[StikiGreenZ]

Since Thursday, the iDrive in my car keeps rebooting. The BMW logo appears for about 20 seconds, and then the display goes blank and the whole thing cycles again.

All discs have been ejected (NAV and in-dash CD and disc changer). I've read something about the MPM module in the trunk failing if it gets wet. Upon visual inspection, nothing wet in the trunk. The post on my negative terminal looks full of corrosion though. I tried to direct-connect to ground on a battery tender, still didn't work.

Ideas?

TIA.

 

[sentrex]

your battery is probably not charged all the way since you have a loose terminal,corrosion will occur when loose terminals clean everything and re tighten and that should fix your probem

 

[HerbP]

Clean your connection as stated above, & charge the battery. Have you measured the battery voltage?

 

[StikiGreenZ]

Thanks guys, I'll try that today.

Interesting observation yesterday, while driving, on two occasions, the iDrive turned on when I drove and revved past 6000 rpm.

Weird.

 

[Yorgi]

I would say it's the battery too.

I use baking soda mixed with water to form a thick paste in an old margarine container. Pop off the connectors and scrub them with a toothbrush in the container with the baking soda. Rinse with water and if the clamps and post still look dirty I use a fine sandpaper to clean the post and inside the clamp. Then coat post with a thin layer of lithium grease before you re-clamp the cables.

 

[StikiGreenZ]

So here's a newbie question. Using a voltmeter, it is showing 25.6 volts at the battery and 24.3 volts at the terminals in the hood. Shouldn't it be in the 12-14v range?

 

[roseng]

So here's a newbie question. Using a voltmeter, it is showing 25.6 volts at the battery and 24.3 volts at the terminals in the hood. Shouldn't it be in the 12-14v range?

Correct. If that's really the voltage with the car running you have a blown alternator/voltage regulator.
If you are reading that with the car off you have a bad meter.

 

[HerbP]

It sounds like you need a new voltage regulator. The voltage should not exceed 14.24 volts running. 25.6 is making the modules shutdown for protection. The modules must stay at 5 volts, to keep everything happy. You should have the Valeo alternator, available for around 300.00 on the net. The VR can be purchased for around 80.00 on Ebay. The alternator will have to be removed either way. Once the alternator is off, the VR takes less than 5 minutes to install. Here is the correct one below.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ALTERNA...Parts_Accessories&hash=item461efed66b&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-BMW-545...ear:2005|Make:BMW&hash=item53f978f94e&vxp=mtr

 

[StikiGreenZ]

Update:
Cleaned off battery terminals. No go.
It turns out I had the voltage meter in wrong mode. Voltage when running is about 14.5, off about 12.9.

Disconnected subwoofer.

Gonna have the alternator checked out. Then the voltage regulator. If that all checks out, you guys thinking its the MPM module or the CCC?

 

[HerbP]

Your voltage appears to be normal, & the alternator seems to be working properly. There could be a loose connector, going to the IDrive. I would look for this before changing any modules.

 

[ScottyQ]

I had a similar problem. All on its own the display would cycle off and reboot to the BMW splash screen. They first updated the software and that did not work. Then they replaced the the control module and that fixed it.

 

[StikiGreenZ]

So does the module throw any errors? Or can it be diagnosed somehow?


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

[StikiGreenZ]

V. M n
Nan. N


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

[ScottyQ]

So does the module throw any errors? Or can it be diagnosed somehow?

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Mine did not show any errors and describing it to the Service Advisor was useless - so I had my phone ready and took a video of it happening and emailed it to him. It started off happening infrequently, then it started happening constantly. I think I still have the video if someone wants to see it in action.

 

[roseng]

So does the module throw any errors? Or can it be diagnosed somehow?

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Unfortunately, no way to troubleshoot it that I have seen. Swapping is the only way. :bawling:

 

[StikiGreenZ]

Makes sense. I was going to have the battery tested, though I doubt that's the issue since the car is having no issue starting and there's no warnings or failures in the dash.

Can you share the part number of the module in question?
Is this the culprit?
http://www.germanautorecycling.com/bmw-parts/new-parts/61-35-9-266-274

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

[roseng]

Makes sense. I was going to have the battery tested, though I doubt that's the issue since the car is having no issue starting and there's no warnings or failures in the dash.

Can you share the part number of the module in question?
Is this the culprit?
http://www.germanautorecycling.com/bmw-parts/new-parts/61-35-9-266-274

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Sorry not that simple or easy. You are looking at something more like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-NAVIGAT...78?pt=GPS_Devices&hash=item4adce8219a&vxp=mtr

Also your car may need to be coded to make this work.

 

[StikiGreenZ]

Yikes that's an expensive experiment. Wonder if it's refundable in case it doesn't work!

There's got to be a way to diagnose this without forking out 500 bucks!

 

[ScottyQ]

Yikes that's an expensive experiment. Wonder if it's refundable in case it doesn't work!

There's got to be a way to diagnose this without forking out 500 bucks!

I'll dig out the paperwork if I can...

 

[Jay281]

Diet Coke cleans the corrosion just as good