[GPO69]

Greetings forum members, I'll make this as short and sweet as possible.
I'm in need of a reputable and affordable mobile mechanic, preferably in the North County, San Diego area. I reside in Encinitas.

I have a 2013 X1 with 65K on it and it's been sitting in the driveway for two months now because it literally has no power. NOTHING.
I take meticulous care of it, however, I am recently disabled and out of work for the last two years so money is beyond tight.

Before it died on me, a week or so prior I heard a strange noise start-up in the engine compartment approximately 15 seconds after I started the car.
I immediately took it to two local independent Euro specialty shops that had no clue what the sound was even with the hood open!
The reason I mention this is I know it's likely not the battery.

Not looking for a pity party however I do not have AAA and I simply need someone honest, that won't gouge me, and KNOWS what they're doing.

Thanks in advance, this is an extremely urgent matter.

GPO

[pz619]

They aren't mobile, but have you tried All German Auto? They have a shop in Oceanside now off the 101. They are well regarded in the community.

Regardless, good luck. Hope it gets sorted out.

[M_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by GPO69

Greetings forum members, I'll make this as short and sweet as possible.
I'm in need of a reputable and affordable mobile mechanic, preferably in the North County, San Diego area. I reside in Encinitas.

I have a 2013 X1 with 65K on it and it's been sitting in the driveway for two months now because it literally has no power. NOTHING.
I take meticulous care of it, however, I am recently disabled and out of work for the last two years so money is beyond tight.

Before it died on me, a week or so prior I heard a strange noise start-up in the engine compartment approximately 15 seconds after I started the car.
I immediately took it to two local independent Euro specialty shops that had no clue what the sound was even with the hood open!
The reason I mention this is I know it's likely not the battery.

Not looking for a pity party however I do not have AAA and I simply need someone honest, that won't gouge me, and KNOWS what they're doing.

Thanks in advance, this is an extremely urgent matter.

GPO

Maybe you can get a friend to help you out, after you get a Foxwell BMW NT530 Scanner from Amazon ($169), and cheap DMM from Harbor Freight ($6.99). This should help you and your friend to pull BMW codes and post them here, and then tell us what your battery voltage is, as with 2 months of not running, unless you a have a battery tender ($49), the battery may be low.

Even better if you can get a friend that has ISTA so they can run a full test plan on your no-start.

If you were to provide a bit more description of your "no-power", we might be able to provide you with some guidance.

Cheers!

[GPO69]

Thank you for all the have replied. Potentially an unrelated issue, but electrical in nature.
Approximately six months ago the sunshade for the panoramic roof stopped working completely, yet the glass still does everything it should do if I operate the controls for it.
I just manually pulled the shade closed and it has been that way ever since.

I'm close personal friends with Andrew the owner of Avus Autosport in LA, where I used to go for all my BMW needs, even after relocating to San Diego. I called him immediately and specifically stated do not attempt to jump the car which was something I was about to do as the manual even shows you how to do it!
I trust his knowledge over any manual so I heeded his advice.

The night prior to the car becoming completely dead, I was on a Bluetooth phone call for approximately one hour with the phone charging via the cigarette lighter and an Anker car charger. The car was not running during this time.

When I exited the vehicle that evening and turned off the power, the display where the warning indicators show all of a sudden started, for lack of a better term, going haywire, displaying all kinds of symbols in rapid succession and then the power shut off.

The day before I saw a battery light warning for the first time yet it disappeared after the lone time I saw it.

This is perplexing to me as it sounds.
I have owned 2 X5s, an M3 Coupe with the Euro S54 engine in Imola Red (2), and I absolutely have nothing bad to say about the brand.
My X1 has the "Ultimate Package", not that it likely makes any difference.

However, this car has been nothing but freaking problems, all after the warranty!

I'm on medications now that run over $4k out of pocket per month and with gas here pushing $7 bucks per gallon, my patience is starting to wear thin, especially with this wacky electrical issue.

My wife of 19 years is like sell that POS, however, I'd get rid of her before the car just out of spite! Our anniversary is in two days so hopefully, I can get my baby fixed prior to then.

I might have access to some of the diagnostic tools mentioned, I just need to make some calls.
One last thing, how do you even tow an AWD car that is completely unmoveable?
I mean I needed to get something out of the hatch/trunk and had to use the valet key, climb into the hatch and pull a ripcord just to pop the trunk!

[GPO69]

PS- If anyone here on the forum is local, I would certainly be open to compensating them for their time if they have the knowledge and/or the credentials.

I have been using Paradise BMW in Vista, however, the owner of 35 years died right before I found them, and now his two sons run the place.
It's a haul from where I live, but so far they have been honest and done good work, some of it major.

[GPO69]

Originally Posted by pz619

They aren't mobile, but have you tried All German Auto? They have a shop in Oceanside now off the 101. They are well regarded in the community.

Regardless, good luck. Hope it gets sorted out.

Yes, I have but I didn't know they were in North County now, thank you.

[M_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by GPO69

Thank you for all the have replied. Potentially an unrelated issue, but electrical in nature.
Approximately six months ago the sunshade for the panoramic roof stopped working completely, yet the glass still does everything it should do if I operate the controls for it.
I just manually pulled the shade closed and it has been that way ever since.

I'm close personal friends with Andrew the owner of Avus Autosport in LA, where I used to go for all my BMW needs, even after relocating to San Diego. I called him immediately and specifically stated do not attempt to jump the car which was something I was about to do as the manual even shows you how to do it!
I trust his knowledge over any manual so I heeded his advice.

The night prior to the car becoming completely dead, I was on a Bluetooth phone call for approximately one hour with the phone charging via the cigarette lighter and an Anker car charger. The car was not running during this time.

When I exited the vehicle that evening and turned off the power, the display where the warning indicators show all of a sudden started, for lack of a better term, going haywire, displaying all kinds of symbols in rapid succession and then the power shut off.

The day before I saw a battery light warning for the first time yet it disappeared after the lone time I saw it.

This is perplexing to me as it sounds.
I have owned 2 X5s, an M3 Coupe with the Euro S54 engine in Imola Red (2), and I absolutely have nothing bad to say about the brand.
My X1 has the "Ultimate Package", not that it likely makes any difference.

However, this car has been nothing but freaking problems, all after the warranty!

I'm on medications now that run over $4k out of pocket per month and with gas here pushing $7 bucks per gallon, my patience is starting to wear thin, especially with this wacky electrical issue.

My wife of 19 years is like sell that POS, however, I'd get rid of her before the car just out of spite! Our anniversary is in two days so hopefully, I can get my baby fixed prior to then.

I might have access to some of the diagnostic tools mentioned, I just need to make some calls.
One last thing, how do you even tow an AWD car that is completely unmoveable?
I mean I needed to get something out of the hatch/trunk and had to use the valet key, climb into the hatch and pull a ripcord just to pop the trunk!

Based on Post #1 and the one I just quoted in this post, seems like you are making this much harder than it needs to be.

You have several options.

Go to Costco in Carlsbad and pick up the battery charger for $49 (4-Amp version), and charge your battery via the battery terminal posts in the engine compartment, the same posts that you'd use for "jump-starting" your vehicle.

Or you can choose to remove your battery, and have it tested at Autozone, Pep Boys or your favorite local automotive parts store. It most likely still will require a charge.

You may ultimately need to get a new battery, but you should at least attempt to recover your current one.

Once you get your battery charged up, start you vehicle, and let us know if your "no-power" was nothing more than a dead battery.

Cheers.

[Edit: Not sure I've ever heard "never" jump-start a BMW...my recommendation is that if you attempt, allow the host vehicle providing electrical power to charge your dead battery using the terminals under your hood for a few minutes prior to attempting to turn on your engine. Never jump-start directly to the battery in a BMW.]

[JasonDot]

Hey GPO69 , the points by M_Bimmer are a great starting point. I'm not that mechanically inclined but am in the area. Message me privately if you still need help of some kind.