In Dave’s X5, and in many BMWs, the key fob has a chip. When you turn the key, the Immobilizer (EWS) asks the Key, "Who are you?" The key replies with a rolling code. If the key is correct, the EWS then looks at the Engine Computer (DME) and asks for the secret password—the ISN.
The handshake was broken. The ISN was still there, but the modules were no longer "synced." bmw isn editor
Unlike a standard VIN, the ISN is invisible to standard OBD scanners. It acts as a rolling code immobilizer feature specifically for the DME-CAS handshake. In Dave’s X5, and in many BMWs, the key fob has a chip
Can read/write ISN for CAS1 through CAS4+, FEM/BDC, and almost all E-series and F-series DMEs/DDEs [5]. In Dave’s X5