PARK BRAKE MALFUNCTION

[anzer]

Had same problem. Never returned when fixed.

[pokemon]

Have the X5 at the dealer yesterday and they found nothing wrong with the wiring, so they updated the software and it seems fine now. Thx guys.

[pokemon]

I just found out the rear view camera has full view display option on iDrive after the software updated, but lost the steering's easy entry/exit feature.

[dakoX5]

I've had the parking brake malfunction 3 times in the last 2 months. When it first came on, i took the car to the dealership service center and they claimed under voltage caused by faulty battery. Replaced the battery (under original warranty) and the issue went away... for a few weeks. When the error message reappeared I took the car back and the SA told me the issue was now being caused by over voltage. More specifically, when they replaced the battery, they did not register it properly in the car computer and that is why it was sending higher voltage. They registered the battery, reset the codes and told me I was all set. 3 weeks later (this past weekend) the error message came back on! I dropped the car off at the dealership this morning and just got a call from the SA, stating that there's an issue with the wiring in the center console and that it will take a few days to fix. I don't even know what to expect at this point. Will keep you guys posted on progress.

[ard]

Originally Posted by dakoX5

I've had the parking brake malfunction 3 times in the last 2 months. When it first came on, i took the car to the dealership service center and they claimed under voltage caused by faulty battery. Replaced the battery (under original warranty) and the issue went away... for a few weeks. When the error message reappeared I took the car back and the SA told me the issue was now being caused by over voltage. More specifically, when they replaced the battery, they did not register it properly in the car computer and that is why it was sending higher voltage. They registered the battery, reset the codes and told me I was all set. 3 weeks later (this past weekend) the error message came back on! I dropped the car off at the dealership this morning and just got a call from the SA, stating that there's an issue with the wiring in the center console and that it will take a few days to fix. I don't even know what to expect at this point. Will keep you guys posted on progress.

1. Nothing pisses me off more than a BMW dealership charging $140 an hour under the false pretense that "we are experts and do it according to factory specs". Even for a warranty claim. You can be sure that if you'd paid for that battery they'd not have given you a refund for failure to perform the correct job!

2. You should DEMAND that they document in the written work order that "they failed to register the new battery" and "dealer warrants that the battery could not have been damaged by this failure to register". If they refuse, tell them you want a new battery NOW. Do not buy the "should be fine, we'll be here for you" story. I seem to recollect that not registering a new battery CAN reduce the battery life.

3. Knowing what I do about AGMs and the recharge system, the assertion that the failure to register is causing an over-voltage seems implausible. It may affect the charge rates, or depth of charge, but NOT the operating voltage. Furthermore, there are many other components that would be damaged by over-voltage. It seems, now by the latest, that it really wasn't this and is - as killcrap points out- a wiring issue.

This can all be done low key, no yelling, but firm insistence.

[dakoX5]

Originally Posted by ard

1. Nothing pisses me off more than a BMW dealership charging $140 an hour under the false pretense that "we are experts and do it according to factory specs". Even for a warranty claim. You can be sure that if you'd paid for that battery they'd not have given you a refund for failure to perform the correct job!

2. You should DEMAND that they document in the written work order that "they failed to register the new battery" and "dealer warrants that the battery could not have been damaged by this failure to register". If they refuse, tell them you want a new battery NOW. Do not buy the "should be fine, we'll be here for you" story. I seem to recollect that not registering a new battery CAN reduce the battery life.

3. Knowing what I do about AGMs and the recharge system, the assertion that the failure to register is causing an over-voltage seems implausible. It may affect the charge rates, or depth of charge, but NOT the operating voltage. Furthermore, there are many other components that would be damaged by over-voltage. It seems, now by the latest, that it really wasn't this and is - as killcrap points out- a wiring issue.

This can all be done low key, no yelling, but firm insistence.

Thanks Ard. I will definitely request all the documentation when i pick up the car tomorrow. And i'm hoping this time the issue is resolved once and for all. I'm now nervous, that they are going to mess things up with the center console wiring, given the fact that they couldn't perform a simple battery replacement properly.

One thing is for sure, this will be my last visit to that particular service center.

[scollins]

I've never heard of anything as stupid as "registering a new battery" so that it provides the correct voltage. WTF??

Since our module was replaced, we've not had any malfunctions with the parking brake (frantically searching for wood to knock on.....)

[rh71]

Originally Posted by scollins

I've never heard of anything as stupid as "registering a new battery" so that it provides the correct voltage. WTF??

As I understand it, the battery needs to be in sync with the computer so it can always reserve enough juice to start the car at the very least. It does a lot of other things behind the scenes so it needs to know exactly how much it's plugged into. That's modern day technology for you, and it costs.

[ard]

Originally Posted by scollins

I've never heard of anything as stupid as "registering a new battery" so that it provides the correct voltage. WTF??

There's been a lot of disussion on this. The issue is two fold- the car needs to know the battery capacity and overall specs...AND the system needs to know where the battery is in terms of it's specific lifecycle. Over time batteries degrade and their charge characteristics change-and the BMW system takes this into account (why, and if this added complexity is justified, is an unanswered question) so even wen you just replace the old with new, you need to 'tell' the car there is a new one installed. If you change the overall battery type or capacity, that also needs to be programmed.

I beleive it is called 'coding' if you change battery type or capacity, and 'registration' if you just replace the battery.

I am of two minds- under warranty, or when you are paying $140 an hour, we dot Is and cross Ts. They need to do everything properly and when they don't they pay the price- after all, they justify the fee with "we are the dealer and stand behind our work" (The whole "we charge book time, which is always less than actual, to make up for the times it cost more or takes longer".)

AFTER the warranty, screw it- put in a fresh battery, skip the registration. Even if you get 1/2 the life, the $200 saved by not going to the dealer buys the new battery next time.

AND, I am 99.999% certain you will be able to do this yourself once these warranties begin to expire and there is a market for 'battery reset widgets'

A

[scollins]

Originally Posted by ard

There's been a lot of disussion on this. The issue is two fold- the car needs to know the battery capacity and overall specs...AND the system needs to know where the battery is in terms of it's specific lifecycle. Over time batteries degrade and their charge characteristics change-and the BMW system takes this into account (why, and if this added complexity is justified, is an unanswered question) so even wen you just replace the old with new, you need to 'tell' the car there is a new one installed. If you change the overall battery type or capacity, that also needs to be programmed.

I beleive it is called 'coding' if you change battery type or capacity, and 'registration' if you just replace the battery.

I am of two minds- under warranty, or when you are paying $140 an hour, we dot Is and cross Ts. They need to do everything properly and when they don't they pay the price- after all, they justify the fee with "we are the dealer and stand behind our work" (The whole "we charge book time, which is always less than actual, to make up for the times it cost more or takes longer".)

AFTER the warranty, screw it- put in a fresh battery, skip the registration. Even if you get 1/2 the life, the $200 saved by not going to the dealer buys the new battery next time.

AND, I am 99.999% certain you will be able to do this yourself once these warranties begin to expire and there is a market for 'battery reset widgets'

A

I can see that. My digital camera has a battery lifecycle meter, but I don't have to tell it if it is a new battery or not, it is smart enough to figure it out on its own. While it may be an expensive Nikon DSLR, I would think a vehicle that is 10x more expensive would be able to figure it out too without owner input.

But since most car companies don't even want you open the hood anymore to top off fluids, I guess it makes sense...