Strange beeping sound in cabin
 

Hello,

On my X5 E53 3.0i 2002, I sometimes getting a beep - beep - beep sound. I cannot find exact origin of it, but it sounded like coming from arm rest between front two seats (driver & Passenger).

• There are no error messages displayed in MID
• Beep sound comes in frequent times, some 4-5 beeps and stop
• This happens when car is in normal drive. I mean normal road, going forward at 40 KMPH.

I wonder if any one has any idea or experienced similar beep sounds.

hello - those sounds might be the temp warning to remind you that the temps/roads might soon be freezing. In USA I think they chime when temps hit 37 degrees.
Hope that's all it is:thumbup:

Can you record a video of the sound for us?

Sounds like someone set the mile per hours reminder. Does this sound comes on when you exceed a certain speed?

The correct answer is...if you hear 3 beeps that occur approx 15 seconds before the top of the hour (check the clock next time you hear it)...its the HOUR MEMO feature that's turned on. Below is a list of sounds that the GONG makes...the tones for (front) PDC also uses the same GONG...the (rear) PDC sensors use another GONG that's mounted in the rear of the cabin...but that's an option that some BMWs won't have:

* Hour Memo warning - 3 audible BEEPS in succession
* LIGHTS ON warning - 2 audible GONGS
* KEYS IN IGNITION LOCK - 1 audible GONG repeated in succession
* Everything else - 1 GONG

Since we don't know what set-up you have (MID or Nav)...we can't tell you how to turn it off...post back with your set-up...or turn to your owners manual and look for HOUR MEMO in the index at back of manual.

There's also a little HOUR MEMO icon that will be illuminated in the MID's display or the Nav monitor that indicates that you have this feature initiated:

If you have the MID...it will be to the far right after the HOUR/MIN AM/PM display:
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q...o%20Symbol.jpg

You can see the HOUR MEMO icon on the bottom of the display...again, to the right of the HOUR/MIN & AM/PM in the display:

http://static.schmiedmann.dk/Product..._10738_big.jpg

If you've unlocked your OBC, you can also run TEST 13 (its the GONG test)...which runs thru all the tones of the vehicles chime. The chime makes all the sounds for the check control system & OBC.

Here's the video of the GONG sounds: OBC Test 13 Gong Sounds Hour Lights Limit Key - YouTube

* 1st = HOUR MEMO's (3 beeps are heard)
* 2nd = LIGHTS ON (higher toned (1) beep is heard)
* 3rd = speed LIMIT MPH & LOW FUEL (lower toned (1) beep is heard)
* 4th = KEYS IN IGNITION LOCK (higher toned (1) beep is heard)

Can we assume you figured this out? If you didn't...look at the pic below that shows the MID's display...if you press the "clock-face" button on your MID...it will pull up the clock's features...you should see the word MEMO OFF just as it appears in the pic...just press the soft key button below the word OFF...this will remove the HOUR MEMO icon from the display, change the word from OFF to ON and cancel the 3 beeps you hear that occurs 15 seconds before the top of the hour. :)

Hope this helped you figure out the mysterious 3 beeps.. :D

Thanks for post. YouTube is very useful. Actually this is not GANG sound. It is beep like kids digital watch. It comes at different time hence recording is bit difficult. I will try next time...

The hour memo is 3 beeps (which is the 1st 3 sounds heard in the video...not gong sound like all the others.). But regardless of the sound...look to see if the HOUR MEMO icon is illuminated in your display...if it is, then that is what you're hearing. If the icon is NOT illuminated,then there's something else going on...or something else installed that' going off.

BTW, do you have PDC?

the other thing is - it is not the car that makes the sound but something else... like you said - it could be that the previous owner (if there was one), has dropped a kiddie watch in between the seats and that watch is beeping at random times...

try to correlate that sound to something that you or the car do - if the beeps happen at the top of an hour, or if the beeps happen once you are over certain speed, if the beeps happen when the ambient temperature is at certain level... in absence of those factors, and if the beeps are not that of the car (there are three distinctive "gong" sounds), then it is something either aftermarket, or totally unrelated to the vehicle...