What is an EWS?
By JEREMY PROOME on Jul 17, 2025An EWS is the electronic immobiliser in a car. It is used to prevent the car from starting for security reasons. The acronym EWS originates from the German word Electronic Wegfahrsperre, which was developed by BMW — a little bit of trivia for you!
The purpose of the EWS is to stop unauthorised ignition starts, so that your vehicle cannot be started if it’s broken into or your car is tampered with.
Check out the pricing for an EWS repair in your vehicle here.
How does the EWS work?
The immobiliser (EWS) will check the authenticity of the key by picking up its compatible chip when in the ignition. If the code in the key matches the vehicle, the immobiliser is deactivated and the car will be able to start.
If an illegitimate or key carrying the wrong code is inserted into the ignition, the EWS can pick this up and disable the ignition, fuel injectors, and starter motor.
Essentially, the point of the EWS is to improve the security of your vehicle and stop the car from starting if the primary key is not used to unlock or turn the ignition.
If you need your EWS to be inspected, repaired, or reprogrammed, get in touch with The ECU Pro for a variety of EWS service offerings.
Mail in automotive electronic repair services
The ECU Pro offers an affordable mail-in repair service for automotive electronics. To have your unit repaired, simply remove the part and mail it to us. Our professional team will either test, repair, or clone your unit.
Our team has over 30 years experience in automotive electronic repairs. We specialize in German vehicles such as BMW, Mercedes and Mini. Our main focus is engine control unit repairs ( ECU, PCM or DME). Our state of the art facility has over 30 test vehicles to ensure that all parts are tested in actual vehicles before being returned to our clients.
Most of the services we provide is plug and play and doesn't require any additional coding.
