Multiple issues

slowlanemcvane · #1 03-02-2016, 07:03 PM

So today I went to go replace my air springs on my 2007 4.8i. As I was pulling out of the driveway I got a fault indicator for the Dynamic Drive System Malfunction, saying that it needs to be serviced by BMW technicians. The car seemed to drive fine, wasn't wallowing through the curves or anything.

I replaced the springs, and when I started the car the fault indicator was gone. I assumed that when I disconnected the battery to replace the springs the fault was cleared and that it was a transient fault. Got about halfway home and it appeared again. Then, this afternoon, I did the same thing, I disconnected the battery for a few minutes and when I connected it back up and started the car I got the same fault, but this time with a yellow indicator saying that the sunroof safety shutoff switch was disabled.

I have the battery connected but hooked up to a battery trickle charger, as I suspect that it might be a voltage issue, given that it also threw the nuisance code for the sunroof. Is there anything else that I should be looking into? It's my wife's car, and she uses it for her real estate gig, and she is informing me that she's terrified to drive it because of the warnings.

Oh, and also, I noticed that there was some standing water under the trunk floor. I cleaned it up before putting the car on the charger.

ard · #2 03-02-2016, 07:10 PM

1. Have you not learned to NEVER TELL THE WIFE about poblems...ONLY solutions.

2. I was thinking some battery voltage/charge thing too...is it getting to the end of the batterys expected life?? An extended period with doors open, working on the car can push it over the edge. See what the trickle does, but keep that in mind

3. The water is troubling. Does the car live outside? Think about sun roof drains... check the E bay in the rear sides to see if water is there.

GL

slowlanemcvane · #3 03-02-2016, 07:20 PM

Thanks for the quick reply.

The battery is about 2 years old, and I had it tested a while back at Autozone, and they said voltage and capacity were fine.

As for the water, that's a good suggestion on the sunroof drains. I had forgotten that I had problems with them on my old e46. When you say "check the E bay in the rear sides" what exactly does this mean?

Thanks again, looks like I may be onto something here.

the_ulf · #4 03-02-2016, 08:09 PM

the tailgate seals will eventually let water in (2nd stage brake light problems, explained on other posts in this forum), which can cause gremlins to appear and also, since you have standing water in the back, it's worth checking both compartments behind the side panels in your boot/trunk, where a lot of electrics run together. i presume that's what ard is referring to.

slowlanemcvane · #5 03-02-2016, 08:30 PM

Ah, okay. Thanks ulf. Looks like it's time to get the part numbers from realoem and start shopping for weatherstripping.

The vehicle has been parked outside for the last couple of weeks because I had to park a utility trailer inside my garage because the HOA won't allow me to park it on the street or in my driveway, and my other bay is filled by a non-running e46 that I need to fix. I have a known issue with the passenger's side front door weather seal, allowing drips of water to come in during heavy rains or whenever my wife uses the drive through car wash. I've been waiting to do it until my other, more pressing projects are done (rebuilding the turbo and replacing the EGR system on my truck, fixing the aforementioned e46, for example) but it looks like this can't wait any longer.

Appreciate the help, fellas. And as a last suggestion, does anyone have a good technique for completely drying out a compartment such as the battery compartment? I'm considering using a hair dryer, but as for a long-term solution, should I get some shipping dessicant to put under there?

the_ulf · #6 03-02-2016, 08:34 PM

park it somewhere dry (and safe, obviously), leave the hatch open, strip everything out of the back that you can, like the floor, side compartment covers etc, disconnect the battery and then just have an air dryer blowing it out over a day or so. there are threads on how to check the drain pipes for blockages and how to unclog them. your problem may be less related to a perished seal than to a blockage in one or more drain pipes.

good luck either way

slowlanemcvane · #7 03-02-2016, 08:43 PM

Thanks brother. I appreciate the input.

I will definitely need to look into the possibility of clogged sunroof drains. From my reading it looks like compressed air might be the solution for me. Might have to tell the HOA to bugger off and just park the trailer on the side of my house so I can pull the X5 inside.

jfoj · #8 03-05-2016, 08:01 AM

Not sure if the 3.0l is the same as the 4.8l, BUT the 4.8l WILL NOT indicate if you have a charging problem!!! I have an UltraGauge set up in my '08 4.8l X5 because my alternator is currently flaky and I have been "managing" the problem until the weather gets a bit warmer.

When the charging Voltage drops, then you start having all sorts of strange problems with system faults popping up due to sub module communication problems.

See my comments here - http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...tem-issue.html