SMG Woes - Need Assistance

[Grayson]

I use Mike BMW tools and works great. Download link:

https://mega.nz/#!kAASwa7I!AJLVnnEBw...2BsZofE-TBYGmk

all you need is a K+DCAN cable.


Otherwise bite the bullet and get the schwaben/foxwell with the BMW tools on it.

I don't like the pump/bleed tools on the Schwaben but for reading codes and seeing live data its clutch.

Thank you. I'm still not driving the car and been putting off buying a laptop and this software. i need to just do it but it's a little intimidating to jump in when I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm hopeful someone knows of a talented shop in the Fresno/Clovis area in California that can walk me through it.

[Grayson]

You need this cable. You need this software (BMW and Mini Diagnostic Software) for $50. Has everything you need including the full suite of SMG utilities within INPA, two versions of DIS, Tool32, WinKFP, etc. Of course you also need a Windows laptop. You can also try Mike's BMW Tools which is free but I don't have a valid link and I don't know what it does or doesn't have.

Where do you live? It is possible someone might be able to recommend a shop.

Really appreciate your help. I live in the Fresno/Clovis area in California. So I'd be open and grateful to meeti up with someone in the central valley area and learn a thing or two. Really stumped and if I'm honest, pretty intimidated to start running diagnostics software without knowing what I'm doing. Gotta have my hand held I guess haha.

[eacmen]

I use Mike BMW tools and works great. Download link:

https://mega.nz/#!kAASwa7I!AJLVnnEBwLgzDPzBeQ4uQo60p1lbU2BsZofE-TBYGmk

all you need is a K+DCAN cable.


Otherwise bite the bullet and get the schwaben/foxwell with the BMW tools on it.

I don't like the pump/bleed tools on the Schwaben but for reading codes and seeing live data its clutch.

[oceansize]

Thanks for the information. Maybe I can "youtube warrior" my way through the test. Regarding the shop thing, that's what I'm most worried about. Feel stuck... I have an issue that needs addressing but no one with the appropriate knowledge to deal with the issue. I'll try to hit up some local Facebook groups and see what skilled labor I can muster up. Really appreciate your time.

You need this cable. You need this software (BMW and Mini Diagnostic Software) for $50. Has everything you need including the full suite of SMG utilities within INPA, two versions of DIS, Tool32, WinKFP, etc. Of course you also need a Windows laptop. You can also try Mike's BMW Tools which is free but I don't have a valid link and I don't know what it does or doesn't have.

Where do you live? It is possible someone might be able to recommend a shop.

[sapote]

“I wonder if the sensor values are individual pins on the smg ecu. Might be able to just pull the pins and pull them to gnd/vcc?”

Great idea. Switch the signal to 4v will fool the TCM as high oil pressure after turning engine off, and connect back to sensor when ready to drive. Only one wire is involved.

[sapote]

“Perhaps prime is the wrong word choice. It's a whirring sound coming from the reservoir tank, not the pump itself.”

The only thing can cause the noise in the reservoir is the pump sucking air.
Bleed it.

[eacmen]

Have you read the codes from smg ecu?

[Grayson]

DIS is an old BMW specific diagnostic tool. Runs on a VM on Windows. INPA is slightly newer and will run natively on Windows.

If you take it to the shop without SMG experience they will simply want to replace the entire pump. You need someone who knows the SMG system if going that route. You definitely need to run some diagnostics otherwise you and your shop will throw parts at the problem.

Thanks for the information. Maybe I can "youtube warrior" my way through the test. Regarding the shop thing, that's what I'm most worried about. Feel stuck... I have an issue that needs addressing but no one with the appropriate knowledge to deal with the issue. I'll try to hit up some local Facebook groups and see what skilled labor I can muster up. Really appreciate your time.

If you're waking up to a dead battery are you hearing the pump prime over and over? Not sure why it would kill your battery unless there was an errant sensor (door, trunk, lock) triggering the pump to prime.

Perhaps prime is the wrong word choice. It's a whirring sound coming from the reservoir tank, not the pump itself. Like it's trying to suck fluid repeatedly. 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off in perpetuity until the battery dies. If I un plug the salmon relay and plug it back it the sound goes away and then primes as normal when i unlock the car etc. Weird.

[eacmen]

Not to get too off topic but I have often thought of adding a toggle switch for smg pump relay but it will end up triggering cog light.

I wonder if the sensor values are individual pins on the smg ecu. Might be able to just pull the pins and pull them to gnd/vcc?

[sapote]

They should prime the pump to build up pressure before cranking the starter. What can go wrong with the logic?

[karter16]

Agree. Wonder if the door/trunk sensors can be coded out from the SMG pump control?
BMW didn't care about the life of the pump; they just wanted the SMG pressure is ready to shift as soon as user got inside the car.

I imagine it's because they were concerned that people were going to jump in the car, switch the ignition on and then try to immediately shit into neutral so they could start the car. They probably didn't want people to then have to wait for the system to build pressure before they could select neutral and start.

(not saying the way it's done is ideal, but that's probably why they did it)

[sapote]

Personally I wish the smg pump wouldn't prone until ignition switch is turned. For some reason any occupancy sensor changing state triggers smg pump.

Agree. Wonder if the door/trunk sensors can be coded out from the SMG pump control?
BMW didn't care about the life of the pump; they just wanted the SMG pressure is ready to shift as soon as user got inside the car.

[eacmen]

If you're waking up to a dead battery are you hearing the pump prime over and over? Not sure why it would kill your battery unless there was an errant sensor (door, trunk, lock) triggering the pump to prime.

Personally I wish the smg pump wouldn't prone until ignition switch is turned. For some reason any occupancy sensor changing state triggers smg pump.

[oceansize]

Motor, pump seals, solenoids, sensors, and accumulator can all be replaced independently. However most shops won’t touch internal pump seals with a ten foot pole.

DIS is an old BMW specific diagnostic tool. Runs on a VM on Windows. INPA is slightly newer and will run natively on Windows.

If you take it to the shop without SMG experience they will simply want to replace the entire pump. You need someone who knows the SMG system if going that route. You definitely need to run some diagnostics otherwise you and your shop will throw parts at the problem.

Make sure your battery is fully charged as the SMG system can behave erratically if the battery is low.

[Grayson]

The car should be cold when checking the SMG fluid. You weren't low so you overfilled.

Thank you. You are correct car was still warm when I topped off so I must've mistakenly over filled. Will suck out some fluid to proper level

DIS or INPA (with the full suite of SMG utilities) can do accumulator tests.

Not super familiar with either acronym you used here but am doing my best to learn through googling. I don't own a laptop so not sure how I'm going to get this test done. Perhaps a shop can help me see if I'm getting to pressure. IF it turns out my pressure is low, would this be indicative of a pump failure (replace) or is there other fix for low pressure situations? Because good god these smg pumps are crazy expensive online...

Hopefully it was low fluid which led to air in the system and pump can't build up pressure.

It seems like this cant hurt anything to try and bleed the system and I probably should've done thi sanyway when i reinstalled the resivior during the starter swap. Will give it a go.