Hello all - I'm new at the forums - just took delivery of my '06 M5 on April 7th after waiting for it to be built to my specs in Germany, and have had a nightmare of an experience thus far. The following problems are still undiagnosed, as my local BMW service dept. had my car for 10 working days and was unable to find the problem. I'm at my wits end and am crushed that I can't enjoy this car - any insight or advice is appreciated beyond words....

Upon ignition the following errors start to show up in my idrive display (I have a picture I can email, but am not allowed yet to post a url showing the picture of the errors as shown on my screen)

Increased Emissions! (this is always first)
DSC Malfunction!
Start-Off Assistance Inactive!
DBC Malfunction!
Engine Malfunction/Reduced Power! (this of course comes with the engine effectively cutting itself in half, so the car's power is completely gone).

What's odd is, the other Idrive status screen shows that all is well, so some part of the computer is very confused - :help :help it's unlikely that all of these things are actually wrong with the car, so everyone involved sees this as a communication or software or connection error. However, I took the car to BMW at which time they immediately diagnosed the problem as a bad DSC sensor, which was causing the whole system to go haywire. They replaced the DSC sensor - that didnt solve it. They then replaced the entire control module that's part of the DSC/SMG system - that didn't solve it. They checked all of the wiring - everything ohmed out fine and checked out OK. They re-programmed the software 3 or 4 times - didn't solve it.

After 10 days of being promised my car back, I decided to go in and get the car back from BMW for the weekend last Friday just so we could all clear our heads and regroup. I mentioned that I had the K40 integrated radar detector and the Blinder laser diffusers installed (hard wired not bluetooth) right before the error messages began (in fact it was the day before they started popping up.) The service foreman and I called the company who installed the radar/laser system to find that they wired for power via the brake relay - which is the way they had done it on several M5's with no issue. BMW highly doubted this was the problem, but agreed there was an outside chance due to them just not knowing enough about the car yet - they unhooked the system from power and let me try the car out over the weekend. Well, I had no errors for a week - drove 100's of miles stopping and starting the car 6-8 times a day - no errors, no issues, nothing. So, deductive reasoning would lead one to believe that the laser/radar system was improperly installed and was the root of the issues.

So, I went back to the company who installed my radar/laser, explained the problem, at which time they thought that the only potential problem might be a backflow through the wiring causing the computer to go haywire. So, they attached a diode to prevent the backflow and sent me on my way. Two hours later, bam! Every error message popped back up and almost caused me to just drive the thing off the bridge with me securely fastened in. I've since de-powered the laser/radar system to no avail - it's completely unwired for power and Im still getting these errors and subsequent power-downs every time I start the car.

Has anyone else run into this type of situation? BMW Service has gone as far to call BMW Corporate to admit defeat and ask for help, but have received no course of action - so we're stuck here. (well they claim they called I cant vouch for sure.) I've waited my my entire professional life to buy an M5, only to be cursed with a car that now drives like a $100,000 Corolla. Someone - Anyone - please help!

DK

Just drive without the K40 and the Blinder. Go back to the installer to make sure everything is disconnected.

thanks so much for the response - any idea if I have to have BMW rerun the programming to stop all of the error messages? also, do you know if there's a correct way to wire the k40 and the blinders?

thanks again.

dk

Well, I'd have BMW do a diagnosis again. However, like I said, I'd stay away from the K40 and Blinder as it seems to be causing the errors.

You are lucky your dealership is cool about that. They too seem to believe they found the cause of the errors and if you choose to maintain the K40/Blinder, they may give you a very hard time about warranty issues.

As for the K40/Blinder setup, did the installer do other E60 M5s or were they E39 M5s. Or was it a franchise that installed the systems in another M5 and these guys were just one of the locations.

One thing to take into consideration is the electrical system in the E60 is very complex and it also has bluetooth applications. Stray signals mayhinder the proper operation of the vehicle.

Yeah no kidding about the dealer being cool about it. They claim to have installed this exact combination of radar/laser system into 4 E60's all without issue. I spoke with another company locally who specializes in customizing M's and AMG's - they said they have wired it that way with no recourse on E60's as well - but I think it's painfully obvious where the root of the problem is at this point. I may be better off having them yank the whole thing out, and seeing if BMW will install it or a comparable alternative. Otherwise, I'm guaranteed a healthy dose of tickets - I can't bring myself to not drive this car...it makes me drive it I have no choice in the matter ;)

Thanks again - I appreciate it 100 times over.

dk

How's about just using a Blinder as it just shoots laser signals, so that shouldn't affect the electronics. Then get a V1 and use a remote display. O you could install them one at a time to see which one causes the faults. Perhaps one of the units is faulty.

That's an idea - if it'll be just as effective that'd be the way to go - after this experience I think it's established that I need to stay away from everything that has to come into contact with this car's electronics and software systems. I've come to find that the inner workings of the "brains" are just too complex to add outside variables. Nothing's worth having the car powered down like this - I'd rather ride a bike all day.

UPDATE: BMW decided that re-wiring the K-40's/Blinder's power source from the brake relay to the 12-volt ignition switch (or something along those lines) was the way to go. They have a motor sports dept. at this particular dealership, whose tech claimed to have successfully installed this very system in 2 other '06 M5's without any incident. They re-wired it, reset all of the faults from the system, and drove the car for a few miles, stopped/started a few times - all with no faults whatsoever. I go pick up the car, and not 5 miles down the road the christmas tree of misery lit up all at once. Now I'm right back at square one.

One thing I didnt mention earlier, was that when these faults first began to show, they were few and far between - and would reset themselves when I turned off the car. While I was waiting for the DSC sensor to come in from backorder, the car ran at 100% with no faults whatsoever for about 2 weeks straight. One day they just decided to come back - and always in the same exact order as the time before. Does any of this make any sense at all? It's starting to sound like it's the car and not the K40/Blinders - although the car ran fine for a week when the system was de-powered and the car's software was reset. I'm at a total loss - as is my service dept. I'm seriously considering calling BMW Corporate and getting them involved - does anyone have any experience getting things done that way?

I'm way past "lost it" at this point - I'm open for any and all suggestions.

Thanks - DK

BMWNA is not going to get involved over some aftermarket stuff. They are going to tell you to remove the aftermarket eqpt and if it runs fine without it you're SOL. If there are problems, they may still blame it on the other shop tapping into the electronics.

True, although I'd love to see them defend a theory that something like a K40 could fry the car to the point of no return - especially after they re-wired it themselves. Gosh I would hope that a company of that calibre would step up and do the right thing if it came to that...I hope I'm never able to answer that question either.

True, although I'd love to see them defend a theory that something like a K40 could fry the car to the point of no return - especially after they re-wired it themselves. Gosh I would hope that a company of that calibre would step up and do the right thing if it came to that...I hope I'm never able to answer that question either.
Then they'll bring up how the first place wired it. Then they'll say it could have fried the electrical bus and that needs replacing. That'll cost $xxxx for the part and $xxxx for the labor since they must partially disassemble your car. I've dealt with them on this kind of stuff so I know how they'll react.

It would seem to me that gear is causing RFI and that's what's upsetting the car's electronics. If you are lucky the RFI is simply being fed back in via the power connection, in which case an inline RFI filter will solve the problem. However, it is also possible that it is radiated RFI, which would preclude the use of that equipment. The easy way to find out would be to disconnect the gear from the car's electrical system and power it via a separate battery and see it the problem reoccurs.

You can also post your questions over at M5Board.com (http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=27).. I'm sure someone there has had a similar experience or at the very least, can offer up suggestions..:)

i hate to say it but... you dont buy the ultimate vehicle and take it to a hack shop to have a friggin radar detector hardwired to the car!

sorry but, sheesh!

Seems to me you need to have everything uninstalled from the car and drive it like that for a month or so.

i hate to say it but... you dont buy the ultimate vehicle and take it to a hack shop to have a friggin radar detector hardwired to the car!

sorry but, sheesh!
QFT... makes sense to me...

Why use the K40? Just get a V1. If you can afford a new M5 you should be able to afford some traffic tickets anyway.

UPDATE #2
To respond to the remark about the hacks who installed the K40 - they aren't exactly considered hacks as they do all of the custom work for Bentley and Rolls Royce here, and the owner used to be the service mgr. (or something to that affect) at the BMW dealership where my car is being serviced. Having said that, another ex-service employee of that same BMW shop, who now owns his own custom shop, has maintained all along to me that the K40 and the Blinders are not now and never were the problem just based on what I was telling him. (By the way, this particular guy is certified Dinan - who actually makes custom parts for Dinan, and owns an M5 himself. So, I would imagine he's qualified as well.) I wish he was wrong, but after today I'm thinking I should have listened to him 2 weeks ago when he told me that.

UPDATE#2
I had BMW un-wire the K40 and Blinders today (no one has commented on the Blinders being a possible source of the issue - they draw power too right? I have 2 in the front and 2 in the rear under the bumpers, but they're wired in with the K40 and are using the same display - doubt that makes a difference, but thought Id mention it) There wasn't time to take every piece, every wire, etc. out, but the power was un-wired so there was no current whatsoever coming or going from radar or laser. After that BMW cleared all of the faults and sent me on my way. I was literally 500 ft out of the parking lot when the all-too-familiar chiming of the faults began - one by one - same order as always - same timing as always.
Increased Emissions! (my BMW service dept says this is not an indication of actual increased emissions, but that the car knows something's not right and is telling me theres the added risk of increased emissions - anyone verify that?)
then DSC Malfunction! (I had my DSC turned off in my iDrive - how can it malfunction if I had it off?)
and 2 seconds later my favorite one of all "Engine Malfunction! Reduced Power! (translation "Expensive Corolla! Activate!" (BMW Service tells me this isnt an indication of the engine actually malfunctioning, rather the car safeguarding me and itself due to the DSC malfunction - but is the DSC tied in that closely with the engine itself to where it would cut itself in half? why is it telling me I have engine faults - does that make sense?)
and finally Start-Off Assistance Inactive! (I know what this one does - no big deal - makes sense that it would be tied into the DSC)

Round and Round we go - now I'm scheduled to take the car back to them next Wednesday and leave it for the rest of the week. That'll be 45-60 days since the first light went off with no solution and no end in sight. I'm really disappointed in BMW - you would think that when you spend over $100,000 on a car, you would be treated with just a little bit more urgency and effort.

Thanks to everyone who is responding and trying to help I really do appreciate everyones input - it certainly cant hurt.

DK

Make sure BMW undoes all the wiring. After that is done, if the error messages come up, it should be a warranty issue. Hopefully, all will be resolved after that.

i'm really sorry about this man, but i don't think you should tap into the car's wiring, a V1 would've done the job.

i wouldn't be surprised if bmw didn't help you past the dealership visits everyday.

goodluck.