535xi losing all memorized settings
01-21-2009, 11:34 AM
#11
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My Ride: 2008 535xi / Platinum Gray / Premium Package / Cold Weather Package / Dakota Black Leather /
Options: Navigation, SAT Radio, Bluetooth, IPOD adapter
Sprint Booster
VMR Rims V710 19x9.5 ET45 Hyper Silver (rear)
VMR Rims V710 19x8.5 ET35 Hyper Silver (front)
Tires: General Exclaim 275/30/19 (rear)
Tires: General Exclaim 245/35/19 (front)
BMW Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors
BMW M-tech Complete Body Kit w/LCI & no PDC
Hamann Splitter
Vorsteiner Decklid Spoiler BMW M5 E60
BMW Black Grills E60
BMW Shadow Trim
BMW Carbon Fiber Roundells - E60
Angel Eyes (GP Thunder Bulb H8 8500K)
Here's the latest. I sent what I posted above to the local BMW dealership manager. He worked with his master technician, did some research, and decided to upgrade the car's software version (which is what I wanted them to do in the first place!). It started at 4:45PM, ran through the night, and as of 12:00 today it is still not done. The program is estimating 4 more hours to completion. Incredible!! I have asked for the engineer to document and provide me the starting version, and the updated version numbers. I will provide you all feedback once I get it. I'm also hoping to get a list of fixes associated with the upgrade.
I've been in the information technology business for well over 18 years and have found it very rare to see firmware, OS, or software upgrades take this long, even on midrange and mainframe servers. Out of fairness to all the techno-geeks (like me) with their OS preferences, I won't go into operating system bashing, but I am interested to know the core or root technology used in this car. Does anyone know?
I've been in the information technology business for well over 18 years and have found it very rare to see firmware, OS, or software upgrades take this long, even on midrange and mainframe servers. Out of fairness to all the techno-geeks (like me) with their OS preferences, I won't go into operating system bashing, but I am interested to know the core or root technology used in this car. Does anyone know?
01-21-2009, 12:25 PM
#13
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My Ride: 2008 535xi / Platinum Gray / Premium Package / Cold Weather Package / Dakota Black Leather /
Options: Navigation, SAT Radio, Bluetooth, IPOD adapter
Sprint Booster
VMR Rims V710 19x9.5 ET45 Hyper Silver (rear)
VMR Rims V710 19x8.5 ET35 Hyper Silver (front)
Tires: General Exclaim 275/30/19 (rear)
Tires: General Exclaim 245/35/19 (front)
BMW Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors
BMW M-tech Complete Body Kit w/LCI & no PDC
Hamann Splitter
Vorsteiner Decklid Spoiler BMW M5 E60
BMW Black Grills E60
BMW Shadow Trim
BMW Carbon Fiber Roundells - E60
Angel Eyes (GP Thunder Bulb H8 8500K)
O-SHEET! If that's the case, we are all doomed! 
01-21-2009, 12:31 PM
#14
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My Ride: 2006 550i - Metallic Mystic Blue, Sport Package, STEPTRONIC Auto Transmission, Leather Interior, Power Front Seats w/Lumbar Support, Xeonon Head Lights (Angel Eyes), Park Distance Control (PDC), 6-CD Changer, Adaptive Head Light, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Professional Radio, Premium Sound Package 13-Speakers Logic 7, Weather Band Radio, Voice Control (for Bluetooth Telephone Operatoin), 18" Run Flats, Rain-Sensing Wipers, Front/Rear Heated Seats, Flat Tire Monitor (FTM), Moonroof, Fold Down Rear Seats, Hardwired Valentine One
Originally Posted by BAK530dat' post='773802' date='Jan 21 2009, 04:04 PM
From what I know, it's embedded XP. Believe it or not!
ps. Been in the IT bus for 26 years now.... getting old...
01-21-2009, 01:49 PM
#15
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It's amazing how long it takes to update the software in these cars.
If someone knows, I think alot on here would be interested in what exactly takes so long. I can't believe the software itself would be much more then a 200MB or so. Heck even it was 5GB it shouldn't take that long with today's technology.
If someone knows, I think alot on here would be interested in what exactly takes so long. I can't believe the software itself would be much more then a 200MB or so. Heck even it was 5GB it shouldn't take that long with today's technology.
01-21-2009, 03:23 PM
#16
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My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
Originally Posted by jusdoit' post='771917' date='Jan 19 2009, 04:39 PM
Can you imagine having to reprogram your BMW every time you returned from a business trip where you're out of town for one week? If I don't drive my 535xi for three days it will lose all memorized settings, to include radio stations, seat/positioning settings, trip distance, clock settings, etc... All of it gone. Additionally, this is a 535xi... after sitting for three days, it will also say that there is a malfunction with the DSC and the AWD is inoperable. Upon starting and driving the car, reprogramming everything, all will be fine until I leave on my next > three day trip.
I took the car into the service department today and was told that the battery was "low" and that it just needed to be charged. There were no bad cells. Personally, if the battery starts the damn car, it's obviously not that "low." Is there a CMOS battery? Do you know of a service bulletin identifying this problem? Any help would be of great assistance. I really don't like having to reprogram everything every time I fly out of town for a week long business trip. Thanks!
I took the car into the service department today and was told that the battery was "low" and that it just needed to be charged. There were no bad cells. Personally, if the battery starts the damn car, it's obviously not that "low." Is there a CMOS battery? Do you know of a service bulletin identifying this problem? Any help would be of great assistance. I really don't like having to reprogram everything every time I fly out of town for a week long business trip. Thanks!
01-21-2009, 06:19 PM
#17
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My Ride: 2008 535i - Deep Sea Blue Metallic, Black Nasca Leather w/ Ventilated Seats, Anthracite Headliner, Sport Pkg, Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, Sport Auto Transmission w/ Shift Paddles, PDC, Rear Side Airbag, Automatic Sunshades, Heads Up Display, Sat, HD Radio, Navigation, Logic 7
I am having this very same problem and have a second service call to address this problem coming up this Saturday. The first explanation I was given was that I needed to drive my car more to keep the battery charged. Even though this was a lame ass amswer, I accpeted it and hoped it would improve. It has not.
Well, earlier this week, I was in my car all day long and put about 100 miles on it during the day on customer calls and 3 different times during the day when I got in the car to start it up, I had the reduced battery drain error and had to reset my clock.
They are going to keep it until they can figure the problem out.
If is does not get resovled, time to press BMW NA and possbly see about a potential buyback. It may seem like a minor thing to want a buyback for, but I did not drop $65K on a car to put up with BS like this, especially if this is something they cannot fix.
Maybe the 2010's coming out in March will have this problem fixed since they are getting a new iDrive system.
We will see.
Well, earlier this week, I was in my car all day long and put about 100 miles on it during the day on customer calls and 3 different times during the day when I got in the car to start it up, I had the reduced battery drain error and had to reset my clock.
They are going to keep it until they can figure the problem out.
If is does not get resovled, time to press BMW NA and possbly see about a potential buyback. It may seem like a minor thing to want a buyback for, but I did not drop $65K on a car to put up with BS like this, especially if this is something they cannot fix.
Maybe the 2010's coming out in March will have this problem fixed since they are getting a new iDrive system.
We will see.
01-21-2009, 06:25 PM
#18
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My Ride: 2008 535xi, Monaco Blue, Premium, Cold Weather, Nav, M Aero Kit, Ipod, Escort Passport SRX
Gee - do you think if the car was out of warranty they would be so slow to start replacing the battery, the altenator, and all sorts of other parts... all at your expense of course....
01-22-2009, 06:10 AM
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My Ride: 2010 VW Passat Wagon 2.0l Tsi
Grey/Grey Budapest 18"
Lost to HPFP issues:
08 535i sport pkg
Lost to Dreaded E61 Sun roof leaks:
07 E61 530Xi
You should have asked which DMS version they were giving you.... Let hope it was 32.1 , if not you'll be making another trip back for a re flash if your MDS is version 80. Welcome to the wonderful world of a Laggy N54 motor.....
01-26-2009, 06:30 PM
#20
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My Ride: 2008 535xi / Platinum Gray / Premium Package / Cold Weather Package / Dakota Black Leather /
Options: Navigation, SAT Radio, Bluetooth, IPOD adapter
Sprint Booster
VMR Rims V710 19x9.5 ET45 Hyper Silver (rear)
VMR Rims V710 19x8.5 ET35 Hyper Silver (front)
Tires: General Exclaim 275/30/19 (rear)
Tires: General Exclaim 245/35/19 (front)
BMW Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors
BMW M-tech Complete Body Kit w/LCI & no PDC
Hamann Splitter
Vorsteiner Decklid Spoiler BMW M5 E60
BMW Black Grills E60
BMW Shadow Trim
BMW Carbon Fiber Roundells - E60
Angel Eyes (GP Thunder Bulb H8 8500K)
Closing the loop on this one... Here's what happened. The service tech tested and then replaced the battery. The service tech performed energy diagnosis and found vehicle woke up many times by CAS module, instrument cluster, kbm, and kgm. Basically, the car was waking up while parked and running a whole bunch of routines when it should have been sleeping. I guess it's normal for the car to wake up and run through basic diagnostics, but not at the frequency that my car was doing it. The service tech started the software update at 4:45PM on a Wednesday, and it finished updating the next day around 4:00PM. Regarding the version... I was told that it is: E60-07-09-530. I really don't know how current (or not) it is.
Does the Dinan Stage II upgrade interact with the newly updated software?
Does the Dinan Stage II upgrade interact with the newly updated software?