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7
Central Body Electronics ZKE III
Power Distribution
The power distribution box for the
E38  is  incorporated  in  the  Electr-
onics  box  in  the  engine  compart-
ment. 
The power distribution box for the
E39 and E53 is inside the vehicle. 
The  main  fuse  box  is  located
inside  the  glove  box  above  a
hinged panel. 
A  “pull  out”  fuse  designation  card
is also located in the fusebox. This
notes:
• Fuse value in amps
• Location
• Circuit listing by fuse
The placement of the power distribution box is
close  to  the  main  electronics  carrier behind
the  glove  box.  The  modules/relays  located  in
the electronics carrier include (examples):
• General Module III (GM III)
• Drive away protection (EWS II)
• Anti-lock Brake (ABS/ASC+T)
• Light Check Module (LCM) - behind right kick
panel
• Overload protection relay module
An  auxiliary  fuse  block  is  located in  the  trunk
above  the  battery.  In  addition  to  fuses,  the
auxiliary fuse block also contains relays (exam-
ples):
• Fuel filler flap lock motor relay
• Fuel pump relay (some vehicles)
• Rear defroster relay
• Unloader relay 
FUSE
DESIGNATION
CARDFUSE BOX DROPS
DOWN AFTER TURNING
TWO THUMB SCREWS
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Fused Power Distribution Centers
The E38, E39 and E53 utilize high amperage fused power distribution centers. 
The  E38  and  E39  locations  are  found  under  the  carpet  on  the  passenger’s  side  floor  and
in the right rear area of the trunk, forward of the battery.
The  X5  utilizes  a  single  high  amperage  fused
power  distribution  center  located  next  to  the
left  side  EHC  air  reservoir  beneath  the  cargo
area floor paneling.
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Workshop Hints
Windshield Wiper Blade Service
To access the wiper blades for cleaning or replacement,the following is required:
• With the ignition switched on (KL15), switch the wiper stalk to the “Intermittant” wipe 
mode.
• Switch the ignition off when the wiper arms are in the “upright” position.
CAUTION: Do not allow the wiper arm to spring back against the windshield, glass
breakage will occur!
Rain Sensor Equipped Vehicles
Make sure the wiper blades are in perfect condition. Only use window cleaner to clean the
windows. Dirty  windows  can  cause  the  Rain  Sensor  control  module  to  set  a  fault
due to the end limits of its adaptation abilities.  
Rear Window/Wiper
The  wiper  arm  and  driveshaft  are  connected  by
splines. 
Special  tool  #61  1  320  is  required  to  hold  the  drive
shaft  in  the  park  position  prior  to  installing  the  wiper
arm on to the drive shaft. 
Windshield Wiper System Diagnosis
The GM monitors the following circuits:
• Wiper Potentiometer        • Wiper Motor                           • Terminal 30 
• Double Relay                  • Windshield Washer Pump   
Note: The wiper/washer operation will be interrupted during engine cranking. The GM pro-
vides this “unload” feature to preserve the battery voltage for the starter motor. 
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Remote (Keyless) Entry FZV
Purpose of the System
The Remote Entry System offers the following:
• Locking/unlocking of doors, luggage compartment (tailgate), fuel filler lid.
• Selective unlocking of driver’s door (same as with key in the lock cylinder).
• Arming/disarming of DWA alarm system.
• Remote unlocking of the trunk (tailgate) only.
• Comfort opening of windows and sunroof.
• Interior lighting activation (search mode).
• Panic mode alarm activation.
• Changing code signals - coded signals from transmitter change with every operation.
• Automatic correction for up to 1000 erroneous activation signals.
• Transmitter initialization procedure - including up to four key operation and Key Memory.
• Replacement batteries.
• Low transmitter battery in vehicles equipped with Check Control. 
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System Components
Remote Key:                              Features:
• 3 volt lithium battery (commercially available CR 2016)
is used as the power supply for the key transmitters.
• An EEPROM is used to store the key data.  
The data is not lost when the battery is re- 
placed and initialization is not required.
• The  key  incorporates  an  LED  that  signals  the  opera-
tor  of  signal  transmitting,  key  initialization  status  and
key self test indication.
• The keys are delivered  
with a four color label   
sheet containing differ-  
ent colored labels for   
each of the four pos- 
sible FZV keys.  
This is helpful to differenti-
ate the FZV keys during initialization preventing the pos  
sibility of mis-assigning the key ID which would change  
the encoded Key Memory functions.
Model Year 2000 Key 
Visual Changes:
• New appearance with blue and white BMW roundel.
• New button arrangement (larger buttons) with seq-  
uential operation (enhanced operating convenience).
Functions the same as the previous key.
• Rechargeable battery replaces replaceable batteries. 
Charged by EWS ring antenna.
• The key housing is encapsulated and can not be  
opened.
• The LED has been omitted.
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LED Status (Keys equipped with LED):
The following functions can be checked with the LED:
• Flashing  LED  when  pressing  a  button.
Indicates  that  the  data  is  being  transmitted.
(battery voltage between  3.2 - 2.6 volts)
• No LED activity when pressing a button:
1. ZKE  responds  to  pressed  button  only  to
unlock  a  locked  vehicle.  Indicates  the  bat-
tery is between 2.6 - 2.2 volts.  Replace bat-
tery.
2. No  unlock  of  vehicle.  Indicates  battery  is
below 2.2 volts. Replace battery.
FZV Key Test: Pressing the trunk release and lock buttons together activates the key test. If
the battery and FZV key EEPROM are  “OK”, the LED will come ON for approximately 1 sec-
ond.
FZV Key Rechargeable Battery
From KL R, the battery inside the key head is charged inductively by the EWS ring antenna
via a coil antenna integrated in the key. The charging process is controlled by electronic
circuitry integrated in the key.
• The service life of a radio-control key used under normal conditions corresponds to the veh- 
icle lifespan.
• If the FZV keys are not used (ie: stored in a drawer), the battery will be discharged after
approx. 1.5 years.
• The time required to fully charge a discharged battery is approx. 30 hours.
• The remote control can be operated about 15 times after a charging period of approx. 30  
minutes (driving time).
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The key data is stored in a transponder chip. The transponder chip is a wireless read and
write  EEPROM.  It  is  powered  via  the  ring  coil  at  the  steering  lock.  Power  is  applied  elec-
tromagnetically when the key is in the ignition switch from KL R.
The power supply is used both for data transfer as well as for charging the battery. This has
been made possible by new development of the transponder chip.
As with previous systems, every press of an FZV key also provides the battery charge con-
dition. When the FZV electronics receives a low power condition message three successive
times,  the  GM  sets  a  fault  indicating  a  low  battery  within  a  specific  key.  The  LCM  is  also
informed via the bus system and alerts the driver via an instrument cluster matrix message.
If the battery is recharged (used operate car), the fault will be automatically deleted when
five successive messages are received indicating a charged battery condition.
The battery has no affect on the EWS III communication function!
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Tilt Sensor (Liquid Type - E38/E39 to 97 MY): The Tilt Sensor consists of a conductive
liquid chamber, a processor board and metal probes (located in the luggage compartment).
The probes are submersed in the liquid and produce a resistance value dependent on the
tilt of the sensor (angle of vehicle). This resistance value becomes the static point when the
DWA System is armed.
If the vehicle is jacked-up or lifted,
the  angle  of  the  liquid  changes
producing  a  change  in  the  resis-
tance  value.  The  sensor  recog-
nizes  this  change  and  signals  the
GM to activate the DWA alarm.
The  resets  at  the  new  angle.  This
allows  the  DWA  to  remain  armed
and  re-activate  the  alarm  if  the
vehicle is moved again.
As with the interior sensor, the tilt sensor is also switched OFF when the vehicle is locked
two times within ten seconds. The LED will flash one time for confirmation. This allows the
sensor to be switched OFF for transportation purposes.
Tilt  Sensor  (Electronic  Type  from  98  MY): Located  in  the  luggage  comparment  area,
the tilt sensor is an electronic sensing device with the sole purpose of monitoring the vehi-
cle's parked angle when DWA is armed.
The  sensor  requires  three  signal  wires  to  func-
tion:
•  KL 30 - Constant battery voltage
•  Signal "STDWA"; switched ground input sig-
nal  provided  by  the  GM  indicating  DWA
armed/disarmed status. 
The tilt sensor is used as a splice location for  
the STDWA signal to the Siren and UIS int-  
erior protection sensor. 
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