WHAT THE HECK DOES GENERAL MODULE DO? IS MINE FAULTY?!
 

Ok I have had a lock issue going on my drivers side for months. Had to use my key to lock it. Now im getting massive issues. Is this a voltage regulator or general module issue? I have no clue how to check either or what a general module does. Please help. Here's my issue

1.) No function on remote ( No alarm or locking)
2.) Central locking in cabin does nothing
3.) Front wipers dont work
4.) Interior Dome out (map lights work)
5.) Tail Gate does not work

Please help guys.

first, check the voltage of the car... wait... first - how are your technical abilities?

0 - i have hard time finding the keyhole to start the car

10 - i can take apart and put back together an engine from the space Shuttle program...

i know, i know, there isnot much room between the two extremes but a regular screwdriver stuff, like taking out the door panel, or peeling back the carpet or unscrewing the seats would rank in the vicinity of 3 to 6, changing wipers would be 1, changing brakes - 6 or 7... this a totally subjective scale, with absolutely arbitarily chosen numbers, which i just pulled out of thin air... lol...

but, you would need check the age and the condition of your battery, then pull the onboard tests and check the voltage of your charging system when you drive... if the battery is old, or had been discharged and recharged a couple of times, it is a good idea to replace it, even if the battery is not a problem...

if the voltage in the charging system is out of whack - too low, or too high - you need to pay closer attention to alternator and possible repair or change it...

if the electrical system proves to be OK, then you need to play with the symptoms to narrow down the issues... you may have the GM acting for real, but you want to start small, and then move to big issues...

i don't think you can drive a car without the GM - this is the reason they call it GM, as it controls many things in the car...

was there ANY work done on the car before the problems started to appear??

Well you answered both of your own questions, the GM controls all of those things, so I would say yes it's bad. I along with many others here on the sight have replaced mine, you can get yours repaired by the guy in the link below, they are not cheap unless you get a salvage/used one so he is your best option. You would think something with no moving parts would be more reliable, but they're notorious for failing, gotta love BMW.:rolleyes:

BMW General Module 5 (GMV, ZKE V)

I would say im a 6.5-7 as my ability

Well the battery was replaced about 3 -4 years ago.

Well the guy at bmwg5.com says its fine to drive without the GM3. I guess you send it in and he repairs it for roughly $150. This module controls almost all the issues i have. But maybe I should have the voltage cahecked at Autozone or something first?

Yeah how long was the turn around when you had that guy repair yours? Like from sending out to receiving back? Also did his repair fix all the issues or just one? The site says it does not fix all things, not sure whats meant by that.

And it also says you can drive with the GM removed...True???? Thanks man

do you know how to pull the TEST mode in the cluster? there are many posts floating on this board - search for hidden menus, check the HOW-TO section... if i remember right, TEST6 is the one that pulls the onboard voltage... when car is running, the voltage should be around 13-14V, ocassional dip to 12V and maybe ocassional spike to 15V... anything below or above those dips and spikes - issue with battery and/or alternator... a dying battery can trick the GM into many things... and the battery can have bad cells, which the autozone or whatever the battery place can check for free, and if you have the warranty that is over 5 years, they can prorate you on the new battery...

regardless, it is a good idea to start the electrical troubleshooting with the battery... if the battery is good, then move onto the GM... if you have a BMW scanning software/tool, you might be able to interrogate the GM to see if there are any internal errors stored there - they would not set off the check engine light, as they have nothing to do with the engine, like burned sunroof motor or whatever... a really faulty GM modulemay not show errors, as the error reporting might be compromised but you are trying to make an informed decision, so more information you can take in, more informed your decision will be...

Turnaround was pretty quick, he's in L.A., yes you can drive without it, the main thing you'll be missing are the wipers. I see you're in rainy Oregon so you may want to get it to him before the rainy season sets in up there, not sure about the not fixing everything, mine works fine in all aspects.

Rainy season? Didnt know it ever stopped? hahahah No Im kidding its a exaggerated how much it rains here from a national outlook. But yeah rain does not scare us. But indeed I should fix it asap!

Kado1976, try to contact Scott and explain the situation. he can probably help you out if it's the General Module, heck, he even knows how to repair it. Here is his web page.

X5's GM & Central Body Electronics (ZKE) Functions
 

If you like to educate yourself more about the General Module aka "GM III" (it's the main controller for the ZKE functions)...then download the PDF at the following link: http://www.bmwmotorsports.org/BMW_do...lectronics.pdf

By the end of reading through this BMW document...you should have a greater grasp of a lot of the electronic systems in your car...including EWS/DWA/FZV (immobilizing sytem/central locking system/anti-theft alarm siren system)...and the seat/mirrors/steering column operations etc.

You can see in the topology chart below...how the GM III is the main control module for multiple systems around your vehicle...and if you download the PDF (at the link above)...it will go into detail how all these systems communicate & interact with each other.

Once again Qsilver7 reaches into his hat and pulls out another gem of BMW info...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thum bup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I would recommend starting a NEW thread and then referencing this one.

You're issue spans multiple features that rely on several different modules.

I was wondering who would bring up a thread/post that is over 7 years old. Did you even try scanning the car?

Torque is just a Generic scanner. To scan all of the modules in a BMW you need a scanner that does BMW. I used Carsoft 6.5 when I had an E34 Touring and BMW Scanner 1.4 when I owned the X.

No...the LCM/LCM III/LCM IV controls all external lighting & the hazard flashers.


Since you're experiencing odd electrical gremlins that appear to sometimes be unrelated...have you checked your ignition switch? The iggy switch issue is more common to the e38 & e39...but the e53 is a generational cousin so could befall the same malady.



If you have the vehicle running (lights on, radio on)...pull down the passenger sun visor and open the cover to the mirror. Take note if you can get odd electrical gremlins to replicate or appear when you do this. If it does happen...then the ignition switch is more than likely the problem since all of those things get powered when the ignition is on (terminal is in KL R, KL 15, or KL 30).

YES

No. Ignition switch faults usually present as a myriad of electrical gremlins and very rarely as a failure to start the car..... :rolleyes:

Hard to be 100% certain without swapping it out. You could try measuring voltages in multiple locations (if you are handy with a multimeter).

We are only talking about the electrical part of the switch - not the key barrel... easy swap.

https://c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/551186_x800.webp https://c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/551183_x800.webp

Nope...the ignition switch is on the left side of the steering column and is electronics based. Again, when it does fail (not saying this IS your problem) you usually see odd electrical gremlins which are electronics based. When you do the visor test...it is putting more electrical load into the cars bus system which is receiving data from the ignition switch (terminal) and if the contact points in the switch a faffed...then this is probably what causes the electrical gremlins.



There are old videos on YouTube that shows some of the odd things that occur when you try to get the system to replicate the odd gremlins by opening the passenger sun visor. Just do a search on YouTube for "BMW signs of a failing ignition switch".


Edwin (I believe his YouTube handle is Homerraas - he's Dutch, thus the odd spelling for us Yanks :) ) has a good video that shows how to access/remove/replace as well as some odd gremlins. He did it on an de38...but the e38/e39/e53 will be 99.9% the same.

CrazyOneToo - Between this posting and your other one about this problem (https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...-gremlins.html), there is a certain amount of cross talk going on.

Over the years I have been really impressed with the advice given by Qsilver7 - so I am happy that he at least thinks the ignition switch is also a prime candidate. By all means check with Scott at bmwgm5.com, but if Qsilver7 says the GM3 doesn't control hazard flashers and headlights, then I'd be surprised if Scott thought differently. Try what Qsilver7 is talking about with the sun visor. If that reproduces things then a new ignition switch is well worth swapping out. I understand about not wanting to be a parts swapper, but it's not very expensive and should take less than an hour.


Good luck.

If the remote unlocking/locking of the doors is isolated from the rest of the issues you're having...then it could be a GM III thing or components associated with remote locking (FBZV) which takes a slightly different route than using the physical key in the door lock cylinder.

The remote fob sends a 315 MHz signal to an antenna embedded in the left rear cargo window (on sedans its the rear windshield...but on Tourings/SAVs it's in the rear left cargo window)...then it goes on to a receiver (I believe in the tailgate spoiler area)...which then ends up at the GM III where a command is sent to lock/unlock the doors and arm/disarm the anti-theft alarm siren system (DWA).

Again, if the locking/unlocking issue can be isolated from the electrical issues...take a look at the connections to the FZV antenna in that rear window to make sure it hasn't become loose...and also take a look at the FZV receiver to make sure there's no corrosion or water infiltration.


In the images below...you can see the location of the FZV antenna (embedded in the rear left cargo window) on BMW's Tourings/SAVs/SUVs...and in the 2nd pic you can see the location of the FZV receiver amp (slightly different location than the Tourings). But check the connections at both the antenna (look behind the insulation) & the receiver: