ECU system interference

[beemerscreamer91]

hey fellas, im doing a bit of research on the E36 because i might buy it early next year and i came across something really odd.

I was talking to a guy who's been in the automotive industry for many years and he's one of those go-to guys if you're in the market for a good pre-owned car, and i asked him about the E36. He told me that it was dangerous to get it in my country (Malaysia) because the car's ECU operates at the same wavelength as some of the old pagers the local bookies still use, and when signal interference occurs the ECU has been known to just shut down while the car is being driven. After this the ECU supposedly needs replacing. Cases are few and far between, but the fact that they've actually happened is scary enough.

Do any of you know anything about this?

[tonysticks]

This is the first time I hear about this issue. Are you sure of that?

[beemerscreamer91]

I'll try to get more details but i'm pretty sure the guy wasnt lying

[doofguru]

well i doubt the guy was lying but maybe heard something on the grape vine about a pager mucking around with the ECU.
pagers operate on very specific frequency ranges so i doubt very much that they would play with your ecu, and as well as that even if they did interfere it should only be when the ECU is in line with the pager and the radio tower...... i know that doesn't make much scene, it's hard to type it and describe it. ummmm..... you know when you have your mobile/cell phone next to or near computer speakers (some card head units) and when you get a call or a txt you will get a bii biiip biiii biiiiip noise through the speakers well that happenes for 2 reasons.
1. the speakers are amplified so they will have more of a chance to pick up stuff like that
2. because the wires on computer speakers have almost no surround (covering) on the wires at all.
so I'm guessing that the pager - ECU interruptions would work in a similar way but the main difference here is that the ECU is uses a wiring loom and that has allot of surround on the wires (heat protection) and that the ECU is a computer, a very basic one at that but still a computer never the less. and as far as i know there is no amplification done on those wires.


So very long story short,
maybe the guy was just pulling your leg, maybe he didn't know it was very unlikely or maybe it could be 100% true and i would look like a idiot. but lets put it this way it would be VERY VERY unlikely that a pager would do anything to the cars ECU.

but thats just my 2c

[dazza 318i]

if in doubt ask your local bmw dealer cos they would have heard of it