Hey folks. Thought I'd drop in with a little issue that has me stumped.

Suddenly, my vehicle (vehicle details and versions below) has started exhibiting a strange behavior since last night. When I start the vehicle, the iDrive screen freezes at the "BMW" screen and never gets beyond it.

Symptoms:

- No radio, navigation, or any other functionality via iDrive
- iDrive knob spins freely
- Menu and voice command buttons do nothing
- A forced reboot (CD eject-DVD eject-mute button) does cause a reboot, but the system still freezes at the "BMW" screen
- The CD/DVD eject buttons work to eject the discs
- The screen "flickers" a bit when it would ordinarily dismiss the BMW screen and continue the boot process (but just stays on the BMW screen)
- My bluetooth phone (iPhone 3G) itself still thinks it's paired with the car (but doesn't work, of course)
- All other dash, HUD, and vehicle functionality (clock, speed, messages, etc.) works as expected

The car has sat turned off a couple of times for extended periods (i.e., long enough for the computer to think it's "off"). I have tried different startup methods, with and without key, etc., and no luck.

So...any ideas before it goes in for a service visit? (If it does go in for service, I think this will be the first unscheduled service visit for something broken I will have ever had on this vehicle!) Thanks, guys! :)

That sounds like a major system melt-down! Best be prepared for a loaner car while they diagnose ... You'll probably come out of it with new hardware. Yours is an '06 xi ... are you still under warranty or have you crossed the 50K mile mark?

Nope, still under warranty. It frankly wouldn't surprise me if it was software or hardware, but we'll find out! Never realized how annoying it was to not have a radio or the handsfree for my phone!

das...this thread was started a few weeks regarding similiar symptoms...members chimed in saying the fix was a new TCU...

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=57330&st=0


GL :thumbsup:

Yeah, I'm guessing it's going to need service and a new "something" (probably TCU), but just thought I'd check in case anyone had a trick up their sleeve (like unhooking the battery overnight and doing a special dance around the car). ;-)

Service for me next week!

I suppose the dance couldn't hurt! A stiff drink might help as well, at least for the driver... :whistle:

Three possibilities:

1.) Software error, they recode the car (they'll probably do that first although they'll check for fault codes and read tea leaves)
2.) TCU error, unlikely but others have reported similar symptoms
3.) CCC failure, more likely and this means they have to do a CCC transplant and then recode the car

Even if it appears to fix itself, it's only a matter of time and the problem will reoccur. So it has to go to the Workshop.

I have had my IDrive do this a few times. My dealer said that I could do the following without bringin it in.
Let the car sit for a few hours or If I felt comfortable doing this(haha) disconnect the batter for few min, reconnect it and it should be fixed. If that does not do it then we could be looking at some replacement of parts.....

Outcome..... 1hour car of worked one time, battery disconnect the other 2. I had them check run diagnostics when I did bring the car in and all was fine....

Just a followup on this...my car ended up needing a new CCC. So that has been replaced and I'm good to go. Glad it was under warranty!

Good news Dave, glad you got it resolved...