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I am a newby BMW owner - bought a 2010 535xi Sportwagon E61 almost a year ago.
I came from Subaru - 2x SVX (one converted to a 6-speed manual) cluster car twins
3x Legacy GT manual turbo wagons and they were killing my back - I did not understand this until I bought the Bimmer.
I find the BMW very comfy in comparison but, it is a gong show of bongs and warnings and not very confidence inspiring!
I have a Carly bluetooth (no subscription ripper box) and I can clear codes and look at errors etc.
I am clearing codes and turning off check engine stuff while driving now - PITA
I have a number of issues (won't get into my private problems here) the key fobs don't have access to the antenna to open the car - using a key
The rear wiper is dead, seized solid, motor runs but, I will have to get the grinder out to cut the parts out of the rear glass - a bunch of back door stuff is NFG
The rear air suspension went last week so I bought Strutmaster springs and added Bilsteins while it was apart - PITA all bolts, nuts, etc. seized up.
Then the driver's seat backrest width adjustment went haywire, motor runs every time I open the driver's door and runs the battery down to a no start condition.
I pulled fuse #14 and have my car back but, no adjusting, no seat heater.
Anyone have experience with the silly seat issue?
Help would be appreciated and thanks in advance!
Warning lights are: TPM (no sensors in the wheels) Ride leveling (no air pump coversion) Service hoist - not sure, thought it was the brakes, I replaced the front rotors and pads, went and reset front and rear brake monitor stuff and the hoist is still present and bonging... it's a bit like driving a ticking timebomb.
Love the car, nice and comfy, goes really well and loves to speed on the highway... bit of a shit-show for an 11 year old car, 268k km
I have a trailer hitch and drag my dirt bike and trailer around with it - does a great job of that!
Welcome here! I have a 2009 E61 manual, your car is looking nice. Sorry to hear about all the frustrations.
I’m assuming you don’t have the active backrest width adjustment that automatically pushes on you with the side bolsters while you go around corners? That is a very rare option, one that I had to retrofit. They shouldn’t turn on without pressing the button on the center console.
what you need to do is go to bimmergeeks.net and download their software tools. They don’t make them, just redistribute copies of the stuff that is also accessible elsewhere, it’s just a common place to go. You want ISTA+ and INPA. Also you need an OBD to USB cable which Bimmergeeks sells (you don’t have to have theirs, any will do).
With ISTA you can diagnose pretty much anything on the car, and will let you look at the seat modules.
a very common E61 problem is the wiring harness going through the hinge into the rear liftgate starts to break and the wires short out causing weird issues, including your radio antenna and key fob antenna. Additionally, there is an antenna amplifier back there that often fails causing the key fob range to be abysmal. I replaced my amp with one from a 6 series as it was much cheaper on eBay than one from an E61.
If you haven’t already, also lots of good folks on Bimmerfest who can help out as well, I spend lots of time here and there.
Thanks for the tips,
I will head over there and try and get the software...
I did buy a cable and did not have any luck talking to the car with some BMW software I found
Not sure about my laptop either Windows 7? Lenovo T430S no idea if that will work properly?
Once you get the BMW software installed you can code TPMS to FTM to defeat that error.
IF I could get the BMW software installed... problems here too.
I am not savvy enough to get this figured out... I'm looking for someone who has, in my area - Toronto.
I can do this stuff if I can Monkey see, Monkey do - I am not a strong finisher when it comes to software, I don't even type well
I have a Carly bluetooth box that allows very little other than monitor and clear codes.
I went that route because it was easy and that is my speed.
Any help would be appreciated.
11-20-2021, 11:14 AM
New here and new to BMW 535xi Sportwagon E61
