Nope. Sorry. Noone will help. :D

Hey guys, i would like know what dimensions u used on the cables?

Thanks so much for all the info! I am in Calgary, AB; just got down to minut 20'C and it looks like the wires cracked! (2006 BMW E61 530XiT with 95,000 km)
My remote works, tailgate goes up easy but close button on tailgate doesn't work.

Will take it a part this week or so and see what the problem is but I suspect some of the wires are cracked.

Thanks to all of you guys!

Looks like my 07 LCI E61 has developed the tailgate wiring problem,glass hatch opens every time I start the car,near side number plate light is out(bulb and holder are fine as I swapped it over with the other side and it worked ok}tailgate release handle isn't working either.
It's going into the dealer on Friday for diagnosis and repair.

Be prepared for a shockingly high quote if it's from a BMW dealer. If your car's an 07, it must be out of warranty now, is there an Auto Electircian you trust?

Or even an Auto Electrician? :rolleyes: :whistle:

Still under extended warranty until April 2012 so guess they'll be picking up the bill?

Got my car back from the dealer tonight,turned out the switch/release handle on the glass section of the tailgate was causing the problems....had been releasing overnight while the car was parked which was why I had the low battery warning etc each morning as well as the glass opening every time the key was inserted into the ignition and the start button pressed.
Seems fine now anyway..

Thanks for all the superb advice on this problem. I have fixed the heated rear screen today and the experience of other was invaluable. Here's what I found when I opened things up.

The brown cable was burned through and had also burned the rear wash tube. There was water in the cavity above the headliner. The wire was easy, cut and solder in a new section. I say easy, but I had to cut about 30mm of cable out - copper oxide doesn't solder too well. I left the coax cable alone as I didn't want to cut into an unknown and find I couldn't repair it. If anyone has done this, I'd be interested in what you found.

The water tube took a little more thought. I finished up using connectors and pipe from a garden irregation kit - Hozelok I think - to replace the burned section, finishing them off with self-amalgamating tape.

The reassembly was fiddly, but OK. Make sure that you have pulled enough cable through before bolting everything back down.

Someone had questioned the strength of the spring in the glass hinge - it can be held with one finger.

Question is now how long will it be before I have to do more.

There are some photos posted here

Thanks again for all the info.

What a fantastic thread!!

The high level brake light was not working on my 2005 530d and after reading this thread I was able to confidently proceed to investigate and rectify the problem to conclusion, many thanks guys.

I was able to remove the plastic fixings of the cable trunking withdraw the wiring loom into the rear of the car with the special ends still on, solider in repair sections, heat srink overcovers and re tape the wiring loom. The loom for the high level brake light is the inner RHS hinge cover when looking at the car from the rear.

An interesting find when I stripped back the loom covering, this repair had been done before?? not to the high level brake light though, but to another circuit. The car was only 2 years old when I got it??? So what has gone on here.