I ordered a new key for my 2004 Euphonic a few weeks ago and my local dealer tried to code it in to the car. No luck. They said the car would not accept the code. They tried this on two occasions having talked to Mazda in the interim. Two weeks after the last attempt and they now tell me that they can not figure out why this is. They tell me that they are going to obtain a secondhand immobiliser unit from a breakers yard and install that in my car and see if they can get the original and the new key to work. I am obviously not happy with this. Has anyone had any similar problems. My Mazda dealer says they have not heard of this before.This could end up an expensive key. I could always get the immobiliser deactivated of course, which I may seriously consider!!
Seems strange, you won’t be able to get the immobilser deactivated as it’s as intengral of the engine ECU. Where are you? I don’t think a second hand immobiliser unit will be much help as they are paired to the ECU. Do you know which bit of the key registration process is not working?
The guy at Mazda says they are getting a used immobilise. I wasn’t aware it was in the ECU which means a whole management unit. Not sure I’m happy about that.
The key comes with a serial number which is coded into the car by various turns of the ignition key as far as I can tell. It’s this process which is failing.
I’m near Norwich, Norfolk.
If its anything like my 2000 mk2 model the ECU is in the passenger footwell and the immobiliser is under the sterering column behind the dash, two separate units. I would have thought it would be possible to bypass the immobiliser by rewiring the loom
If you’re losing faith in the dealer and you fancy a ride out to Ely (CB6) I’ll have a quick look and double check that that they are doing everything right. I work at EMG in Cambridge. Do you have the new key? Do you have the 8 digit codeword? I can’t promise I’ll make it work but I am very interested to know why it wont. Failing that, I’ll make a effort to get to one of the Eastern Region Norfolk meets and I could have a look then if you can get there.
The imobiliser system can’t be by passed by re-wiring. The imobilser coding is in the ECU firmware. It’s not just a case of an internal transistor that makes and breaks a circuit.
A quick bit of background for you:- You use the new unregistered key to put the immobilser system in set up mode (remove & insert the key into & out of the ignition lock). There is a 10 digit number printed on the immobilser unit which you send off to Mazda (via internet) and in return you get an 8 digit codeword. You then use the new key to input this codeword (ignition on & off) once the ECU sees the codeword has been input correctly it it ‘learns’ the new key.
Thanks for the offer Robbie and for the background info. As an engineer I always want to know how things work so I can get an understanding of why they don’t.I’ll see what the dealer comes up with next week.
I believe the dealer only used the VIN number to pass to Mazda. How do I find the immobiliser to read the 10 digit number? Maybe it’s a different unit than the original. They haven’t considered getting another key in case there is a defective chip in the key. Would have been the easiest I would have thought. Certainly easier than pulling my car about just to see if it’s the immobiliser thats duff.
Robbie,
I have just bought a 2000 reg Icon. The owner said he had been having immobiliser problems but nothing showed up on the test drive. Day 2, it would not start - just ran for half a second before the “key” light came on. There has been an aftermarket immobiliser fitted by Motorguard, which has been removed, but their phone number is “not recognised”. I have searched all the posts about immobiliser and the only answer seems to be replace the whole lot from a scrapper. Other posts say that even Mazda have no solution. You seem to have some knowledge of the system, working for EMG Mazda. I have a little knowledge of computers. Can we get to the bottom of this once and for all? We should be able to work out some some kind of diagnostic to find out which part of the system is misbehaving? Can you call or text me on 07970994613 or 01332 557994 for a chat?
As Robbie as said the items are all programmed together, just a second hand immobilliser unit will not help,and to be honest i am shocked to hear this from a main dealership.
I have just repaired one with this problem,for a owner called Martin,that will be posting up his story with a local Mazda dealer in stockport which have never been any good, warrington mazda is spot on, the parts girl knows her stuff
.
Wayne,
Did you repair or replace? Can you let us in on the secret?
Im not in the slightest bit shocked to hear of a Mazda dealer getting it very wrong when it comes to keys, last year we took our Mazda 6 Sport to the main dealer for its second service, the batteries in both the key-less entry` fobs were getting low on power and I asked them to replace both the batteries in both the fobs.
We were called to pick the car up at 3.30pm and arrived on time, the dealer couldn`t start the car at all and we had to wait for over an hour and a half while they bumbled around trying to get the car started, I had never seen such a performance in getting a car serviced ever before, that was last October and both of the fobs are starting to loose distance locking / unlocking the car again, perhaps I will let them have the car for a week while we go to Germany in June, just to make sure they get the job done in time…
Oh, and another thing, I went to buy some hoses for my Eunos 1.8 and after a 22 mile journey was told Mazda UK could not supply, at any price, in any timescale, ever???
That particular dealer is Victoria Park in Cardiff, our other nearest one ERF in Swansea is just as bad- total joke!
Dr. Eunos
Mazda Stockport wouldn’t sell me a rad top hose, they claimed the Eunos was a different part. Shower of so and so’s…
I remember the phone call i made to them(which has not been the first time over the years to RRG stockport
), with the ■■■■ they were giving you before i repaired it with a stock out let pipe hose for any 1.8 Mk 1’s be it a UK spec, Jap import or miata.
And to be truthfull Ric the hose that we needed for yours is also the same hose on the Mk 1 1.6cc,so i could not see what the problem was except them just going off the vin number, than some one with some know how ,just selling you the part needed.
But hey we all live and learn…anyone in the MW, if you need a good Mazda dealership,use warrington Mazda
And just for interest if your out let pipe springs a leak,and you are told it will be two weeks before they can get one, you can use the 1.8 top rad hose ,and cut 1" off it and it is the some, if you are ever stuck that is
Hi. This is the link to my post about my ECU/immobiliser problems that Wayne has sorted out. The main dealer couldn’t diagnose the immobiliser problem despite having the car for 8 months. They just said it was the ECU even though the ECU wasn’t giving any fault codes, because ‘it couldn’t be anything else’. I had the ECU independently tested, and they said the ECU was ok but wouldn’t definitely state it was in case I went back to Mazda saying they were wrong!
http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/t/28934.aspx
Martin
Will give you a call when I can, will probably be next week now. Have you checked for fault codes?
RR