Omg, I'm so sorry to hear about your problems. I wish I could help but I think you should call another dealer. Take care!

 

OMFG....i would have gone mad also. I dunno what the heck is with the bmws in the us but for some reason i keep reading ALOT of problems mainly with the bmws in usa. We from Europe don't tend to have as many problems...yes from now and then a squeak or rattle or for instance the windows anti-trap error happened to my car...but that's it, minor stuff if u ask me, not huge stuff like the usa bmws have. omg car won't start...that's insane... i would have droped the car at my dealer telling them to go stuff it in their asses if smth like that would have happened to me. I feel sorry for you man!
Btw i met alot of e60 owners that don't have any problems considering myself amongst them. The window anti-trap error occurs like once every 2-3 months, but not in the instrument panel, just the window acting up, so i don't consider that a problem, just a minor glitch.

 

drjochen, I had similar problems of getting the car in N for starting. Seems as though software upgrade 18.? has cured that. I have about two months of trouble free starts now. I don't know that giving credit to the upgrade is the right thing to do, but my success dates to the upgrade.

 

Take it to the dealer and tell them to keep it until they reproduce all the problems and fix them PERIOD. Have them give you another BMW as a loaner. MAke sure they give documented proof that all the problems were fixed. You might have to cause a scene but its better than being stranded with a car that wont start. I had one problem with my car from the very first time I started it up. It said that I neede an oil service and I only had 7 miles on it. My salesman told me bring it back whenever you can so that they can reset it. Well it was no big deal so I brought it back at 1300 miles. When I told a SA about it, he responded by saying "are you sure this is what its saying, It will reproduce the same message if we go out to the car right now?" I turned around and said to him, dont even go that route, go out and fix the car(very firmly), the car was given back to me in 5 minutes with the message gone. The SA apoligized 10 times and said if I ever need anything to give him a call

 

This is the first time it ever happened to me. Maybe it was the cold weather. I have 18.whatever.

 

This is the first time it ever happened to me. Maybe it was the cold weather. I have 18.whatever.
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Right, if I had read your full sig, I would have seen that. Maybe I have just been lucky lately or it's cured itself -- March '04 build date here.

 

Thanks for everyones sympathy!!!!

Well, the low coolant message went away just right now. Like its never been there. Nothing in the check control at all. And of course the car started just fine.

Its just that my dealer in ~ 30 miles away (1 hour drive each way) and I am getting soooooooooo tired of even calling them.

 

I guess SMG problem is up to 90%. That's too high. I read so many "won't start" complaints with SMG on this board. I wish it is sorted out before I make my ED order. ;(

 

Theres some... but I wouldnt say 90%... mostly are "wont start" problems and many are due to the hydralic pumps losing pressure and not being able to engage the clutch when needed. So... I dunno... you can call it a big problem-ish...

I dont think there too many other major problems with SMG. Harsh shifting maybe? but that also happened / happens with the auto boxes...