E91 330i LCI

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Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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Stussy said:
First thing I can think of trying is to get it working again and then open and shut the tailgate/glass a few times and see if that affects it.
I can only guess some wiring may have been disturbed?
As above, the Idrive screen power is definitely linked to the tailgate in some odd way.

Just to confirm, does the radio work but not the screen? I could get sound but no image. I was getting close to rewiring the screen power from another circuit!
Nothing works when it goes, no radio, sensors etc, etc...

Very odd!

Stussy

1,790 posts

63 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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How many fuses are blowing?
If the head unit isn’t working too then it must be more than one, as that’s on a different circuit

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Thursday 25th July 2019
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I’m not aware of any fuses going.

The garage have just called though and say the car is ready and that the idrive switched off due to the high temperatures!

I disagreed with this diagnosis!!

They are checking the car again and we’ll see how we go..

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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I'd agree. Even in 40+c my iDrive never shut down.

One issue can be that the reflector for the rear boot lid light can trip the iDrive screen. Make sure that's got a constant power and ground. This was an issue on my car before I had it.

Stussy

1,790 posts

63 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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The rear light just cuts power to the screen, if it was that the radio would still work sound wise

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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That's me schooled. Good bearding. smile

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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OK, the garage (a BMW main dealer who I’ve used, though not exclusively, for 15 years during which time they’ve been pretty good) cannot find a problem and is confident it’s heat related. I’ve done some research and it’s actually fairly common and there seems to be some variability in the temperature at which the cut out kicks in (though the cut out is more common with the later tablet style screens).

They asked me to have the car back, which I have, but will take it in if the problem persists.

To be fair to them the car was facing south with the dash pointed at the sun and a temperature of 36C in the shade so they may be correct.

So far no problems so we’ll see...

Mike335i

4,985 posts

101 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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I very strongly doubt that heat would be the cause, these cars are sold across the world and should be functional in hotter temperatures than mid 30s.

Stussy

1,790 posts

63 months

Friday 26th July 2019
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I suppose it is possible, I know on the W204 C Class there is extra ducting to cool the headunit if you have a COMAND one as they get hotter than the Audio 20 alternative

Sir_Dave

1,494 posts

209 months

Monday 29th July 2019
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Couple of potential problems here i feel.

Battery drain caused by bodyshop not disconnecting battery for works, causing low power & IBS problems. It not turning on on initial start, but then during the drive could indicate low voltage. Alternatively, battery being disconnected by the bodyshoip could cause a similar issue with IBS perhaps. These would show as low voltage codes on diagnostics.

Damage to MOST loop and/or connector not seated correctly. From memory, there is a MOST loop connector in the inside passenger panel for the CD changer, possibly one for your Individual amp as well, plus some under the furthest away boot matt in the boot. If you tailgate has removed, its quite likely that they will have removed hardware from the boot during the strip down process? Pretty sure you need ICOM to interogate MOST bus problems, so it wont show on the usual diagnostics.

Some reading:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11...
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15...
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14...

Re: heat, on the CCC system, yes, quite possibly, especially if the little fan on the back isnt working very well, but the CIC system has an SSD harddrive so less likely to be susceptible to heast variations id imagine - both the CIC in my 335d & 335i have been fine over the past couple of weeks in the heat.

Hope that helps thumbup

Edited by Sir_Dave on Monday 29th July 11:33

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Saturday 31st August 2019
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Ok. So;



I now have a working iDrive!

This has been a long, convoluted and expensive story.

In short, after a few weeks of too and fro, the dealership finally traced the problem to a faulty head unit. The question then was did they break it or was it a coincidence? As you can imagine I took the former view and they took the latter. After some back and forth we came to a compromise which meant I was out of pocket but not to the tune of a full replacement.

The car went in on the 20th for a new head unit. I was due to go on holiday to France on the 24th and the car was promised to be done by then. By the Friday afternoon it was clear the car wouldn’t be ready so I got to take the courtesy car whilst they worked on my car.

So I had the use of a new 320d for the week:



We got back today and I collected the car this afternoon. Everything works as it should and I’m now a few quid poorer but overall happy to be back in my own car.

The experience with the new car was enlightening. Thoughts to follow for those who may be interested.

Stussy

1,790 posts

63 months

Saturday 31st August 2019
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How on earth can it take over 4 days to fit and code a head unit? I’ve watched a CCC to CIC conversation including combox with coding all done in a couple of hours!

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Sunday 1st September 2019
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Stussy said:
How on earth can it take over 4 days to fit and code a head unit? I’ve watched a CCC to CIC conversation including combox with coding all done in a couple of hours!
They had a problem coding the unit and had to contact BMW technical for advice which apparently isn’t the fastest at responding. It seems my car was originally sourced from outside the UK (France?) and required subtlety different coding to a UK unit. Fair enough, particularly as they let me have a decent courtesy car to go on holiday in. smile

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Sunday 1st September 2019
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I thought I would say a few words about the G20 320d M Sport I had on loan for 10 days and 1100 miles whilst my car was in for repair. I hadn’t driven the G20 prior to this car and found it interesting how cars have evolved in recent years.

The car I had use of was a 320d M Sport XDrive with a bunch of extras including active guard pack (inc lane departure), Parking Assist Plus (360 degree cameras), Live Cockpit (big screens and intelligent pa), Technology Pack (hud, hk hifi) & comfort pack (comfort access, heated wheel). A quick tot up and the car comes to something just shy of £50k for a 2.0 diesel! yikes

First impression is that the car is well put together and feels really solid. It’s also big. E60 big. Cars seem to be getting bigger without a corresponding increase in the size of roads/parking spaces.

Secondly, the nvh levels are remarkable. Even when cold the car is smooth and pretty much vibration free. Only with a firm push of the go pedal does it reveal itself as a diesel which I found very impressive, particularly for a four pot diesel.

It is also very solid on the move, well damped and fairly compliant. It’s quite quick too; 0-60 in just over 7 seconds though it doesn’t feel anywhere near E90 330d quick. The performance is almost certainly helped by the vastly superior gearbox; the 8 speed is a great improvement over the earlier 6 speed in every way.

The seats are supportive and comfortable for an hour or so after which my bum got numb.

I did not like the interior however. It’s well put together but is way too complicated. My biggest gripe is the amount of information on display at any time. When I picked the car up I had 3 sources of speed, 3 sources of Nav data, fuel, revs, what was playing on the hifi, mileage, speed limit, error messages, temperature (engine and outside) plus other stuff I forget at the time of writing. TOO MUCH. Maybe I’m getting old and can’t process information as well as I used to but I found it to be too much. It looks fantastic when you’re stationary but when on the move I found it distracted from what was going on on the road.

In the end I found the car too big (if I wanted a big car I’d go for a 5 series; the F10 530d is a much better car) too fussy and too expensive for me. Money to one side which would I rather have; the G20 320d or the E91 330i? Definitely the latter. The wife and kids agree. Throw in my car is 1/10th the price and it’s an emphatic win for the older car.

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Monday 2nd September 2019
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Glad you got it back sorted and all well.

Interesting about the G30. I sat in one yesterday at BMW Sunday Service, and was amazed how big it felt. properly so. I was more amazed at 20 inch wheels on a 320d. Now THAT'S madness. The E60 M5 had 19 inch wheels, The G30 brakes looked very small behind the wheel.

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Monday 2nd September 2019
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JakeT said:
Glad you got it back sorted and all well.

Interesting about the G30. I sat in one yesterday at BMW Sunday Service, and was amazed how big it felt. properly so. I was more amazed at 20 inch wheels on a 320d. Now THAT'S madness. The E60 M5 had 19 inch wheels, The G30 brakes looked very small behind the wheel.
Yes, the G30 is undoubtedly a good car but there is a lot of style over substance and also a lot of change for change sake.

Take the light switches for instance; the E91 has a rotary knob for the main items plus a couple of buttons for fog lights. Easy (which is handy as you can’t see the switches when driving so imo simple is good/essential). On the G30 there are 8/9 push button packed close together, no rotary knob. I’m sure you can get used to the new layout with time but it’s not intuitive and I couldn’t find the off button at all (lights off in the Chunnel).

Stussy

1,790 posts

63 months

Monday 2nd September 2019
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The facelift E90/91 are great looking cars and I loved both of mine, I’m definitely considering another

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Tuesday 3rd September 2019
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Sn1ckers said:
Yes, the G30 is undoubtedly a good car but there is a lot of style over substance and also a lot of change for change sake.

Take the light switches for instance; the E91 has a rotary knob for the main items plus a couple of buttons for fog lights. Easy (which is handy as you can’t see the switches when driving so imo simple is good/essential). On the G30 there are 8/9 push button packed close together, no rotary knob. I’m sure you can get used to the new layout with time but it’s not intuitive and I couldn’t find the off button at all (lights off in the Chunnel).
Funnily enough I thought the same thing when I sad in a G30, and a current Gen Audi A6. They all have buttons for the lights. Why!? Some manufacturers such as Mercedes don't allow an 'off' position for the lights on their cars. It's all Auto, sidelights, or dipped beam now.

Mike335i

4,985 posts

101 months

Tuesday 3rd September 2019
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JakeT said:
Funnily enough I thought the same thing when I sad in a G30, and a current Gen Audi A6. They all have buttons for the lights. Why!? Some manufacturers such as Mercedes don't allow an 'off' position for the lights on their cars. It's all Auto, sidelights, or dipped beam now.
At least there are buttons, could be buried in a touch screen somewhere. I genuinely think that ergonomics are so much worse now.

Sn1ckers

Original Poster:

580 posts

57 months

Tuesday 3rd September 2019
quotequote all
Mike335i said:
JakeT said:
Funnily enough I thought the same thing when I sad in a G30, and a current Gen Audi A6. They all have buttons for the lights. Why!? Some manufacturers such as Mercedes don't allow an 'off' position for the lights on their cars. It's all Auto, sidelights, or dipped beam now.
At least there are buttons, could be buried in a touch screen somewhere. I genuinely think that ergonomics are so much worse now.
^ This.

I read recently that the US Navy was giving up on the use of touch screens on their ships following recent accidents and going back to knobs and buttons because they were more effective in stressful situations. When I’m driving I want simple controls not stuff I have to look at to work out so taking my attention away from what’s going on in front of me.