Electrical Help!

I am having electrical issues with my 2004 530i that the dealer says they have not encountered before. Out of the blue, the Idrive indicates an electrical issue and to "stop the car immediately"; all four guages (tach, speed, MGP and gas guage) needles start flipping back and forth, wipers come on intermittently on thier own, sun roof is stuck open, many different messages begin flashing on both the dash display and the Idrive including various bells, etc.

The issue happend again at the dealer, and they agree there is an issue! Only thing they have found to date is the battery was putting out low amps, so they replaced it. Did not cure the issue as it has happened again.

Any thoughts, experience, direction I can point the dealer to?! Thanks.

I'd go for a new software upload. Maybe some code got whacked??

Originally Posted by BC530i

I am having electrical issues with my 2004 530i that the dealer says they have not encountered before. Out of the blue, the Idrive indicates an electrical issue and to "stop the car immediately"; all four guages (tach, speed, MGP and gas guage) needles start flipping back and forth, wipers come on intermittently on thier own, sun roof is stuck open, many different messages begin flashing on both the dash display and the Idrive including various bells, etc.

The issue happend again at the dealer, and they agree there is an issue! Only thing they have found to date is the battery was putting out low amps, so they replaced it. Did not cure the issue as it has happened again.

Any thoughts, experience, direction I can point the dealer to?! Thanks.

You are quite fortunate in that the dealer saw it. You basically can tell them to just replace everything until the problem goes away.

Perhaps the bad battery caused a problem with some sort of general control module.? There must be a common component somewhere in there causeing the problem. Agent's suggestion of a software update is a good one.


Bill

So you have an intermittent power supply to the modules, the first place to look would be back at the battery and at the connectors on that large junction block by the battery. Some of the connectors tend to corrode causing strange behavior. Also and intermittent problem with the airbag module will affect the wipers, windows and sunroof. SGM/SIM module.

Thought I would give all an update for future use. The dealer found a spkie in the amps being drawn by the sunroof. They replaced that motor and it seems to have fixed the issue. This is the third sunroof motor I have had in a year.

BillP - you are right, I was lucky that the problems occured at the delaership for them to see, otherwise it could have been difficult to get them to spend as much time as they did. FYI - no complaints about the service group at all - very helpful and attentive.

Excellent! You got lucky that the problem happend at the dealer. That is such a rare occurance! Thanks for reporting back...I will mentally file that one away!