Although these electrical gremlins are occurring on my 97 E38...the E39 can be afflicted with these odd/mysterious electrical gremlins as well. This is the reason I'm posting the video I made on the e39 forums I frequent as well as the e38 forums. I ordered a new ignition switch and it will be here next week. If I'm wrong...then I guess I'll look like a big fool! :flush:
It started with the DSP control unit...it went blank at the beginning of this week. Then mid-week, the airbag light illuminated on the dash, then the rear sunshade started moving real slow, then stopped working.
Then the MLF steering wheel buttons stopped illuminating and when I went to blow my horn...it didn't work. I then remembered that if you pull down the sun visor and open the cover to the mirror and odd things happened...the culprit is usually the ignition switch (yes, odd connection). I even mentioned this back in Oct/2007 after reading about it on one of the e39 forums: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/430961
I know that the sun visor test sounds odd...so I made a short video this evening after work just to show how unbelievable the connections are of the components that are affected by the ignition switch. And no...it is not a prank (that's why I waited until after April 1st).
You can see the steering wheel move up/down when I open the mirror cover on the sun visor, and the interior lights fade on/off...and the radio shut off:
I'm currently having these same issues. Altough mine consist of only a intermintenly failing radio, airbag light, and the steering wheel controls do not work nor do they illuminate. Oh, and also my cruise control will not turn on. I also suspected a failing ignition switch and will be changing it out soon.
Same thing happened to me over about 6 months. First twice a month, then twice a week, then twice a day. I picked up one from a member in the F/S section, my girl friend no longer makes fun of me.
I just picked my replacement up at lunch today...and I don't have my camera with me...but I can show you the diagram...and some pics from David C who did an excellent write up on e38.org (same switch and steering column etc).
Ignition switch is #2 in diagram (found in the main group "STEERING" & sub group "STEERING COLUMN" diagrams)...there's different part nbrs for different years & models so always check the database for the correct part nbr for your model:
If the problem still persists after replacing the ignition switch, here's another thought. Check the battery. Low battery voltage also generates strange electrical gremlins. Also clean the battery terminals. I had some electrical issues that a simple cleaning of the battery terminals fixed. Good luck.
Q thanks for the tip and going to the trouble of posting a video and parts diagram! That is crazy what is going on there...BTW, does anyone know the solution to starting the car, and it continues to crank the starter for ever? My car does this once or twice per year for about 5 years now.
I'm havig the same issues as q silver's 7 and have been suspecting the ignition switch for sometime now and am glad he did this vid cause I felt like ppl thought I was crazy when I would tell them what my car was doin. Now I have evidence. And I can tell you that it has never once stopped my car from starting. The most annoying thing is sometime the radio will not come on when I start the car and I will have to restart it. Qsilver, post up the results when you get the new switch in. :thumbup:
My personal experience and from what I've read on various forums...this particular part hasn't been known to strand anyone.
It is mainly the cause of a lot of weird electrical gremlins. Like in my case I never had an issue with the car starting. The DSP control unit was the 1st thing I noticed (it didn't come on at all when the radio was turned on...or it went off a few miles down the road). Then the rear sunshade started operating real slow then quit. The same day the rear shade didn't go down, I noticed that the airbag light was on.
That's when it all clicked and I started checking other things like the horn didn't work, and the steering wheel buttons didn't work either...I then pulled down the sun-visor and opened the mirror's cover and the steering wheel moved upward, the radio shut off, and the interior lights came on. When I closed the mirror cover, the steering wheel went back down, and the interior lights went off.
So, most often, a failing ignition switch causes lots of weird (seemingly) none associated electrical gremlins.
New Ignition Switch fixed all the electrical gremlins
Okay, got a chance to tackle the ignition switch this morning in the E38...and as you can see in the NEW video...all the previous issues have disappeared and everything works correctly now.
It took about 1 hour to do the job, not because it was difficult...but taking the time to disassemble and reassemble stuff, making sure you put stuff back correctly, etc...you always drop a screw, or need to go get another tool to do the job etc. On a scale of 1-10...this is probably a 2 or 3.
Here's the video that shows everything is back to normal after replacing the switch:
Hello:
I have airbag sign on problem now in my 2002 525i with 70K miles. The cruise control is not working in addition to the airbag sign. Is that common? Radio off and steering wheel up and down when you open any of the mirrors on sun visors. Dash board light changes etc.
I have these symptoms for last two months and was driving to work and back only. Yesterday i was going on a long drive (100 miles) and wanted to cruise and tried it several times but it did not work. However, after a while "Transmission, failsafe prog" sign came on. I had to come back from half way. I started engine a few times after that and the Transmission failsafe sign came once only. I am seriously considering to change the ignition switch at my earliest opportunity now. Is there anything I should be worry about to fix??
any hint would help. BTW, I have not tested for any error code yet.
-Rabi
Un-foking believable! I had the same symptoms radio turning off, steering wheel raising and none of the buttons on the steering wheel working. Did the passenger mirror trick and radio off, wheel raises! Bad ignition switch. Cost me about $80 for the switch, 1 hour and it fixed all the problems. Took the old one apart and it did'nt even look that bad. No pitting on the contacts, just a little black carbon on them. I never would have guessed it was bad just from looking at the contacts.
Kudos to whom ever first diagnosed this problem and the cure!:thumbup:
Same exact problems (although no trainy light like some others here). Will replace. Was going to rebuild the switch, but for the money, I'll just buy new for peace of mind. I rebuilt my instrument cluster because that was too costly to get new, but for $70 for a new switch, I'll buy new.
Thanks everyone, Same here with my 540 Touring, anyone heard of a bad ingnition switch in a 60s Chevy, a 90s Mazda, etc etc ? Me either so what is up with BMW!
This is all very interesting. I posted earlier as well, new to all this. I have a 2002 540i, 6spd with some mods. My ONLY issue is ONLY at 1,300 rpm, sometimes the car stumbles. By that I mean it is like someone turned the ignition off and on real fast. I live in the Seattle area and an independent shop [Dinan as well ] said he thought it was the ignition switch. Ever hear of this gremlin ????? Is this one hard to replace?
Art
I am guessing that you are saying you had, or have, the same stumbling issues? New switch fixed it? I have no other electrical issues at all, just the stumble at 1,300rpm.
Hi Art, The switch is easy enough to change from the instructions on the site, after changing the switch I discovered it made no change in my electrical gremlins like the radio not coming on and going off after a bump in the road.
The main thing I was hoping to fix was the air-bag light staying on.
Seems that the ignition has two parts, one is for the key and the other with contacts which is what I changed, Murphy's law I guess.
The cutting out is a new one to me or at least so far I have not experienced it, by the way I paid 75 US for the contact switch I changed and brought it back to Europe with me.
Make sure the numbers match if you purchase one, seems automatics, and the European cars have a different switch but I had no problem finding at a dealer in FL.
Sorry I can't be of any help about the cutting out at 1,300
At 10 years and 163k miles, my BMW tech friend suggests it is worthwhile preventive maintenance for me to have my ignition switch replaced now, before I see symptons. I ordered a factory one from an online supplier and will be having it installed in a few weeks...if I don't tackle it myself before then.
I don't know if you had seen my post or not but my real concern was not how to install a switch so much, it is the issue of what my car is doing. It at times has a stumble at 1,300rpm and at that rpm only, and strictly BMW in Bellevue said yhey thought it was an ignition switch, I have read quite a bit here about issues people have had with the switch, all of which seem electrical, but no one had the stumbling issue like I do. My logic just can't associate a stumble at 1,300rpm with an ignition switch. Everythung works fine in my 540, but I have this stumble........
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/430961
I think that in many cases the battery is at fault, as this old post comments on, it makes sense from an electrical viewpoint that any electronic component not running at the optimal voltage will either fail or not work correctly.
I changed my switch and it made no difference as I wrote, my advise is keep a good eye on output voltage and earth leaks, seems a lot of us are just looking at the ignition switch.
We know those can cause faults but it may save time and money to have another viewpoint to consider.
The battery is something to consider, as I don't have any other issues such as lights, warning lights, airbag lights etc.....just the occasional 1,300 rpm stumble. I have had the car about 1 1/2 years, same battery that was in it when I bought it. Local dealership does not think it is ignition switch either, thinking of putting on their computer and see if there is a stored code, weak coil, plug etc.....
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