More BMW Assist issues
08-22-2006, 05:58 AM
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My Ride: (USA) 645Ci, Silver Gray, Chateau, Cold Weather PKG, Premium Sound PKG, Sport PKG, Step, NAV [Std Equip in 645], HUD, Satellite (SIRIUS) Radio, Aux Input, Bluetooth enabled using iPhone 3GS w/ adapter cradle - Build date - 01/05, Baby delivered 2/24/05
This bulletin is 14 pages long so I am only posting the title info and attaching a PDF of the whole SIB.
SI B84 23 06
Phone, Navigation Systems August 2006
Technical Service
PERFORM THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THIS SERVICE INFORMATION ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE IN THE SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS AND PRIOR TO RETAIL DELIVERY.
SUBJECT
Service Action: Telematics Control Unit (TCU) ? MOST-bus Vehicles
MODEL
E60, E61 (5 Series) from 7/03 to 2/06 production
E63, E64 (6 Series) from 11/03 to 2/06 production
E65, E66 (7 Series) from 9/02 to 3/06 production
E90, E91 (3 Series) from 3/05 to 2/06 production with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist? (SA 639)
SITUATION
The Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) within the Network Access Device (NAD) may have been corrupted. This may cause the manual and automatic emergency call and roadside call (BMW Assist?) to malfunction. This Service Action checks the integrity of the NAD and if found to be corrupted, corrects it by a special programming repair or by TCU replacement.
Copies of the customer notification letter and Q&A are attached.
To minimize the customer's inconvenience caused by this Service Action, pick up (and deliver after repair) the affected vehicle from the customer's home or provide appropriate alternative transportation.
Customers will be impressed when you return their cars cleaned inside and out and with a full tank of gas. Reimbursement information for the vehicle fueling and valet costs may be found in the Warranty portion of this bulletin.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
This Service Action involves 3, 5, 6, and 7 Series vehicles with BMW Assisttrade; produced from August 28, 2002 to March 31, 2006.
In order to determine if a specific vehicle is affected by this Service Action, it will be necessary to utilize the "Service Menu" of the DCS (Dealer Communication System) or Key Reader. Based on the response of the system, either proceed with the corrective action or take no further action.
SI B84 23 06
Phone, Navigation Systems August 2006
Technical Service
PERFORM THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THIS SERVICE INFORMATION ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE IN THE SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS AND PRIOR TO RETAIL DELIVERY.
SUBJECT
Service Action: Telematics Control Unit (TCU) ? MOST-bus Vehicles
MODEL
E60, E61 (5 Series) from 7/03 to 2/06 production
E63, E64 (6 Series) from 11/03 to 2/06 production
E65, E66 (7 Series) from 9/02 to 3/06 production
E90, E91 (3 Series) from 3/05 to 2/06 production with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist? (SA 639)
SITUATION
The Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) within the Network Access Device (NAD) may have been corrupted. This may cause the manual and automatic emergency call and roadside call (BMW Assist?) to malfunction. This Service Action checks the integrity of the NAD and if found to be corrupted, corrects it by a special programming repair or by TCU replacement.
Copies of the customer notification letter and Q&A are attached.
To minimize the customer's inconvenience caused by this Service Action, pick up (and deliver after repair) the affected vehicle from the customer's home or provide appropriate alternative transportation.
Customers will be impressed when you return their cars cleaned inside and out and with a full tank of gas. Reimbursement information for the vehicle fueling and valet costs may be found in the Warranty portion of this bulletin.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
This Service Action involves 3, 5, 6, and 7 Series vehicles with BMW Assisttrade; produced from August 28, 2002 to March 31, 2006.
In order to determine if a specific vehicle is affected by this Service Action, it will be necessary to utilize the "Service Menu" of the DCS (Dealer Communication System) or Key Reader. Based on the response of the system, either proceed with the corrective action or take no further action.
08-22-2006, 06:10 AM
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My Ride: 545iSMGSilver GrayAuburn Dakota LeatherLogic 7 Premium SoundSports Package
HUmmm what happens since my Assist has already expired and I didnt opt for the renewal? I guess I'm out of a free tank of gas... 
08-22-2006, 07:03 AM
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My Ride: 2005 545i with Sport Pkg, Nav, HUD, Cold Weather Pkg, Rear Shades
As always, thanks cobradav for posting the info. Altho the bulletin says "This may cause the manual and automatic emergency call and roadside call (BMW Assist?) to malfunction.", I would like to get more details on the problem.
How does this problem manifest itself? Can you not make Emergency or roadside assist calls? The Roadside assist option in my iDrive is not selectable. Is this a manifestation of the problem?? I can still make the Emergency calls by pressing the SOS button.
Someone please set me straight.
How does this problem manifest itself? Can you not make Emergency or roadside assist calls? The Roadside assist option in my iDrive is not selectable. Is this a manifestation of the problem?? I can still make the Emergency calls by pressing the SOS button.
Someone please set me straight.
08-22-2006, 08:44 AM
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My Ride: '05 545i(Build 10/04)(SMG)Sport,BlkSapphire,Blk,Anthricite,Logic7,CWP,Comfort Seats,Nav,RearBags,Shades,Sirius,Heated/SplitFoldingRearSeats; '18 540i xDrive, White/Mocha, CWP, DAP, DAP+, Lux. Pkg, Prem. Pkg., Executive Pkg., Luxury Seating Pkg
Model Year: 2005,2018
Dave, thank you for the information. This is ironic, since I just had my car in for a BMW Assist Failure, with the second TCM replaced, and there is no mention of this SIB on the Work Order. BTW, they did not give me a free tank of gas, and in fact I had to make a second trip to the dealer for them to remove the ESN label from the TCM. I have called BMW Customer Service about the Signal Strength Indicator (Previous Post), and also "e" mailed them the question, and all I get from them is to ask the dealer. I have done this already, and the dealer cannot answer the question. I received a follow-up call from BMW concerning my recent service, asking me how satisfied I was with their performance, and I let loose. The person on the phone suggested that I call BMW Customer Service, amazing. I told them I had already done this and "e" mailed them, with no-one answering my question. They promised me that someone from BMW would contact me regarding my question. This was over a week ago.
Sorry for the rant. In the grand scheme of things, this is not that important.
Joe
Sorry for the rant. In the grand scheme of things, this is not that important.
Joe
10-12-2006, 07:14 AM
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My Ride: 530i 6-speed, orient blue, Beige leather interior, poplar trim, head-up display, dynamic drive, active cruise control, active steering, heated sports steering wheel, adaptive xenon headlights (auto levelling) with headlight washers, alarm, glass sunroof, advanced A/C, nav pro, voice command, logic 7, cd changer, auto dimming mirrors, fold down rear seats, skibag, sport suspension, Aux input, Treo 650 Bluetooth
More infomation abou the TCU problems.
Sony Ericsson in legal spat over car device
Triangle Business Journal - September 8, 2006by Leo John
Steve Wilson
Najmi Jarwala heads up Sony Ericsson's North American operations.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - Some BMW drivers who have their cars equipped with a defective emergency assistance service button may soon find out the culprit, as a corporate spat has emerged between Sony Ericsson and a German auto parts concern.
At issue is who is responsible for these misfirings after thousands of the gadgets have been sold by dealers across the country.
Continental AG claims that Sony Ericsson supplied defective parts that cause the devices to be rendered "inoperable." Continental is asking a court to force Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony and Ericsson with North American headquarters in Research Triangle Park, to pay more than $40 million in damages. Sony Ericsson says the complaint is groundless.
Continental AG in April bought from giant Motorola a division that had contracted to purchase the allegedly defective parts from Sony Ericsson. On Aug. 3, Continental filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit at Lake County, Ill., claiming breach of contract.
The same day, Sony Ericsson, which employs 600 in RTP, filed suit in Wake County Superior Court naming Motorola and Continental as defendants in a claim related to the same product.
Sony Ericsson is demanding unspecified compensation for time and resources spent in "attempting to help Motorola fix a problem that Motorola itself caused - and hid from Sony Ericsson," according to court documents.
Continental in its filing states that Sony Ericsson "failed to inform Motorola or Continental that its units would fail until after Continental had shipped hundreds of thousands of units to BMW and they had been installed in BMW vehicles," Continental states in its suit.
A spokeswoman for BMW did not return phone messages. Sue Frederick, a spokeswoman for Continental AG, had no comment.
Lee Hill, Sony Ericsson's general counsel at RTP, says that, as far as he knows, BMW is "aware there are some issues." However, Hill says, even if the devices turn defective the car is expected to alert the driver to the problem.
"It wouldn't be something that the user would not be unaware of," he says.
Sony Ericsson says in its suit that the devices work. "BMW accepted (the product), incorporated it into its cars, and the device functioned as intended," the company claims.
"They claim the products they have purchased were defective, except they want us to continue manufacturing more," says Jonathan Sasser, an attorney representing Sony Ericsson.
Both lawsuits are the result of years of wrangling and at least two attempts to settle the issue that came to naught. At issue is a "purchase agreement" signed in July 2002 by Motorola's automotive components group and electronic services group and Sony Ericsson's machine-to-machine division, which was sold earlier this year to Wavecom.
Sony Ericsson agreed to sell to Motorola "network access devices," which were integrated into Motorola's telematics communications units, or TCUs, that Motorola in turn sold to automakers such as BMW.
By connecting wirelessly to a central service center, the TCU acts as a lifeline for drivers, with the capability of supplying services ranging from travel directions to emergency health assistance. The device is similar to General Motors' "OnStar" product.
In 2005, Continental says Motorola's employees discovered that Sony Ericsson's devices failed over time. "The entire non-volatile memory is eventually corrupted and, in certain circumstances, rendering the telematics units inoperable and disabling the automobile owner's telematics system."
Continental claims Sony Ericsson did not resolve the issues and also refused to provide support. It is seeking damages "in excess of $40 million, plus costs, fees and interest."
Hill says, "That's an aggressive number by any stretch."
Sony Ericsson claims the devices work fine, but Motorola's employees didn't know how to use them. Sasser likens the situation to turning off a computer. "You can yank the plug off the wall, or you can power it down correctly," says Sasser. "They were yanking the plug off the wall."
Sony Ericsson is itself claiming breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation, citing what it claims was false information provided by Motorola and Continental.
Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson is continuing to provide the components in question, in part using supplies from Wavecom.
"We service Sony Ericsson as we service any other customer," says Sara Brown, a spokeswoman for Wavecom. "Their relationship with their customer has nothing to do with us."
Reporter e-mail: ljohn@bizjournals.com.
Sony Ericsson in legal spat over car device
Triangle Business Journal - September 8, 2006by Leo John
Steve Wilson
Najmi Jarwala heads up Sony Ericsson's North American operations.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - Some BMW drivers who have their cars equipped with a defective emergency assistance service button may soon find out the culprit, as a corporate spat has emerged between Sony Ericsson and a German auto parts concern.
At issue is who is responsible for these misfirings after thousands of the gadgets have been sold by dealers across the country.
Continental AG claims that Sony Ericsson supplied defective parts that cause the devices to be rendered "inoperable." Continental is asking a court to force Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony and Ericsson with North American headquarters in Research Triangle Park, to pay more than $40 million in damages. Sony Ericsson says the complaint is groundless.
Continental AG in April bought from giant Motorola a division that had contracted to purchase the allegedly defective parts from Sony Ericsson. On Aug. 3, Continental filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit at Lake County, Ill., claiming breach of contract.
The same day, Sony Ericsson, which employs 600 in RTP, filed suit in Wake County Superior Court naming Motorola and Continental as defendants in a claim related to the same product.
Sony Ericsson is demanding unspecified compensation for time and resources spent in "attempting to help Motorola fix a problem that Motorola itself caused - and hid from Sony Ericsson," according to court documents.
Continental in its filing states that Sony Ericsson "failed to inform Motorola or Continental that its units would fail until after Continental had shipped hundreds of thousands of units to BMW and they had been installed in BMW vehicles," Continental states in its suit.
A spokeswoman for BMW did not return phone messages. Sue Frederick, a spokeswoman for Continental AG, had no comment.
Lee Hill, Sony Ericsson's general counsel at RTP, says that, as far as he knows, BMW is "aware there are some issues." However, Hill says, even if the devices turn defective the car is expected to alert the driver to the problem.
"It wouldn't be something that the user would not be unaware of," he says.
Sony Ericsson says in its suit that the devices work. "BMW accepted (the product), incorporated it into its cars, and the device functioned as intended," the company claims.
"They claim the products they have purchased were defective, except they want us to continue manufacturing more," says Jonathan Sasser, an attorney representing Sony Ericsson.
Both lawsuits are the result of years of wrangling and at least two attempts to settle the issue that came to naught. At issue is a "purchase agreement" signed in July 2002 by Motorola's automotive components group and electronic services group and Sony Ericsson's machine-to-machine division, which was sold earlier this year to Wavecom.
Sony Ericsson agreed to sell to Motorola "network access devices," which were integrated into Motorola's telematics communications units, or TCUs, that Motorola in turn sold to automakers such as BMW.
By connecting wirelessly to a central service center, the TCU acts as a lifeline for drivers, with the capability of supplying services ranging from travel directions to emergency health assistance. The device is similar to General Motors' "OnStar" product.
In 2005, Continental says Motorola's employees discovered that Sony Ericsson's devices failed over time. "The entire non-volatile memory is eventually corrupted and, in certain circumstances, rendering the telematics units inoperable and disabling the automobile owner's telematics system."
Continental claims Sony Ericsson did not resolve the issues and also refused to provide support. It is seeking damages "in excess of $40 million, plus costs, fees and interest."
Hill says, "That's an aggressive number by any stretch."
Sony Ericsson claims the devices work fine, but Motorola's employees didn't know how to use them. Sasser likens the situation to turning off a computer. "You can yank the plug off the wall, or you can power it down correctly," says Sasser. "They were yanking the plug off the wall."
Sony Ericsson is itself claiming breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation, citing what it claims was false information provided by Motorola and Continental.
Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson is continuing to provide the components in question, in part using supplies from Wavecom.
"We service Sony Ericsson as we service any other customer," says Sara Brown, a spokeswoman for Wavecom. "Their relationship with their customer has nothing to do with us."
Reporter e-mail: ljohn@bizjournals.com.
01-06-2010, 11:24 AM
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Sorry to dig up an old topic, but is there an update or follow up for this TIS?
I brought my 1/06 build into the dealer to reactivate BMW Assist after letting the subscription lapse, and lo & behold, TCU problems are cropping up. They've already replaced the TCU once and it didn't work. Apparently what's happening is that the TCU isn't accepting the recoding over the air from BMW Assist. So they're replacing the replacement TCU now.
I really want my 530xi, cause this 323i loaner is killing me with it's cramped space! Thanks!
I brought my 1/06 build into the dealer to reactivate BMW Assist after letting the subscription lapse, and lo & behold, TCU problems are cropping up. They've already replaced the TCU once and it didn't work. Apparently what's happening is that the TCU isn't accepting the recoding over the air from BMW Assist. So they're replacing the replacement TCU now.
I really want my 530xi, cause this 323i loaner is killing me with it's cramped space! Thanks!
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