After a 5 year hiatus, looking to get back into an E53

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by CleanIsFast

I cant speak to the bluetooth option because I never use it on mine but about the Navigation dead pixels. The way it's oriented (slightly facing upwards), it is subjected to a lot of sun light via the windshield and sunroof. I believe this causes premature dead pixels. I could be wrong

It's a design flaw: they used a ribbon cable that has about 100 connectors that is most likely screen printed silver traces. They either corrode or disintegrate.

You can buy the cable for I think $20-30 and buy a send in service for about $100-120 to have somebody else replace it.

I'm betting some trace repair paint (similar to that used to fix broken back window defrost) would fix it in-place.

If it's corrosion not disintegration than more than likely wiping deoxit pro gold into the contacts would solve the problem.

It's on my to do list. I expect in the next month or two I will have time to repair mine and hopefully wife's.

With any luck I can use continuity test on each wire and fix just the 4-5 defective traces even if I solder in a jumper. I will most certainly post the process once I do it.