Dead iDrive, No Radio, No Chimes, Nothing

Qulfi · 02-22-2020, 12:39 AM

hey guys, so i've been looking around and trying to find a forum for my problem but i just couldn't.

a little backstory: i crashed my 2013 BMW 320i xDrive. it was hit on the right side (had to replace fender and headlight). fast forward a couple of months and i get the car. at this point the battery is dead so the tow truck guy jump starts it and takes it off the bed. i get in it happy to see my car again, and i notice the screen is blank, the radio isn't functional, and the door chimes don't work. basically anything connected to audio and visual don't work. there seems to be no power going to the head unit. i don't know if the crash shorted something out, but i feel like that's a very low chance.

i've been driving like this for a while but i can't take the silence anymore.

as far as troubleshooting goes, i checked ALL the fuses, even the one behind the head unit and they all checked out. i tried taking out the wires behind the head unit and replugging them, nothing. i took out the negative terminal repeatedly, nothing. i tried holding down the power buttons, eject, the whole nine yards, nothing.

the weird thing is, when i accessed the head unit, there was no optical cable connected. i don't know if that's normal for my car (i have no navigation or combox). another weird thing is, one fuse does not fit into its place in the rear fuse box. i don't remember which number but i tried placing a 5 fuse in the spot (which is what it says it holds) and it wouldn't click or stay. there are also a couple 20 fuses missing from the fuse box in the hood but they don't effect the radio or screen (from the paper that is provided in the trunk fuse box).

at this point i don't know what to do, i know a guy who says he can fix it with his computer but he's gone on vacation for a week so i'm stuck again.

if you have any questions or need clarification or more information (like my vin) i'll be happy to provide it. i just want to not sit in silence, especially with other people in the car.

i need all the help i can get, thanks!

IK6SPEED · 02-22-2020, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

hey guys, so i've been looking around and trying to find a forum for my problem but i just couldn't.

a little backstory: i crashed my 2013 BMW 320i xDrive. it was hit on the right side (had to replace fender and headlight). fast forward a couple of months and i get the car. at this point the battery is dead so the tow truck guy jump starts it and takes it off the bed. i get in it happy to see my car again, and i notice the screen is blank, the radio isn't functional, and the door chimes don't work. basically anything connected to audio and visual don't work. there seems to be no power going to the head unit. i don't know if the crash shorted something out, but i feel like that's a very low chance.

i've been driving like this for a while but i can't take the silence anymore.

as far as troubleshooting goes, i checked ALL the fuses, even the one behind the head unit and they all checked out. i tried taking out the wires behind the head unit and replugging them, nothing. i took out the negative terminal repeatedly, nothing. i tried holding down the power buttons, eject, the whole nine yards, nothing.

the weird thing is, when i accessed the head unit, there was no optical cable connected. i don't know if that's normal for my car (i have no navigation or combox). another weird thing is, one fuse does not fit into its place in the rear fuse box. i don't remember which number but i tried placing a 5 fuse in the spot (which is what it says it holds) and it wouldn't click or stay. there are also a couple 20 fuses missing from the fuse box in the hood but they don't effect the radio or screen (from the paper that is provided in the trunk fuse box).

at this point i don't know what to do, i know a guy who says he can fix it with his computer but he's gone on vacation for a week so i'm stuck again.

if you have any questions or need clarification or more information (like my vin) i'll be happy to provide it. i just want to not sit in silence, especially with other people in the car.

i need all the help i can get, thanks!

What error codes do you have?

You state it has been that way for several months, so why can you now not wait for a week for person to fix

Qulfi · 02-22-2020, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

hey guys, so i've been looking around and trying to find a forum for my problem but i just couldn't.

a little backstory: i crashed my 2013 BMW 320i xDrive. it was hit on the right side (had to replace fender and headlight). fast forward a couple of months and i get the car. at this point the battery is dead so the tow truck guy jump starts it and takes it off the bed. i get in it happy to see my car again, and i notice the screen is blank, the radio isn't functional, and the door chimes don't work. basically anything connected to audio and visual don't work. there seems to be no power going to the head unit. i don't know if the crash shorted something out, but i feel like that's a very low chance.

i've been driving like this for a while but i can't take the silence anymore.

as far as troubleshooting goes, i checked ALL the fuses, even the one behind the head unit and they all checked out. i tried taking out the wires behind the head unit and replugging them, nothing. i took out the negative terminal repeatedly, nothing. i tried holding down the power buttons, eject, the whole nine yards, nothing.

the weird thing is, when i accessed the head unit, there was no optical cable connected. i don't know if that's normal for my car (i have no navigation or combox). another weird thing is, one fuse does not fit into its place in the rear fuse box. i don't remember which number but i tried placing a 5 fuse in the spot (which is what it says it holds) and it wouldn't click or stay. there are also a couple 20 fuses missing from the fuse box in the hood but they don't effect the radio or screen (from the paper that is provided in the trunk fuse box).

at this point i don't know what to do, i know a guy who says he can fix it with his computer but he's gone on vacation for a week so i'm stuck again.

if you have any questions or need clarification or more information (like my vin) i'll be happy to provide it. i just want to not sit in silence, especially with other people in the car.

i need all the help i can get, thanks!

What error codes do you have?

You state it has been that way for several months, so why can you now not wait for a week for person to fix

i don't know what codes i have until he scans it. when i get the codes i'll get back to you asap.

you're right, i've been patient but recently i've been getting hasty. i'm just trying to find out if it's a small thing that i can fix before i pay a hefty amount to the mechanic.

mch · 02-22-2020, 03:06 PM

Turn ignition on , disconnect battery negative terminal wait 3 minutes and reconnect battery again that might help i got similar problem and i did this, all start working again.

Qulfi · 02-22-2020, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mch

Turn ignition on , disconnect battery negative terminal wait 3 minutes and reconnect battery again that might help i got similar problem and i did this, all start working again.

i'll try that when i get home.

i just have a question, wouldn't that short any other connections? as there is current running and you're disconnecting it?

mch · 02-22-2020, 05:09 PM

no basically you resetting all modules .

Elvisfan · 02-22-2020, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

i don't know what codes i have until he scans it. when i get the codes i'll get back to you asap.

you're right, i've been patient but recently i've been getting hasty. i'm just trying to find out if it's a small thing that i can fix before i pay a hefty amount to the mechanic.

You stated the car was fixed. Isn’t it the responsibility of the people fixing the car to make sure it works?. What are we missing?

Qulfi · 02-22-2020, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvisfan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

i don't know what codes i have until he scans it. when i get the codes i'll get back to you asap.

you're right, i've been patient but recently i've been getting hasty. i'm just trying to find out if it's a small thing that i can fix before i pay a hefty amount to the mechanic.

You stated the car was fixed. Isn’t it the responsibility of the people fixing the car to make sure it works?. What are we missing?

yeah the car was fixed in terms of the body. i took it to an auto body shop which i know and they fixed up the front right side.

everything else works, climate control, the screen on the dash, all except the radio and iDrive. i doubt the auto body place cares if the radio worked or not, or even noticed.

Billfitz · 02-23-2020, 07:49 AM

The FEM, front electronic module, is located in the front right side, under the kick panel. There's a fuse box there too. The fuse box under the hood isn't the only one.

amancuso · 02-23-2020, 07:50 AM

If you used insurance for this job, you should have contacted the insurance company about it right away, or brought it up to the autobody shop. They have to give you the car back in working order. I know it's not what you want to hear, but that's how it is.

Elvisfan · 02-23-2020, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

yeah the car was fixed in terms of the body. i took it to an auto body shop which i know and they fixed up the front right side.

everything else works, climate control, the screen on the dash, all except the radio and iDrive. i doubt the auto body place cares if the radio worked or not, or even noticed.

I’m not a DIY person. I don’t work on cars myself. But as stated here, obviously they disconnected something when they worked on the fender. If you had gone back,they probably knew exactly what had to be reconnected.
It’s certainly possible that they didn’t notice it. But you did. Why was it towed back to you? You have more patience than the average person.

Qulfi · 02-23-2020, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The FEM, front electronic module, is located in the front right side, under the kick panel. There's a fuse box there too. The fuse box under the hood isn't the only one.

i was under the impression that the FEM only controls external components (doors, mirrors, etc.)

i guess it wouldn't hurt to check it, i'll let you know if that's the problem

Qulfi · 02-23-2020, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvisfan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qulfi

yeah the car was fixed in terms of the body. i took it to an auto body shop which i know and they fixed up the front right side.

everything else works, climate control, the screen on the dash, all except the radio and iDrive. i doubt the auto body place cares if the radio worked or not, or even noticed.

I'm not a DIY person. I don't work on cars myself. But as stated here, obviously they disconnected something when they worked on the fender. If you had gone back,they probably knew exactly what had to be reconnected.
It's certainly possible that they didn't notice it. But you did. Why was it towed back to you? You have more patience than the average person.

it was towed back because it wasn't insured yet. i didn't want to risk driving it home and being pulled over.

yeah i guess it's my mistake for not bringing it up to the auto body shop, but i thought they had no experience with the matter so they would have no idea what to do.

Billfitz · 02-23-2020, 01:49 PM

FEM controls most everything electrical in the front of the car, including the lights, plus some things in the back of the car. It may not have anything to do with your problem, but until you get the car scanned it's all conjecture anyway.

Qulfi · 02-23-2020, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfitz

FEM controls most everything electrical in the front of the car, including the lights, plus some things in the back of the car. It may not have anything to do with your problem, but until you get the car scanned it's all conjecture anyway.

yeah that's true.

i just tested all the fuses in the FEM so that's out of the picture, i guess i have to hold out until i get it scanned

m550ii · 02-29-2024, 02:31 AM

Hey. Ik this is an old thread but I’m having the same exact issue with my bmw 528i and I wanted to know if you ever got the issue sorted out and what ended up being the fix. I’ve already scanned the car and my fault code is S 0229 (Communication not possible with central information display).
I’m currently driving with no visual on my IDrive and no audio, not even the infamous chimes (I never thought I’d miss those).
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

02-22-2020, 12:39 AM	#1
Qulfi New Member 3 Rep 9 Posts Drives: BMW 320i xDrive Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Alberta iTrader: (0)	hey guys, so i've been looking around and trying to find a forum for my problem but i just couldn't. a little backstory: i crashed my 2013 BMW 320i xDrive. it was hit on the right side (had to replace fender and headlight). fast forward a couple of months and i get the car. at this point the battery is dead so the tow truck guy jump starts it and takes it off the bed. i get in it happy to see my car again, and i notice the screen is blank, the radio isn't functional, and the door chimes don't work. basically anything connected to audio and visual don't work. there seems to be no power going to the head unit. i don't know if the crash shorted something out, but i feel like that's a very low chance. i've been driving like this for a while but i can't take the silence anymore. as far as troubleshooting goes, i checked ALL the fuses, even the one behind the head unit and they all checked out. i tried taking out the wires behind the head unit and replugging them, nothing. i took out the negative terminal repeatedly, nothing. i tried holding down the power buttons, eject, the whole nine yards, nothing. the weird thing is, when i accessed the head unit, there was no optical cable connected. i don't know if that's normal for my car (i have no navigation or combox). another weird thing is, one fuse does not fit into its place in the rear fuse box. i don't remember which number but i tried placing a 5 fuse in the spot (which is what it says it holds) and it wouldn't click or stay. there are also a couple 20 fuses missing from the fuse box in the hood but they don't effect the radio or screen (from the paper that is provided in the trunk fuse box). at this point i don't know what to do, i know a guy who says he can fix it with his computer but he's gone on vacation for a week so i'm stuck again. if you have any questions or need clarification or more information (like my vin) i'll be happy to provide it. i just want to not sit in silence, especially with other people in the car. i need all the help i can get, thanks!
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02-22-2020, 03:06 PM	#4
mch New Member 2 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2014 328ix Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: toronto iTrader: (0)	Turn ignition on , disconnect battery negative terminal wait 3 minutes and reconnect battery again that might help i got similar problem and i did this, all start working again.
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02-22-2020, 05:09 PM	#6
mch New Member 2 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2014 328ix Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: toronto iTrader: (0)	no basically you resetting all modules .
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02-23-2020, 07:49 AM	#9
Billfitz Lieutenant General 8264 Rep 16,108 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	The FEM, front electronic module, is located in the front right side, under the kick panel. There's a fuse box there too. The fuse box under the hood isn't the only one.
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02-23-2020, 07:50 AM	#10
amancuso Lieutenant Colonel 726 Rep 1,758 Posts Drives: 330it, 428ix, 430i Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lawrenceville, GA iTrader: (1)	If you used insurance for this job, you should have contacted the insurance company about it right away, or brought it up to the autobody shop. They have to give you the car back in working order. I know it's not what you want to hear, but that's how it is. __________________ 2016 428ix, r, 2018 430iC, 2018 330it
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02-23-2020, 01:49 PM	#14
Billfitz Lieutenant General 8264 Rep 16,108 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	FEM controls most everything electrical in the front of the car, including the lights, plus some things in the back of the car. It may not have anything to do with your problem, but until you get the car scanned it's all conjecture anyway.
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02-29-2024, 02:31 AM	#16
m550ii Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: bmw 550i Join Date: Feb 2024 Location: usa iTrader: (0)	Hey. Ik this is an old thread but I’m having the same exact issue with my bmw 528i and I wanted to know if you ever got the issue sorted out and what ended up being the fix. I’ve already scanned the car and my fault code is S 0229 (Communication not possible with central information display). I’m currently driving with no visual on my IDrive and no audio, not even the infamous chimes (I never thought I’d miss those). Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
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