Sarge

I have a bunch of 'failures' following the discovery of a bunch of water in the battery well and spare tire well (most of the electronics under the tire were wet).

I still have to figure out the water ingress point (previously removed the sunroof drain grommets, so those are not the problem).

Some questions:

1. Does anyone know how to jump the wires to manually cause the compressor to turn on? I'd like to make the car drivable (error for leveling system inop, and its starting to sag and I still need to drive the car but don't want to drive on flat airbags).

2. What's the recommended software package for logging into the car from a Macbook without installing Windows? I need to be able to program/reset error codes, install new battery, etc.

3. Where's the best place to find replacement relays or ECUs (or whatever the computer boards are called for all the stuff under the spare that got soaked (and what a TERRIBLE design!?!?). Are there any reputable BMW used parts suppliers in the US? I also probably need to replace relays/ecus for TPMS, rear power liftgate, and possibly others, all of which are inop now...

Thanks,

Sarge

- '08 535xi wagon

BostonJon

if you're absolutely positive its not the sunroof drains, maybe its the seals on the tail lights. i will say that mine had the sunroof drain clogging issue even after the ends of the drain tubes were cut off. thankfully, it was still covered under the CPO warranty that the previous owner had on the car. to answer your questions....

1) i'm not sure if you can apply 12V to the compressor to cause it to activate. with a complicated electrical system, it seems a bit risky to start jumpering wires. i know that the system can be manually triggered using INPA software. however, if your module is fried, maybe this wouldnt work.

2) carly for BMW might be your best bet. it apparently works for iOS and android systems. for windows, people are using, IPNA, ISTA, and other diagnostic software. i'm sure if you search you could find whether or not this can be installed on a mac. you can also find virtual PC setups that already have the software installed.

3) ebay

Sarge

1. I was able to jump the relay between the two largest wires in the relay loom and cause the pump to turn on, but the jumper wire I used was too thin to let it run long (it's a 40 amp fuse, need a heavy gauge wire, the one I used started to melt). I'm going to local Napa and CarQuest tomorrow in hopes of replacing the relays (the nearest dealer is 100 miles away), failing that I will try jumping it again to see if it will come on. I'm afraid the pump may not be operating properly though (might have gotten fried while wife was driving it with all the lights going off). I can't otherwise imagine why the suspension went flat so quickly (it previously held air just fine). The relay for the pump is the lightest/closest one in the photo (not my photo).


The relays are $20/ea on Amazon. There's a Miessler replacement pump and relay for $323 on Amazon.

2. Thanks - I will try the Carly unit, it seems to be the only good option for Mac/iOS

3. I can't believe there's no reputable BMW salvage yards in the US...?

BostonJon

isn't ebay just an electronic web-based version of a salvage yard?

Sarge

Yes, but not every place puts all their inventory up there, they tend to focus on stuff they can move for higher prices and/or things that experience higher, more 'regular' demand. So, calling a place can often net lower prices and/or be the only way to find more arcane parts.

BostonJon

good point and likely very true for older models. ive been able to find almost any module I needed on ebay for pretty reasonable prices. for example, i needed an LCPA module for the roller cover on my E61 and found one on ebay for $10 that came from a 3-series coupe that used the same module for the retractable seatbelt. using realoem.com, its pretty easy to find what part numbers would work even if they have been superseded by a newer part number.

Sarge

Good point re crossover parts.

Unfortunately replacing my relays did nothing, so I need the ECM for the suspension, and jumping the power to the compressor resulted in zero lift, meaning the compressor is shot too (burned out b/c the relays were wet and kept the compressor running until it burned out the seal, so because of this terrible design, I get to spend a weekend and 20% of the car's worth just making it roadworthy again...

This is my fourth, and probably last, BMW. They've just gotten less and less durable and more expensive to maintain with each generation. (I also have to replace the aux water pump/thermostat, front suspension arms (clunking), whatever is causing the auto liftgate to not function and probably all the ECM's in the spare tire well. BMW's should be leased and thrown away at 50k... My E46 330ci and E39 528it manual were very reliable (well past 100k). My recent X5 and this E61 have been nightmares... (I'm on my second set of turbos and 4th HPFP, among a litany of other stuff, mostly electrical). /rant