[F30XDrive]

It looks like some people are having issues with their F30 during heavy rain and need to have the FEM replaced. Is this a widespread issue? I'm a bit worry since I have the car on ordered.

[F30Driver]

There's a fairly long thread on it titled something like 'My First F30 Malfunction'

By the sounds of it - BMW recognise it and have an 'updated module' which will be installed soon in my car. This isn't official as far as I'm aware and could be rubbish that I am being fed by service to keep me happy... But they've been great so far so probably not.

So a possible recall in the pipeline if it is a growing problem?

I still have a feeling that it's a problem with the sealing of the electrics from rain. Otherwise someone managed to cock up the windscreen wipers coding so badly that your car breaks down! Who knows. I didn't design it. I can't repair it. Letting BMW figure it out.

[bmwdrvr13]

Kind of makes me afraid to drive in the rain haha. Sad to say, i hope that it doesn't rain on my ed trip. Somewhat ridiculous imho.

[FotiosF90M5]

I've been driving almost 4 hrs in absolute pouring rain and my car is still alive. I'll let you know tomorrow if I just jinxed myself.

[carconvert]

I started the FEM thread here... Btw How can I change the title?

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699664

[gator15]

Living in Florida, I drive through torrential downpours almost daily on my afternoon commute home and haven't had any problems, yet. Probably half of the days that I have had the car, I have driven through rain, so hopefully this problem is limited to only a handful of cars.

[bcl0328]

what is a FEM exactly? i've driven through quite a lot of rain and deep puddles, no issues here.

[shabadoo25]

Originally Posted by gator15

Living in Florida, I drive through torrential downpours almost daily on my afternoon commute home and haven't had any problems, yet. Probably half of the days that I have had the car, I have driven through rain, so hopefully this problem is limited to only a handful of cars.

+1

[ric124]

Originally Posted by gator15

Living in Florida, I drive through torrential downpours almost daily on my afternoon commute home and haven't had any problems, yet. Probably half of the days that I have had the car, I have driven through rain, so hopefully this problem is limited to only a handful of cars.

+2

[dude987]

Funny you should ask.

It was raining off and on during the three hour drive home from Munich to Stuttgart. During a torrential heavy down pour a few miles from home, I heard a sudden knock on the driver side door (I think it may have been the door lock) and the brake light indicator came on with the hazard lights flashing. Multiple attempts at turning the hazard lights off did not work. I pulled off on the next exit and found a place to park while the heavy down pour continued. After fiddling with the various switches I found that the door locks, hazard light switch, and navigation menu did not work. When the windshield wiper was turned off it would stop dead mid stream in the middle of the window and not retract into the down position. But it would start again and work fine when the switch was reactivated.

The next action was to turn off the car as if to put it away for the night, give it a few minutes and restart the cars i.e. a soft boot. This required some thought as there was a degree of uncertainty on exactly how the electrical ignition worked. Anyways, no luck. In Germany everything shuts down on Sunday. It’s 4:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. Quick batman, get us to the nearest BMW dealer about 6 clicks down the road. Upon arrival, the dealership is pretty much shut down with the exception of one service person in the shop. He hooks up the diagnosis gizmo to get a read out of the faults. Not sure what faults he got partly due to the language barrier. The service guy disconnects the battery for a hard reboot. Again no luck. He tell me that they will look at it next Monday morning and gives me a Mini Countryman as a replacement car.

Not sure what happened but can only speculate that water may have infiltrated a barrier and possibly short circuited an electrical component. More to follow next week.

[NAV8TT]

Originally Posted by F30XDrive

It looks like some people are having issues with their F30 during heavy rain and need to have the FEM replaced. Is this a widespread issue? I'm a bit worry since I have the car on ordered.

I actually never paid attention to thid thread and the other malfunction thread until today. I noticed that I get this "low coolant" message from the car on/off although my coolant level is ok after checking multiple times. I took it to the dealer and they grunted their famous words "everything is ok" and they couldn't find an explanation for it. But now reading through this with some of you mentioning a lot of similar issues happening with driving through rain, I remembered that all the times this issue has happened is when it was raining pretty bad. I don't know whether this will be a recall given that it keeps happening?

[F30Driver]

Originally Posted by dude987

Funny you should ask.

It was raining off and on during the three hour drive home from Munich to Stuttgart. During a torrential heavy down pour a few miles from home, I heard a sudden knock on the driver side door (I think it may have been the door lock) and the brake light indicator came on with the hazard lights flashing. Multiple attempts at turning the hazard lights off did not work. I pulled off on the next exit and found a place to park while the heavy down pour continued. After fiddling with the various switches I found that the door locks, hazard light switch, and navigation menu did not work. When the windshield wiper was turned off it would stop dead mid stream in the middle of the window and not retract into the down position. But it would start again and work fine when the switch was reactivated.

The next action was to turn off the car as if to put it away for the night, give it a few minutes and restart the cars i.e. a soft boot. This required some thought as there was a degree of uncertainty on exactly how the electrical ignition worked. Anyways, no luck. In Germany everything shuts down on Sunday. It’s 4:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. Quick batman, get us to the nearest BMW dealer about 6 clicks down the road. Upon arrival, the dealership is pretty much shut down with the exception of one service person in the shop. He hooks up the diagnosis gizmo to get a read out of the faults. Not sure what faults he got partly due to the language barrier. The service guy disconnects the battery for a hard reboot. Again no luck. He tell me that they will look at it next Monday morning and gives me a Mini Countryman as a replacement car.

Not sure what happened but can only speculate that water may have infiltrated a barrier and possibly short circuited an electrical component. More to follow next week.

Yet another with a f-cked FEM I'm afraid. Exactly the same story as most of ye rest of us.

I have had mine replaced already, and still getting problems with the wipers. Might be unrelated... But BMW are issuing me with an updated electronic module as I've said. Poke your dealer for more info and lets find out if there's an inherent flaw and possible recall.

I don't care really. If they have to fix it - they'll fix it. Plus I get a loaner each time to try out new cars. -shrug-

[SCBimmerKid]

Yep, mine went. I had to have it replaced.

[odessa91]

Friend of mine and I did ED at the end of August with one day apart. We have VIN number just one last digit difference. I drove in heavy rain, while he drove at dry weather. After 400km, next morning he started his car and dashboard flashed as Christmas tree. BMW in Innsbruck tested and confirmed, bad FEM unit. and part 2 weeks back ordered. Also BMW Innsbruck said, they do have more problem with US cars vs European, as well as mostly problem appears while it is wet.
Failed Car - 2013 F30, 335i, production date - August 2012. Line - Sport Line. Looks like BMW still does not have solution for updated unit.
So far survived car: 2013 F30, 335i, production date - August 2012. Line - M Line.

[dmontic71]

I haven't had that problem yet...

[s2000jan]

Originally Posted by bcl0328

what is a FEM exactly? i've driven through quite a lot of rain and deep puddles, no issues here.

+1

[JUSKIDN]

what is FEM and what does it stand for and do?

[shabadoo25]

I just had this happen today. Warning light came on and wipers would only operate on the high speed.

Went out 2 hours later and all was normal. Dealer can't get me in for a week.

[essenz]

Originally Posted by JUSKIDN

what is FEM and what does it stand for and do?

FEM = Front Electronic Module

[BMWinGE]

My wipers started acting up last night during heavy rain, the auto wipers wouldn't shut off, then wipers wouldn't shut off at all even when i turned car off and locked the car. They did finally shut off but now I have an error: "Possible imminent failure of windscreen wipers." Heading to dealer.....

[Click Noguera]

Originally Posted by F30Driver

There's a fairly long thread on it titled something like 'My First F30 Malfunction'

By the sounds of it - BMW recognise it and have an 'updated module' which will be installed soon in my car. This isn't official as far as I'm aware and could be rubbish that I am being fed by service to keep me happy... But they've been great so far so probably not.

So a possible recall in the pipeline if it is a growing problem?

I still have a feeling that it's a problem with the sealing of the electrics from rain. Otherwise someone managed to cock up the windscreen wipers coding so badly that your car breaks down! Who knows. I didn't design it. I can't repair it. Letting BMW figure it out.

Can the fem be fix from a shot circuit te (programming )

[2slowvader]

I have a 2013 328i sedan idk if this have happened to someone but I drove to the store come back home went to start the car again and nothing it everything works like normal
But I didn’t have communication with DME out of nowhere