v_therussian

So the car was parked for a few days, so I'm hoping - HOPING! - its just a discharge issue and nothing serious.

Ok, let me back up for the uninitiated. "AWD malfunction" message apparently can mean alternator or battery issue - as in I'll need a new one of ... one of them. ok. up to speed now.

So the other options seem to range from differential to sensors to control arms... to a friggin loose piece of tile on the space shuttle - I don't know.

If you guys wanna start making bets, here's the thread for that. In the meantime, I'm gonna go and see what will be the bill for getting nailed in the kulo by my car just in time for Christmas.... boy, I feel Bay Diagnostic is getting something extra for their wives this Christmas...


Anyway, discuss - I'm lurking here from my iPhone


PS I think Ima go get a smoothie on the way there - in case they start fvcking around

v_therussian

ok, so I clearly must've posted this in the wrong forum. either that, or you guys are just scared to discuss an actual issue



Small, tiny, little update: Let the car sit for about an hour and reset. Re-started it and the message is still there. I took the car to Bay Diagnostic and left it there for them to run the ... diagnostic on it.

I'm seriously hoping its just some sort of battery discharge issue - according to my research, these weird messages can come up from discharge or alternator problems. I doubt its the alternator, because I've had it replaced about a year ago - shouldn't have any problems. Checked the battery compartment for water - dry as hell!

But since only the AWD malfunction warning came up, alone - I actually checked the control messages in the iDrive, but have not had the error codes read by the tool yet - I can't be sure it is NOT some sort of isolated AWD issue. The ony other thread I've found with an identical issue - the issue was resolved by replacing a control arm daym, if I thought I was confused before, I'm officially perplexed now...

Maybe, just maybe, its the shocks and struts and I'll have no choice but to get the KWs???

08white

when i had battery issue, my car would start with "AWD malfunction" on screen, but if i let it run for a while and turn off start again, it would clear, everything back to normal

i tried start the car and had "AWD malfunction" message, then i drove a block or two, the message disappeared, but steering wheel was tight, after i turn off engine and restarted, everything back to normal, maybe you have different issue

btw, BMW dealer first time tested the battery, it was holding charge, and they said battery was good, but at the end, they replaced the battery

i hope you have minor issue

v_therussian

I drove the car for about 3-4 short blocks and it didn't go away. I also let the car sit for about an hour before I restarted it.

However, the car was sitting idly in a lot outside for about 5 days in a pretty cold weather prior to this message coming up - I have a feeling the battery may not have had a chance to re-charge. Or, the alternator went bad again and the battery is not recharging I hope its not the alternator - just really would rather not have to buy another friggin' alternator, since this one is less than a year (maaaaaybe 9k miles) old.

To fix your issue, did they just replace the battery and everything is fine since, or was it more than just the battery?

v_therussian

BTW I forgot to mention - my car is out of warranty, so I'm the warranty. Hence I thank everyone who's contributed to this subject in prior threads and everyone who will contribute to this thread in advance!

Thanks for your help, guys!

08white

yes, to fix my issue, they only replaced the battery and everything is ok so far

i bought batter tender, was plug into the wall whole night, and next morning couldnt start the car, needed to jump and got "AWD malfunction" message
but i went to shop, they tested the battery was good, dont know why it wouldnt start

BTW, i forgot, i have "AWD malfunction" also on high way, local is ok, never have that, but if i drive on highway for 30+ minutes, it appears on screen, i went to BMW, they said my aligment was off, so it pull to one side caused that issue, since they charge $149 so i didnt do it, but if i turn off the car and start it again, it disappear too, only show up if i drive on highway for period of time

if you live in NYC, i dont mind you borrow my tender to charge up your battery over night, see if that fix your issue

v_therussian

Thanks brother! I doubt I'll need it - I'm beginning to suspect the alignment or a control arm issue as well - my car did pull to the left ever so slightly, but it was so gentle, I didn't think it was alignment - I just figured the road wasn't even.

Also, may be worth noting: my car tracks irregularities (like grooves and "canals") on the road surface very very much. Tracks, as in, tends to pull either to the left or right when the wheel - any wheel, as far as I can tell - enters a groove/canal on the road. This tracking could be attributable to a control arm issue. The thing, is I've had everything checked recently "down there" and all the suspension was tight. I do get some rattles from the front when cold, but again - I thought it was sort of normal for a 60k mile car to rattle when cold. Since the rattles pretty much go away when the car warms, I never really paid much attention to it. None of the passengers in my car ever noticed the rattles - people always tell me that my car makes noises that only I can hear which is true - she talks to me (mostly asks for money - this bitch ) - but I digress. Where was I? Oh, yes, tracks grooves in the asphalt - yeah, now I'm wondering what that could have been???

JeffNNJ

My professional recommendation is the purchase of a 2009 335i coupe with Sport in Atlantic Blue/Saddle (sorry) My bad. Seriously, sounds like the battery to me. Hope all else is well with you, V. Happy Holidays.

sdg1871

Hmmm. I wonder where such a car could be found.

Vlad, this is a message from the BMW gods telling you to get the 550.

NYC530XI

Vlad, did you try the end to end trick with the steering wheel? I got the AWD malfunction after Mike did my LED cluster, and he turned the wheel from to the left all the way to click, to right all the way to click, and the error went bye bye. Try this out and let me know how it works.