alohalc

i'm starting to get headache just reading the long list and i can certainly feel your pain :'(. it's almost a nightmare to deal w/all these problems but good news is at least some of them were fixed . my dealer didn't fix any of my problems .

Iceman

It looks like your car has about 75 percent of all problems we discussed here on this board.
The most of 'em seem to be software related...

Anyway, hope the 'big dog' is able to help you.
Good luck!

530E60NL

Maybe the new software version 13.2 can help you solving most of the problems. I would give it another try!

Guest

Let me compare my opinions and experiences to yours.
Point by point

Software problems:

- I-Drive controller not always responding to a request (sometimes I have to move the controller several times to a direction until it responds to my request) -> Still an issue

This I recognize but accept as software latency problem - It is noticeable but not substantial enough to make me feel annoyed

- After changing the front CD, the new CD isn't detected -> Still an issue

i don?t have a cd-changer

- After reloading the CD Changer, the new CD's aren't detected -> Still an issue

i don?t have a cd changer

- When switching audio sources I get an impossible value/label in the status bar that says 630 Mhz -> Fixed by software update

??? is this a fault? When switching audio sources the 630 mHz value is the AM setting. This would be totally natural and that its unusable has to do with AM not being used very much in Europe. Since the audio source toggle FM-AM-CD I don?t understand what the FIX is supposed to be

- When starting the car when the radio/CD was turned off before, it will start to play again automatically.

This I recognize but accept as a perhaps poorly choosen feature of the software. I would prefer to have it act another way but has seen it as poor design rather than a fault

- Force feedback of the I-Drive controller works incorrect -> Try to change the country when entering a new destination in your nav system and you will know what I am talking about -> Software update + replacement of controller twice -> Still an issue

This I recognize but accept as a perhaps poorly choosen feature of the software. I would prefer to have it act another way but has seen it as poor design rather than a fault (I would guess that there is a argument for this from the software design POW but agree it?s rather stupid - the argument might go something like that it would be confusing if you spinned thru more than one screen of info before the force feedback kicks in)

- After starting the car I got a message saying that the anti-trap function didn't work for some unexplained reason -> Only happened once

I guiess you?re talking about the windows. This is truly a real fault that I (and many others) have experienced but I have not yet taken up with the dealer

- I-Drive hangs from time to time -> Still an issue

This I recognize but accept as software/computer problem - It is noticeable but not substantial enough to make me feel annoyed. My background is in computer support and and I see the car as half computer and half car. As a car it?s outstanding. As a computer it?s mediocre but not worse than your average PC.

- I-Drive doesn't boot up after starting the car in the morning -> Still an issue

This I recognize but accept as software/computer problem - It is noticeable but not substantial enough to make me feel annoyed.


- The Nav system forgets to say some words from time to time -> Still an issue

I use the Nav all the time and haven?t really noticed this. I suspect that I would accept it though as there seems to be a hierarchy that sometimes mute fx the Navlady during updating of TMC and/or phonebook and similar.

- My nav system once told me to make a U-Turn at least 50 times in just a couple of minutes! -> Only happened once

If this was recurring I would say that?s bad. I have had Navs in other cars behave similar but most often traced it to anomalies in the Nav data set (from the disc) also in connection with GPS satellite glitches in specific places

- No function to search an address by postal code, this functionality was even available in my previous car! (a 2002 330Cic)

This is a design stupidity not a fault

- Lightsensor way to sensitive -> Still an issue

don?t have that system

- Rainsensor not always working correctly

I t works as good as it can in my car. I don?t expect it to work perfectly at all times and is as good as other cars in my experience

- RDS information not always displayed correctly

When I?ve seen this it?s been traced to the radio station side. The BMW is sometimes better in displaying it correctly than Volvo sometimes worse.

- TMC not always working

When I?ve seen this it?s been traced to the TMC organization. TMC faults I have seen has been explained as faults in the TMC transmission/control system (which is still in sort of tryout mode in Sweden). In Denmark it works nmuch better.


- After starting the car I was once unable to un-mute the CD that was playing, radio worked fine

This I recognize but accept as software/computer problem - It is noticeable and irritating. I accept it but it helps to let the system boot in an orderly fashion.

- Auto tranny not able to hold the car without going backwards when trying to take off from a ramp.

don?t have auto

- When accelerating from a stand still by flooring the pedal the auto tranny hesitates for a second before taking off.

don?t have auto

- When driving up a ramp the auto tranny will switch between several gears (while it should stay in the same gear) -> Still an issue

don?t have auto

- When driving down a ramp the auto tranny will also switch gears while you expect it to keep the same gear and will launch the car down in stead of slowing it down -> Still an issue

don?t have auto

- When using the sporty drive style, and breaking hard I get the feeling like my brakes are not working, this problem is caused by the fact that the auto tranny doesn't disengage the gear when lifting off your foot of the gas pedal, causing the car to try to still go forward (even when you try to break really hard), IMHO I find this a very disturbing safety issue -> Still an issue

don?t have auto

- PDC so far told me that I had still 0.5m left when I was in fact only a couple of centimers away from the obstruction, result I once bounced my back bumper to a wall, and once to another car!

PDC working very well for me. You seem to have anomaly circumstances or faulty system.

- When turning the screen off it stays illuminated

This is the way it?s supposed to be and actually a good feature in my opinion.

- When the screen is off the status bar will appear from time to time for a couple of seconds.

This is the way it?s supposed to be and actually a very good feature in my opinion.
It will update whenever something changes that?s normally in the status bar (even trackchanges on the cd)

- When starting the car between 11 and 12 at night, the status bar where the time is displayed will show something like --:15 in stead of 23:15

haven?t had that

- The right screen of the I-drive (split screen) will revert to another view from time to time after restarting the car.

It?s an intentional software design I think. Haven?t figured out the exact logic though. Don?t find it overly annoying

- After shuting down the car I can still hear the music playing (even when I turned off the radio before shuting down the car) although it is playing really quite.

I?ve noticed this sometimes and I don?t like it. It can also do this loud.

Mechanical problems:
- Cup holder doesn't always come out -> Fixed by replacing the cup holder

No problem for me but others have also reported it

- New cup holder isn't able to store a standard 0.33cl can of Coke (I messed up the enteriour of my car by having an open Coke in it, really nice!) -> Still an issue

bad design but not a fault

- Windshield whipers making a lot of noice from time to time

No problem for me silent

- When the engine is running stationary you can feal it shake throught the entire car, dealer updated the motor software and told me it was resolved but I feel it shaking still as bad as before.

No problem for me smooth

Rattles & Squeeks:
- Rattle coming from the back seat -> Still an issue (after dealer claimed to have fixed it twice)

No problem. All seats are quiet

- Squeeking noice coming from driver's seat -> Currently resolved after dealer tried to fix it 3 times

Never a problem

- Rattle coming from driver's headrest -> Still an issue (my dealer finally replaced all mechanical parts of my seat which resolved the problem from nearly 1 week!)

Never a problem

- Squeeking noice coming from passenger's seat -> Still an issue (dealer tried to resolve it 1x but no success)

Never a problem

- Armrest starting to rattle as well

Never a problem (and I adjust it all the time)

- Rattles coming from the dashboard

Yes, I have that - really annoying will take it up with dealer. Not loud and always intermittent but really irritating.

Others:
- When closing the car after driving it the car starts to make really strange noices -> Still an issue

This makes me calm and feels as it should be

- FM radio reception still very poor
My FM reception feels almost too good. (It picks up many more stations than the Volvo and that might interfer)

----I think that's about it (finally) as said before I really like the car for it looks and road feel but I am soooo fed up with all the issues that I have that I want to get rid of it ASAP. If anyone can give me some advise about what to do I would really appreciate it!----

Well if you read the above I have removed most of your issues that HAS been resolved and given my opinions on some others that are not necessarily faults.

I have two additional issues with my car that I think is worse than many of mine above.

1. Tyre pressure warning going off but when checking pressure is OK- Have to fix this but still uncertain whether runflats might have a (very) slow leak.

2. Diesel consumption
On my old e46 diesel I could easily beat BMWs official figures I have now driven 7000 kms in one month but cannot get the official figure fo a manual e61 530D on very controlled and easy highwaydriving. The official is 5.8 litres/100 km in highway driving (driving 90 on a level highway without wind or rain) but I can hardly get 7.0 litres/100km in these very light circumstances.
The e46 had an official figure of 4.8 litres/100km on highway but I could then go as low as 3.8 litres/100km like that. I suspect the 18" runflats being major culprits. Will test 16" normal tyres for winter.

Still after all this this is the best car I?ve driven by far (car history. SAAB-SAAB-JAGUAR-CHRYSLER-BMW-BMW plus additional driving in a large number of brands)
List of good things much longer than the above list of faults.

As a computer it?s much worse than my G5 macs but slightly better than my PCs

best
objetti

objekt

that was me

my530i

Objekt,

You're typing really fast. I'm impressed.

tcumbo

I guess he returned the car because of this. Hmm...

pharding

You don't need an auto mechanic. You need an exorcist. :'(

Iceman

Sad, but true...

ricochet

Wow, thats making me nervous about my car being shipped as we speak! I hope i dont have all of those problems!