2008 BMW 5 SERIES Electrical System Problems

I WAS DRIVING AND BUMPED UP AGAINST A SIDEWALK CURVE AND MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS WELL AS MY CAR SHUT OFF. IT WILL NOT START ANOTHER MORE AND THE HOOD UNDERNEATH WAS ON FIRE. (SMOKE WAS PRESENT).

JUST BOUGHT A USED 2008 528I (E60) W/94K MILES, IN OTHERWISE PERFECT CONDITION. WENT TO CHANGE THE ANGEL EYES FROM DRAB YELLOW TO LUX LED'S. NOTICED BARE WIRES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BULB CONNECTORS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. TRIED TO USE ELECTRICAL TAPE, JUST MADE MORE BARE WIRE. THE MORE I TOUCHED THE WIRES, THE MORE INSULATION FLAKED OFF, ALMOST LIKE A POWDER. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SAFE. DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD. NEIGHBOR BROUGHT OVER A BOTTLE OF LIQUID TAPE, AND I RE-COATED ALL THE BARE WIRE I COULD SEE, MAKING SURE EACH WIRE WAS SEPARATED SO A SHORT WOULD NOT OCCUR. THAT IS A GOOD TEMPORARY FIX. WILL HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS PROBLEM, SINCE MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THE HEADLIGHT WIRING IS MADE WITH BAD, QUICKLY DEGRADING WIRE INSULATION. A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT IN OTHERWISE GOOD GERMAN QUALITY...

ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION/SHEATHING WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT/HOUSING IS SHOWING SIGNS OF AND OR OUTRIGHT DETERIORATION WHICH IN TURN EXPOSES BARE WIRES WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. AT THIS POINT, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS HAVE BEEN THE ONLY EFFECTED LIGHTS BUT THE WIRES FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ALSO NOTICEABLY TROUBLED. THE ISSUE IS NOT SPEED, MOVEMENT OR AREA DEPENDENT. FOR FURTHER REFERENCE, I WILL PROVIDE A LINK TO AN OWNER'S FORUM DETAILING OTHER'S DILEMMAS DUE TO THIS EXACT ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=798640 I LOOK FORWARD TO A RESPONSE.

( I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER THIS VEHICLE) WHILE REPLACING A BURNT OUT HEADLIGHT, I NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION IN THE SEALED HEADLIGHT WAS MISSING. WHEN I CHECKED THE OPPOSITE SIDE, I FOUND THE SAME THING, THE INSULATION WAS BROKEN AND MISSING. BEING THAT THIS IS A SEALED HEADLIGHT HOUSING, I AM UNABLE TO REMOVE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. BMW PARTS STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS IS NOT SOLD FOR THOSE LIGHTS. ONE HAS TO PURCHASE A COMPLETELY NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AT A AVERAGE COST OF $700.00+. *TR

OUR 2007 BMW 530XI DEVELOPED A STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION WARNING. A RED STEERING WHEEL WITH A PADLOCK APPEARS ON THE DASH SCREEN WITH A WARNING ON THE COMPUTER. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND UNLOCKS PERFECTLY EVERY TIME. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE. THE DEALER SAYS THE STEERING LOCK MODULE MUST BE REPLACED FOR $600. I FOUND THAT THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM ON BMWS AND THAT BMW CORPORATION IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

ALL 6 FUEL INJECTORS FAILED. CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. *TR

ON OR ABOUT MAY 2013 I WAS TRAVELING AT 60MPH ON THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD BANG SOUND AND MY VEHICLE CAME TO AN AUTOMATIC STOP. SCARED AS VEHICLE BEHIND ME SCREECHED AND TURN AWAY AVOIDING ME. I REMAINED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND I TRAVELED FEARFULLY TO COMPLETE MY ASSIGNMENT. SAME DAY ON MY RETURN HOME VEHICLE STOPPED ABOUT 3 TIMES BUT I DROVE STRAIGHT TO DEALERSHIP. WITHOUT INSPECTING MY VEHICLE I WAS TOLD MY ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WAS GONE. I WAS QUOTED VERY HIGH AMOUNT BUT SOMETHING TOLD ME A BAD ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WOULD NOT START A VEHICLE SO I OFFERED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE HOME. MY VEHICLE STAYED HOME FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS WITHOUT USE ONLY WARM UPS REVERSE AND PARK. I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TO AVOID THE FRIVOLOUS AMOUNT THE DEALERS QUOTED...

MALFUNCTION OF LEFT HEADLIGHT. DEALER INSPECTION REVEALED"HEADLIGHT WIRES LEADING TO BULB SOCKET HAVE CORROSION ON THEM AND CASING AROUND THE WIRES IS COMING OFF". THERE WAS A RECENT VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL CAR FOR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH REAR LAMP BULB CARRIER: RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 13V-407 POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MALFUNCTION OF HEADLIGHTS LEADING TO DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS OR CRASH CAN OCCUR ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT OR IN BAD/INCLEMENT WEATHER. *TR

THE GROUNDING WIRE IN THE CONNECTOR TO THE TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDER MELTED AND MELTED PARTS OF THE CONNECTOR. THIS RESULTED IN NO SIGNAL, BRAKE AND RUNNING REAR LIGHTS. A RECALL HAS BEEN CALLED FOR BMW E46 3 SERIES FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER THE 5 SERIES AS WELL. *TR

GROUND WIRE FOR PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BURNED UP. GROUND WIRE, BOTH SIDES OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, AND TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDER ALL BURNED UP. PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT, TAIL LIGHT, TURN SIGNAL AND BACK UP LIGHT DO NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. IMPROPERLY RATED FUSE DID NOT BLOW BEFORE CIRCUIT BURNED UP AND MELTED. THIS CIRCUIT IS NOT DESIGNED CORRECTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO MYSELF AND ANYONE DRIVING BEHIND ME. CAR MODEL IS A 2008 528XI. *TR

VEHICLE IS 2008 528I SEDAN. THE TIRE MONITOR PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS DISPLAYED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A BMW DEALERSHIP TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE. THEY SAID THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS OK ON ALL 4 TIRES. HOWEVER, IT CONTINUED TO DISPLAY THE TMP INDICATOR. THEN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, VARIOUS ALERT INDICATORS WOULD DISPLAY BRIEFLY AND THE DATE AND TIME WERE NOT SET. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DETERMINED FLUID (REFERRED TO BY BMW AS 'AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE') LEAKED FROM INSIDE THE TRUNK OF VEHICLE INTO THE RDC (COMMUNICATION) MODULE, WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE TRUNK. THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THE SUBMERGED FLUID SHORTED OUT THE MODULE AND MELTED THE HARNESS. THE RDC MODULE AND THE HARNESS WERE REPLACED. THE TRUNK WAS NOT WET SO I DID NOT REALIZE ANYTHING HAD LEAKED NOR WAS I AWARE THERE WERE...

OUR 2008 BMW 528I HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN WHICH THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF CHARGING THE BATTERY IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN SHORT DISTANCES OR MULTIPLE STOPS. THIS CAUSES THE BATTERY TO RUN DOWN AND THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WILL STOP AND NOT START. AFTER FOUR (4) TRIPS TO THE DEALER (TRUCKED TWICE) THE DEALER HAS DETERMINED THAT IT IS AN OPERATOR PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE PLUGGED INTO AND ELECTRICAL BATTERY CHARGER WHEN NOT IN USE. ADDITIONALLY, THEY INDICATED THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN DAILY FOR DRIVES OF MORE THAN 20 MILES TO HOPEFULLY CHARGE THE BATTERY. THE ISSUE HAS US IN FEAR OF THE VEHICLE STALLING IN TRAFFIC AND CREATING A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

VEHICLE IS 2008 BMW 535XI WAGON. BLOCKED SUNROOF DRAINS MEANT THAT WATER DRAINED INTO THE VEHICLE, GATHERING IN THE TRUNK WHERE THE ELECTRONICS SIT. CAR HAD MULTIPLE ENGINE FAILURES AND WARNINGS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE, ELECTRICAL FAILURE, SUNROOF ERROR AND TPM FAILURE. CAUSE PER BMW WAS BLOCKAGE OF REAR SUNROOF DRAIN. THIS IS A COMMON FAULT CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN OF THE SUNROOF DRAINS (TOO NARROW AND PRONE TO BLOCKING). A RECALL ON THE SEDAN 5 SERIES MOVES THE ELECTRONICS TO A HIGHER POSITION IN THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE ELECTRONICS DAMAGE BUT BMW STATE THERE IS NO SIMILAR MOVE POSSIBLE FOR THE WAGON., ALSO IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT OCCURS AND BMW HAS NO SUGGESTED SERVICE STEPS T P[REVENT OCCURRENCE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ITS VERY DANGEROUS AND V EXPENSIVE TO REMEDIATE. BMW OCCASIONALLY COVERS A GOODWILL REPAIR BUT WON'T COVER UNDER WARRANTY. ADVICE FROM BMW IS NOT...

HAVE HAD 3 SEPARATE INSTANCES IN THE PAST 9 MONTHS WHERE MY CAR STALLED OR SPUTTERED WITH LOSS OF POWER , AND ONCE I HAD NO STEERING OR BRAKING ABILITY. DANGEROUS SITUATION IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. *TR

2008 BMW 535I HAS AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL VALVES. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE HAD VERY LITTLE POWER. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER AGAIN IT WAS THE FUEL VALVES. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM FOR A THIRD TIME, IN HE LOST VIRTUALLY ALL POWER IN THE ENGINE. SO FAR, THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *JB

1. ROUGH RIDING - LOSS OF POWER ON HIGHWAY 2. DOZENS OF TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. CAR HAS BEEN IN SHOP FOR TWO MONTHS OUT OF LAST 12 FOR THE SAME ISSUE. 3. BMW KEEPS TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS BUT NO FINAL FIXES AS YET. *TR