2001 BMW X5 3.0i problem, need a genius!

[ebner20]

Hey guys,

I have a problem with my BMW and I figured maybe you could help me. First, my door locks don't work on the drivers door. I have to manually lock it from the outside.

Second, none of the windows can be controlled on the drivers side besides that window.

The buzzer doesn't work when you leave your lights on.

The door ajar for drivers side stays on.

Here is what I have figured out so far. I opened the driverside to gain access to the wiring loom inside. It was very corroded. I'm almost positive this is the problem as I cleaned it up a bit and everything started working again for about a month. I am almost certain this is the fault for my list above.

I want to completely replace it, however, I have no clue what part number I need. I checked oemparts and bmwfans but I can't figure out what I actually need so I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

Now, I have another issue. I have a problem where my car would lose power at highway speeds and the ABS Brake and battery lights come on. I pull over and restart after a minute and all is well again. Its happened atleast five times in the past six months. I would like to fix this so I don't die. lol. I am wondering if this has anything to do with above.

So far I have changed:

Fuel filter
Air sensor (located in the air duct, cant remember the exact name for it)
All filters (cabin, air and oil)

I'm planning on changing out the oil seperator too as it still has in the old non-insulated oem part. I live in the midwest and its getting cold again. I also have yellow around the oil cap meaning water is getting in from what I'm told.

Sorry about the novel but I wanted to be clear on things. I hope I have made it clear the problems I am having. Any advice or tips would be appreciated. TIA

Andy

[jgold47]

Couple of places to start. Your symptoms sound like a bad gm3 module. Google gm5 and you should find a site with info.

The other issue could be alternator/battery related. These cars start going crazy when the battery has issues.

[TerminatorX5]

the issue with the door lock, the "lights on?" chime, the windows not operating... Since you already identified the problem in the corroded wiring harness, that is probably the single point of the failures that you have described... From what I understood, the contacts of the connectors in the window controller module have corrored - the wires are insulated in the plastic coating, and hopefully they are not rusted - that would mean, that the entire harness needs to be replaced...

how good are you with wires? you need to recrimp the corroded pins - you need just bare pins from a dealer, about $0.25-0.40 each... dealers usually sell 1-foot long brown wire with a pre-crimped pin for about $2.50-3.00 - you don't want that...

[ebner20]

Originally Posted by jgold47

Couple of places to start. Your symptoms sound like a bad gm3 module. Google gm5 and you should find a site with info.

The other issue could be alternator/battery related. These cars start going crazy when the battery has issues.

I replaced the battery about four months ago. Doesn't mean its not it but I had my friend (a mechanic) check the battery and its great. It may be the alternator failing as I bought the car used two years ago and I have no idea when the altenator was replaced (if ever) before I purchased it.

I was told by a BMW mechanic that the wiring harness in the "B" pillar which is right behind the rubber peice on the door is the issue. I checked this and found it to be corroded. Apparantly this is pretty common with my model as it gets water in it over time. I'm hoping this is an easy fix. I was thinking about stripping the wires and using fresh ends. Is there a part number for reference if I do need to replace the harness? I tried looking it up but there are so many options and I'm lost with it. I am pretty confident I can do this on my own so no worries there.

Thanks for the replies guys!

Andrew

[scottjoh]

Originally Posted by jgold47

Couple of places to start. Your symptoms sound like a bad gm3 module. Google gm5 and you should find a site with info.

The other issue could be alternator/battery related. These cars start going crazy when the battery has issues.

NOT A GM3 MODULE PROBLEM! Not a battery or alternator problem either.

Since you found corrosion on the connectors in the door wiring then you need to replace the door wiring harness and probably the PM-SB/FT module as well. The PM-SB/FT module is basically the switch unit on the door.

[supersteve]

The shutting down while driving issue could be the ignition switch. It's $100 part that controls all of the functions of the car. It typically causes the engine to crank and not start also. I had the same problem with my 2001 4.4. I cleaned the switch with contact cleaner and it got better for a little while. I still wound up replacing it.