none of those was the problem. Then, spent another two months getting DIS, computer with a REAL serial port and installing, learning the software only to find out DIS won't diagnose the car because the virtual machine doesn't detect that pin 26 of the DME is indeed connected to the B+ terminal and therefore to the battery. Then, INPA was of no use as there was no DME3.3.1 S50 3.0 U.S...only just DME3.3.1 M50 2.5/DME331K20.prg.



So, after several start attempts, the car engine flooded with gas that washed off the oil on the cylinder wall resulting in no compression and damaging the fuel pressure regulator. I had to take out the spark plugs and pour a tea spoon of oil and change the fuel pressure regulator.



In the end, the solution was changing the hose from the idle control valve to the boot all because it had small splits at the top of the hose towards the boot.



All I can say is happy hunting and here's a list of others who have had the same code...most won't have a solution...in your case, you can focus on the ones where the car started.



This one from here said cleared by driving , then got crankshaft 1243, changed that and still got 1243.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=135557



This one at least confirmed it was a bad ECU...still leaves one in the dark at the end of the post.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=33612



This one claims changed the battery after getting the code 1281, car runs good but still gets the same code1281



This one has no reply.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=244684



This one changed lots of parts and in the end the vanos solenoid.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=241969



This one claimed it could be the crankshaft position sensor...didn't follow to confirm.

http://m3pink.blogspot.com/2011/05/n...ump-still.html



This had good info but not the resolution

http://www.mnautox.com/forums/showth...e-E36-M3-Savvy



This one never posted a solution either

http://www.stlbmwcca.org/wwwboard/vi...php?f=4&t=6196



Aeronaut even had the code...didn't stated the solution.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showt...=438712&page=2



This one got no reply

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=40605



This one replaced the crankshaft sensor and he stated problem still persist...even getting 1243

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=135557



This one offered some suggestions that seem more of a witch hunt.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=429152



This one gets the code 1281 and car runs good

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=186242



This one had similar problem to mine ...just never stated what resolved the issue.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=366251



Then others on Bimmerfest still with no resolution

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=655714



The sad part is changing the DME doesn't resolve the code 1281 issue...in the end a BMW dealer claimed the DME died.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=152995

[m3f_gelb3]

Exactly...Oh hey my problem is resolved. Good luck to the rest of ya. Oh by the way we all own a Subaru now!

I have that code for a week now. Car is a 95 starts and runs fine except for a check engine light and now for the last 2 days starts bucking and jerking during gear changes for a minute and never does it again during the drive. I thought it was the wife's driving so I wen and picked up the car from her work and sure as hell it did it to me. I took a really long way home as to not get stranded on the highway somewhere. Anyone with any real resolution to the problem please say something. I get that its a mystery code but I cant afford to start throwing money at this thing. I started throwing money at the same code 12 yrs ago and found that it was some Italian tuned chip in the dme. It's had a Turner Motorsports chip in ever since and the code went away. Not a single issue in 12 yrs and now all of a sudden this. When I say throw money at it ...I replaced everything electrical. I have a garage full of parts that are probably perfect. except a DME,Alternator,Mass flow sensor.

[m3f_NolliM3]

Exactly...Oh hey my problem is resolved. Good luck to the rest of ya. Oh by the way we all own a Subaru now!

I have that code for a week now. Car is a 95 starts and runs fine except for a check engine light and now for the last 2 days starts bucking and jerking during gear changes for a minute and never does it again during the drive. I thought it was the wife's driving so I wen and picked up the car from her work and sure as hell it did it to me. I took a really long way home as to not get stranded on the highway somewhere. Anyone with any real resolution to the problem please say something. I get that its a mystery code but I cant afford to start throwing money at this thing. I started throwing money at the same code 12 yrs ago and found that it was some Italian tuned chip in the dme. It's had a Turner Motorsports chip in ever since and the code went away. Not a single issue in 12 yrs and now all of a sudden this. When I say throw money at it ...I replaced everything electrical. I have a garage full of parts that are probably perfect. except a DME,Alternator,Mass flow sensor.

May be it's time for a new turner chip! Get a spare DME and try that to see whether that resolve your issue.

[m3f_NolliM3]

Wondered whether the OP ever resolves their issue...are you still here on the forum?

[m3f_LuckyM301]

sorry just saw this

it was a friends car and we got it to go away for a day after we soldered some questionable wiring from the previous owner fixed it for a bit and now comes back on and off

he lives about an hour away so until we dive deep we haven't touched it


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[m3f_LuckyM301]

we swapped DMEs from my car and basically narrowed it down to electrical problems on his specific car though


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