I got my car back today after it died last Sunday on a steep hill near my home. You might remember the other thread about my being really mad. Well I'm over the mad part. I was the one who people for miles around were swearing at for causing a huge traffic jam on a 2 lane road for a half hour. FYI, the car has only 4,700 miles/7,500 km.

But great news!!!! My CAS (Car Access System) module was replaced. The reason was that it died and it controls the fuel pump relay (according to the service advisor) and Rudy was kind enough to fill us in on the other data that it controls too.

It has the identity of the car, the VIN number, the odometer reading, and a lot more.

If your car dies at some point in the future, knowing about the CAS could be handy. BTW, it isn't something the dealers keep in stock, since it has to be programmed with your car's VIN number so that the parts 'marry', it has to come from a BMW headquarters where they do the VIN programming before sending it to the dealer. The module is housed behind the instrument panel.

Out of curiosity, I asked the service advisor to tell me how much one costs.

here's the PDFs on it,
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=3781&st=0

I knew you were anxious to know about your CAS, now you know.

Well, gdavis, I am glad that you have yours running. Mine is still mired in CAS backorder with no date for a fix. All the dealer can tell me at this point is that the part is back ordered. But 20 days and growing seems a bit excessive to me. I miss my baby, but am putting the X3 through more and more paces. I'm not even sure I miss active steering any more. :unsure:

Hey JDN,

I'm in an X3 also. Not a bad ride (for what it is). Reminded me a little of my 5... well, at least until the 1st corner. Hope you get yours back soon.

Thanks, realty. I've been reading Rudy's CAS info and can now see why the service manager's plan to get me rolling with a unit out of a new vehicle would not work. I just cannot understand the back order time. Once they have the essential data for my car, it looks like the great guru could make another custom CAS for my car in short order. The fact that it has to be done in Germany complicates it a bit, but those planes fly the Atlantic every day.

Meanwhile, as you said, the X3 is not all that bad. I can't paddle it like I can the SMG but in manual mode you can control things very well. I don't have an owner's manual. Do you know what the SD mode is?

Hey JDN, knock yourself out buddy...Attachment 2802

And the cost is? (I told you it controls a lot!!)

Oh, and I'm glad you're back in business so quickly -- WTF's up with JDN's service guys?

I have a feeling the kettle will boil over about the middle of next week. :|

JDN, look on page 40 (.pdf page 42) of the manual I posted. The SD program is the sport mode.

Rudy beat me to it. I was celebrating the Red Sox win :wow: :thumbsup: SD is the Sport Mode. THat's where I've been leaving it. I haven't even used the strptronic yet.
If things keep going the way they are we may need to start an X3 Forum... Yikes. The way I see it, we are driving around in some "the most expensive" X3's :wacko:

Congrats on the win by the Sox. Amazing comeback!

Good luck in the Series...