X3 screen will not open up
 

I trust your knowledge. This is weird...
I have retrofitted in my 2008 X3 the complete navigation kit with MK4 unit, CID and the flip monitor. For those not familiar with the X3 screen, it has a motor to swivel the screen in the "up" position when the car starts up and back in the "down / closed" position when the car is switched off.
The problem is this: for one year now the system was running without any problems at all. Over the last month, upon starting the car -and only on some days- the monitor will not swivel at the open position. Instant panic... the buttons to open / close the monitor have no effect. Moving the monitor by hand to the open position reveals that the screen is displaying all functions. Then, after the adjustment by hand, the buttons to open / close the monitor give instruction to the monitor motor to work accordingly.

The strange thing is that this started to happen on a very cold day. This behavior remained up to know even at warmer days and now once a week I have to lift the monitor up by hand.

Has anyone experienced such behavior? Any ideas which is the cause of the problem?

Thanks in advance.

Anyone?

Sounds like a faulty motor drive to the screen, that will need replacing.

Exact same thing happened to me about 18 months, maybe a little less after I got my 07 X3.

The monitor, or maybe just the motor, don't remember for sure had to be replaced. I was lucky it was under warranty because I remember it would have been expensive otherwise. But I think most of it was labor costs.

The thing is that this behavior is not constant. Sometime it happens and now, for almost a week, it runs fine! I first noticed it with cold weather. Over the last week the temperatures have been quite high and the problem disappeared. The unit is beyond warranty. Not sure if the dealer can fix it without replacing the unit though.

Replacing the unit is how the dealer fixes it.

Yes, probably. Replacement is the dealer's way.

I also noticed that by opening the trunk door, the red light of the mk4 unit is steady at the beginning and after a couple of minutes it begins to flash. If I switch on the car with the flashing light there is no problem with the screen.

Seems like the unit hesitates to wake up!!!

Make sure you have the latest 4-1/100 OS loaded, as the latest versions contained bug fixes for the flip up display

My menu screen states 4-1/00 and on the service menu -> navi / graphic element the SW level is 1000.
So, I assume that I have version 32 already installed?

Yes, you have 4-1/100 installed (which is available on the V31 and V32 OS discs)

4-1/100 is the latest software version for the Mk4 nav.

I have also done the retrofit and am having the same problems as you described. I am planning on reflashing the MK4 to see if this help with the issue. I know what the cost is to replace the screen with a new one but can the motor be repaired?

You see, I'm not sure that the motor is to blame.
It seems to me that if the problem is of an electro-mechanical nature, its behavior ought to be constant, doing the same thing every time the system starts. My unit is operating normally with frequent use of the car. Once I leave it alone for a couple of days, there it goes again....

I'm also planning on reflashing the unit. Also looking at moding the V32 image with night mode :-)

I'm positive we'll find the solution soon...

I just flashed my MK4 back to version v.30, I'll keep you updated.

Jeff

Does your nav screen always show the BMW logo every time you start your car? I only receive the logo when my car has sat for a few hours.

I completed the downgrade and still have an issue but not as often. It appears the problem has lessened itself, occasionally the screen doesn't raise.

After you did the retrofit did you use navcoder to code the car for the navigation option?

Jeff

No, not always. It shows only when it has been idle for some hours. This is normal as fas as I know. My screen will not raise only if the car has sat for more than 24hours. It never happened to be within a single day.

I flashed my unit yesterday too with V32 again (I've incremented the .tbl files by hex editing them). It is very early to see the result yet, but it has not happened since yesterday.

No, I haven't, although I have navcoder. You think this is relevant? I might try as a next step.

I think so, in my case I have DSP audio and none of those functions work for me, they are shown on the display but grayed out.

Jeff

Re-flashing the unit did not work for me. Maybe I will try with version 31 this time...
I will also have an extensive look at all cabling and connectors this weekend.

Ok had my car to the dealer today and they confirmed that the CID display is in need of replacement... that sucks!

Any idea as to where I could maybe get it fixed?

Jeff

I wish I knew! They might do it at VDO in Germany, but I have no contact details.
Have a look also at BMW, Porsche, Land Rover Instrument Cluster Repair MID LCD repair FOR the typical missing or faded pixel problem.
I have no contact with them, I just noticed servo replacement. Maybe worth a phonecall...

I got my car back from the dealer today and they performed the Navigation Retrofit coding. The screen is working perfectly, folds and rises as designed the display is working fine. I'm guessing your problem is the same if you never had the dealer perform the coding.

Jeff

I spoke to soon..... I had an issue today, if I turn the radio off, shut the engine off, restart the car, power on the radio the nav screen is dead and will not rotate up?????

Any ideas? Could this be an issue with the MK4?

Jeff