So frustrated that I'm thinking of selling this POS Z4M

[Vanne]

Or you can just disconnect said switch , alarm will still work nicely.

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by RossBMWZseries

Another thing I've noticed is that my dash lights (RPM's and MPH) stay lit up, even when my headlights (HID's/halos AKA angel eyes) are turned off at the top center (0) position. When I do turn them on, automatically or manually, the dash lights seem to be very dim, even when they're turned on to be at their brightest. When I do dim them, they go extremely dark to the point where they can't be seen

The dash lights are lit whenever the car is turned on - so this is normal.

[Huz-Z]

Ross, you say you got the car from your local BMW dealer in November 2016. I apologize if you've answered this before, but have you taken the car back to that dealer and insisted that they at least diagnose and ideally fix this for you?

If you've been taking the car to an independent, I agree that there are guys out there who are scary knowledgeable and skilled in fixing these cars. But sometimes the dealer, who has access to factory-trained technical repair staff and advice, and the full diagnostic equipment, may be the best choice.

By the way, there's no way I'd sell an M Roadster like yours - I'm confident the remaining issues can be fixed.

[RossBMWZseries]

Originally Posted by dc_wright

Your alarm issue is likely the hood switch. It's on a bracket near the point where the two strut tower braces meet at the fire wall. It can cause a number of stupid alarm issue just like you described. I had same alarm issues such as seemed like it tried to arm but not quite, doors locked but alarm didn't arm, alarm randomly going off on its own for no reason, even when the car had just been sitting there for hours. The switch is dirt cheap and takes about 3 minutes to replace. They fail pretty frequently because they're not very ruggedly constructed and they're exposed to the engine compartment heat.

I'll look into that but could that be draining my battery?

Originally Posted by Vanne

Or you can just disconnect said switch , alarm will still work nicely.

I'll look for this switch when I get home from work, my car didn't start this morning even after charging the battery at Autozone yesterday for 10 hours, leaving it unplugged all night and finally hooking it up this morning - no go!

Originally Posted by XMetal

The dash lights are lit whenever the car is turned on - so this is normal.

Even if all lights coming from the headlights assembly are shut off?

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

Ross, you say you got the car from your local BMW dealer in November 2016. I apologize if you've answered this before, but have you taken the car back to that dealer and insisted that they at least diagnose and ideally fix this for you?

If you've been taking the car to an independent, I agree that there are guys out there who are scary knowledgeable and skilled in fixing these cars. But sometimes the dealer, who has access to factory-trained technical repair staff and advice, and the full diagnostic equipment, may be the best choice.

By the way, there's no way I'd sell an M Roadster like yours - I'm confident the remaining issues can be fixed.

No worries thanks for helping me figure this thing out. You're right, I got it back in November '16 after it sat under the sunlight for 1.2 years. I had to file a lawsuit and that's how I was able to get them to fix it; by getting a settlement and taking my car elsewhere to get it repaired. The reason I never took it back is 1) I can't as this case has been settled and 2) I will never step foot in that place again due to this horrible experience. The guy I'm taking it to now, is the same guy that local BMW dealers here take it to when they can't figure out the problem. This guy has the same diagnostics computer that the dealer has. You know, I hate even thinking of selling my car. At 98,xxx miles and in the condition it's in, I wouldn't get much to buy another one so I'm leaving this as my last option.

[RossBMWZseries]

Originally Posted by chickdr

Out of curiosity, is your car at a BMW specific indy? If not I would search out the best rated BMW mechanic in your area and take the car there. It could be something very easy, but takes the right person to find it.

The guy I'm taking it to now is pretty much my best option I've found at this point. He's a very smart individual but these type of issues take time, patience, effort, and MONEY so I hope he finds the problem quick. I know it's gonna have something to do with the EWS.

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by RossBMWZseries

I'll look into that but could that be draining my battery?



I'll look for this switch when I get home from work, my car didn't start this morning even after charging the battery at Autozone yesterday for 10 hours, leaving it unplugged all night and finally hooking it up this morning - no go!



Even if all lights coming from the headlights assembly are shut off?



No worries thanks for helping me figure this thing out. You're right, I got it back in November '16 after it sat under the sunlight for 1.2 years. I had to file a lawsuit and that's how I was able to get them to fix it; by getting a settlement and taking my car elsewhere to get it repaired. The reason I never took it back is 1) I can't as this case has been settled and 2) I will never step foot in that place again due to this horrible experience. The guy I'm taking it to now, is the same guy that local BMW dealers here take it to when they can't figure out the problem. This guy has the same diagnostics computer that the dealer has. You know, I hate even thinking of selling my car. At 98,xxx miles and in the condition it's in, I wouldn't get much to buy another one so I'm leaving this as my last option.

I completely agree and I would do the exact same things you are doing. Keep us posted - there are a lot of folks here who know these cars well and can provide advice, which I'm sure you know.

Good luck - my fingers are crossed that you get this all sorted very soon!

[RossBMWZseries]

My car has been in the shop since Wednesday of last week. I keep calling for an update but the man keeps telling me he's still working on it an electrical issues can take a week or so to find. He said he's currently checking all the modules. He said by Wednesday he should know something.

Does this sound legitimate? Or is my car just sitting there waiting to be checked?



I've been reading on different issues regarding the Battery Safety Terminals (BST). Sometimes I feel like we (forum members) know more than mechanics do because we're members here and READ on topics that concern this car in particular. I do have a leak in my passenger tail light where water goes in when I wash it. Could any wiring there be getting wet and causing some sort of short?

[jrich4411]

I had similar issues with my first '06 ///M. It started with strange electrical issues. One day I was driving and the nav screen shut down and the radio simply shut off. I pulled over, restarted the car several times but the nav screen would not pop up and the radio would not turn on. about 15 miles down the road suddenly the nav screen popped up & radio came on entirely on their own. sometimes the nav would cycle up & down 3-5 times in succession.
the issue progressed to the point where the "idiot" lights would turn on & off at random. sometimes all of 'em, sometimes just a few.
Then, I started having the dead battery issue. would park the car late in the evening & by morning - some but not all mornings - the battery would be dead. I even went to the point of installing a disconnect on the neg terminal.
This was all with about 2 months left in the season, so she got parked that way for the winter. Come spring, I finally brought her down to the local dealer (an hour and a half away from me). The intermittent electrical issues were an after market remote convertible top module from Reinhold Engineering I had installed. That was removed and intermittent issues went away.
Now for the dead battery - my radio was continuously pulling 2 amps of power - never let the car go to sleep mode. This drained the battery overnight. It took a month to get another radio - the parts supplier kept shipping the wrong model (one NOT integrated with the nav). even had one shipped from Germany. In the end they sold me the radio at half price to make up for the 5 weeks it took to get it. But in the interim, just disconnecting the radio cured the dead battery issue.
good luck!

[RossBMWZseries]

Originally Posted by jrich4411

I had similar issues with my first '06 ///M. It started with strange electrical issues. One day I was driving and the nav screen shut down and the radio simply shut off. I pulled over, restarted the car several times but the nav screen would not pop up and the radio would not turn on. about 15 miles down the road suddenly the nav screen popped up & radio came on entirely on their own. sometimes the nav would cycle up & down 3-5 times in succession.
the issue progressed to the point where the "idiot" lights would turn on & off at random. sometimes all of 'em, sometimes just a few.
Then, I started having the dead battery issue. would park the car late in the evening & by morning - some but not all mornings - the battery would be dead. I even went to the point of installing a disconnect on the neg terminal.
This was all with about 2 months left in the season, so she got parked that way for the winter. Come spring, I finally brought her down to the local dealer (an hour and a half away from me). The intermittent electrical issues were an after market remote convertible top module from Reinhold Engineering I had installed. That was removed and intermittent issues went away.
Now for the dead battery - my radio was continuously pulling 2 amps of power - never let the car go to sleep mode. This drained the battery overnight. It took a month to get another radio - the parts supplier kept shipping the wrong model (one NOT integrated with the nav). even had one shipped from Germany. In the end they sold me the radio at half price to make up for the 5 weeks it took to get it. But in the interim, just disconnecting the radio cured the dead battery issue.
good luck!

Hmm, sounds like you went through a PITA to get it resolved. I never installed anything aftermarket parts, however, I did swap out the ashtray for the AUX tray which is OEM but when I connected it to the back of the radio, I installed it on a different slot compared to the instructions the AUX unit came with. Why? Because the slot I was instructed to use was taken by the Navi cable (I believe it's the Navi cable). I should try reversing that but that'll mean no AUX music for me

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by RossBMWZseries

Hmm, sounds like you went through a PITA to get it resolved. I never installed anything aftermarket parts, however, I did swap out the ashtray for the AUX tray which is OEM but when I connected it to the back of the radio, I installed it on a different slot compared to the instructions the AUX unit came with. Why? Because the slot I was instructed to use was taken by the Navi cable (I believe it's the Navi cable). I should try reversing that but that'll mean no AUX music for me

No worries - the engine sounds way better than the stuff I hear on the radio these days.

[RossBMWZseries]

That's true lol.


UPDATE:
I just went to the shop to check on my car. They told me that FOR SURE it's the NAVI unit. They said it's draining the battery as it sometimes "stays on" even when the car is turned off. They told me they still want to check a few other things as there's a smaller draw somewhere else in the car and that by Saturday they should know. They quoted me somewhere between $90-$135.

Buying a new Navi unit sounds pricey, any other options??

[StickMon]

When my navi goes I'll probably rip the guts out and put a Garmin in the hole.

[gpraceman]

I'm glad that I don't have a navi unit. That's what my smart phone is for.

[RossBMWZseries]

The guy suggested doing the same with an aftermarket radio but I don't like that idea as it will probably look cheap. A new unit goes for $2k-$2.5k plus I don't even wanna think of labor unless it's a simple plug and play that I can do.

[gpraceman]

Is it on its own fuse? If so, you could just pull the fuse and use a smart phone or Garmin for nav.

[RossBMWZseries]

Originally Posted by gpraceman

Is it on its own fuse? If so, you could just pull the fuse and use a smart phone or Garmin for nav.

I thought of that, and I actually always use my iphone for GPS. The only thing is that I wouldn't be able to access my DSP (audio settings).

[Vanne]

If I were you I'd just disconnect the nav, it's next to useless anyways, see how you go, if the issue goes away, then see if you wanna get that sorted, but I'd check if that is it first.

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by StickMon

When my navi goes I'll probably rip the guts out and put a Garmin in the hole.

What are you going to do with Audio? Is the NAV part of the audio system? If you rip it out, will the display still functional for other stuffs? Or are you going to rip everything out and replace with aftermarket radio/amp?

Originally Posted by gpraceman

Is it on its own fuse? If so, you could just pull the fuse and use a smart phone or Garmin for nav.

Unless you download the entire map onto your "smart" phone, it's basically useless without cell services. I can't even recall the number of times where I had to revert to the car's "trusty" Nav on road trips. I know our car's NAV is archaic, but it still can get you out of trouble in a pinch. I would still rather have it than totally rely on my "smart" phone

[mr_z4mc1m_oz]

A mate of mine had major issues with his e93 325i.

It ended up being a faulty battery. He hated BMW and the car so much he sold it to buy an Audi S3.

[RossBMWZseries]

I'm thinking of disconnecting the Navi for now until I decide what I'm going to do with the car. I'm thinking of selling it only because I don't want to spend anymore money repairing things left and right. I also thought of maybe finding a Z4 in a junk yard and taking the navi unit but with my luck I might just have the same issue with that unit.

[Vanne]

So Ross , is it confirmed? all your issues were coming from the Nav?

[RossBMWZseries]

Stopped by the shop again today Vanne. The guy asked me to give him more time as he found another issue with my aftermarket Umnitza headlights possibly draining power. He also said the fuse for my fog lights can be the culprit. I told him the Z4M doesn't have fog lights and that my umnitza headlights haven't given me any problems since I installed them about 3 years ago. He insisted that the NAVI unit needs replacement and that the cabin controller for my headlights (used to manually change out the color of the angel eyes) is the problem. Again, haven't had problems with the aftermarket lights but recently as of 2 months ago, I have noticed that when I pull up in back of a truck on the road, I see my reflection and angel eyes are green or red or any other color. I then have to grab my cabin controller, change the color but at times the color doesn't change. I'm thinking the remote is fried and is on its last days. He pulled out the relay for the "fog lights". I only use the OEM color as all other colors are hideous. He'll give me more details on Monday. $135 seems to be the final price I'll pay.