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SeasideDan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SeasideDan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: iDrive playing up
    Posted: 13-October-2013 at 20:49
Hi all, ive just joined the forum so please forgive me as i am sure this has been discussed 100 times before as i know its a regular issue.

I have a 2004 525d E60 and the idrive has started to be a complete pain, freezing all the time, sometimes for a split second, sometimes completely until it resets. 

I know the one ive got fitted at the moment has probably had it, so i am just looking for some advice on what i should do next - ive been quoted £450 + vat to have my current unit refurbished, or £600 + vat for a new unit to be fitted. 

Given that the car is nearly 10 years it seems daft to spend so much money on a part that the car doesnt actually need to keep running. 

Any thoughts/feelings on this matter, or if anyone knows somewhere i can have the idrive refurbished for a more reasonable price i would be very happy to know about it!

Many thanks, Dan
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kbannon View Drop Down
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E39 525i Sport Individual

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kbannon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 09:30
Welcome to the forum!

Have you been told what was wrong with it or was the quote for a straightforward replacement?

Apparently, many things can cause problems including weak car battery and having bluetooth on when the system boots up.

Have you tried rebooting it? Just push both eject buttons (DVD and CD) and the volume knob (a.k.a the mute button) at the same time. Let uus know what happpens.

Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor
Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE
1997 E39 523i
2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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SeasideDan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SeasideDan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 09:55
Hi, thanks for your reply and for the welcome :-)

I wasnt given the specifics for the failure, but they did complete a battery test and the battery passed, but i was informed that various electric warnings were on the fault list. The car does still have its original battery so perhaps that could be causing the issues?

I dont have two eject buttons on the centre console - my iDrive has the multi-changer in the glove box for CD's and the dvd for the satnav in the centre. I have tried the reset with holding the eject button and the mute button in the centre console with no joy, same stuttering idrive.

I dont believe i have bluetooth on my system as it has never worked and when i tried to connect my phone it says something about contacting bmw to have it installed on the car. 

The quote was for a straight forward replacement of the unit

Thanks, Dan
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kbannon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kbannon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 15:51
Not sure, battery problems seem be a major cause (based on Google results). However, if yours passed, then it may be ok (depending on who passed it and what the test was).
I'd be curious to know what the other electrical warnings were for and if there is a relationship there. Did you get a diagnostics report detailing the faults and/or codes?

By the way, if you do replace the battery, it will need to be programmed into the system to aid the automatic charging system (daft but true!) which in turn would have an effect on the lifespan of the battery along with other function limitations (such as "reduction or deactivation of individual consumer units")!
Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor
Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE
1997 E39 523i
2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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SeasideDan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SeasideDan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 15:59
Haha really?! Complicated things these BMW's!

This was the first 5-series i had bought, previously i had an E30 M3 (sadly stolen and ripped apart in a dodgy breaking yard - police found the chassis) and an E45 - quite simple cars, none of this electrical mayhem.

The electrical test was done by an independent BMW specialist in East Yorkshire, unfortunately i didnt get a full report for error codes, just a small report passing the battery. 

Does a battery change require the car to go to the main dealers for the programming?

Sounds expensive :(
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kbannon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kbannon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 16:30
I'm subject to correction by an E60 owner but as I understand it, the battery needs to be reprogrammed by a dealer or an independent mechanic that has the DIS software.
Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor
Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE
1997 E39 523i
2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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Andrew Rolland View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-October-2013 at 20:00
Originally posted by kbannon kbannon wrote:

I'm subject to correction by an E60 owner but as I understand it, the battery needs to be reprogrammed by a dealer or an independent mechanic that has the DIS software.


Correct and as a result my E60 is still on its original battery although a fellow E60 owner (another 545i no less) changed his battery without doing the programming thing and did not have any issues although he had a mental break down and traded it in so no long term check.

I would be tempted to get a second opinion or find the fuse which feeds the iDrive and remove it then put it back in as a hard reset.

Mine occasionally takes a few moments to boot up but I don't think it has ever refused to work.

Like yours mine is approaching 10 years old and because it has a proper engine in it has a trade in value of next to hee haw so I feel your pain at spending big money on something you don't need to work to drive the car.
Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!

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'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto

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'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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