2002 BMW 325XI Electrical System Problems

WHILE DRIVING OUR CAR THE DASH LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND THE CAR WILL LOOSE ALL POWER. WE HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN CAR OFF WAIT A MINUTE WITH KEY COMPLETELY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE CAR THEN ALL LIGHTS ARE OFF AND CAR IS COMPLETELY DRIVABLE. THIS HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY NO MATTER WHAT SPEED IS BEING DRIVEN. ALSO WITHIN THE SAME MONTH THE LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK WHEN CAR IS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF OR BY THE POWER BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR. AS WELL AS OUR 4 WAY INDICATOR WHICH IS ON SAME SWITCH AS THE POWER LOCK BUTTON NO LONGER WORKS.

Mileage: 160,000

LOCKS OCCUPANTS IN CAR AND CANNOT ELECTRICALLY OR MECHANICALLY UNLOCK. MANY BMW OPERATORS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON INTERNET BUT NO RECALL EXISTS FOR DEALERSHIPS TO REPAIR/REPLACE. HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY, ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY, TURNING OR ANYTIME THE SYSTEM LOCKS THE DOORS TRAPPING OCCUPANTS

Mileage: 89,000

FINAL STAGE UNIT (AKA BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR) KEEPS FAILING AND SHORTING OUT INTERNALLY CAUSING ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS AND RELATED OBD2 WARNINGS AS WELL AS BATTERY DRAIN. I HAVE REPLACED THIS PART 5 TIMES AND 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS.

BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR CHECKED GOOD WITH VARIOUS SERVICE PROVIDERS YET VEHICLE HAD A PERSISTENT BATTERY DRAIN WITCH WOULD ONLY APPEAR AFTER CAR WAS ON THE ROAD AND DRIVING. AFTER CAR STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO LOW BATTERY IT THEN WOULD NOT RESTART. NO WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON UNTIL JUST A MINUTE OR TWO PRIOR TO ENGINE QUITTING. TOOK VEHICLE TO MONROVIA BMW IN MONROVIA CA AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTERNATOR WAS FAULTY. INSTALLED NEW (NOT REBUILT) SPECIFIED ALTERNATOR AND NEW BATTERY AND 5 MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM CAME BACK. FURTHER OWN PERSONAL INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT BMW IS AWARE OF A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESIGN FLAW AND I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT FROM BMW TECH'S AT TIME OF INSPECTION AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A SYSTEM PROBLEM WHEN THE CLIMATE CONTROL "BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR" OF "FINAL STAGE UNIT" (FSU) AND ITS INTERNAL RESISTOR FAILS. THIS PART HAS HUNDREDS OF WRITE UPS ONLINE FROM OTHER OWNERS AND HAS GONE BACK MANY YEARS. WHEN THE PART FAILS IT LEADS TO A WHOLE VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AFFECTED VEHICLE. THIS COULD LEAD TO A FULL ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND LEAD TO A CRASH. MY VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN EXPERIENCING LOSS OF ENGINE COILS AND THESE ARE ALSO PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT COULD BE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS FSU / RESISTOR PROBLEM. FIRE AND OR OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. *TR

Mileage: 108,477

BATTERY WAS REPLACED A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT IT WENT DEAD AGAIN. TOOK THAT CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN ALTERNATOR. REPLACED ALTERNATOR. *TR

Mileage: 55,692

HEADLIGHTS CAME ON FOR BRAKE, ABS, TRACTION, ETC. AND CAR WENT DEAD. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN PERFORMED BATTERY AND DRAW TEST. NO DRAWS WERE FOUND SO BATTERY WAS DEEMED FAILED. REPLACED BATTERY. *TR

Mileage: 55,594

A/C SYSTEM WHEN ENGAGED MADE A LOT OF NOISE. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN CHECKED AND FOUND NOISE COMING FROM A/C COMPRESSOR. REPLACED COMPRESSOR. *TR

Mileage: 26,323

REAR RIGHT WINDOW CAME OFF THE TRACK AND BROKE WINDOW REGULATOR. REPLACED WINDOW REGULATOR. TECHNICIAN REMARKED THAT BOTH FRONT WINDOWS ARE MOVING SLOWLY SO WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON ALSO. *TR

Mileage: 92,715

BMW NORTH AMERICA SENT OUT A RECALL LETTER DATED DECEMBER 2011 FOR THE REAR LIGHTS ON THEIR 3 SERIES CARS. THEY ADVISED CONSUMERS THAT THEY SHOULD GO TO THEIR LOCAL DEALERS FOR RECALL REPAIRS AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS ALREADY COMPLETED AND PAID FOR. I HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM BMW UNTIL I WROTE TO THEIR NEW CEO FOR NORTH AMERICA, MR.WILLISCH, ASKING WHAT I SHOULD DO TO GET THEM TO TAKE ACTION ON THEIR RECALL. HE HAD HIS SECRETARY CALL ME AND ASK ME TO FAX THE RECEIPTS FOR THE REPAIRS TO HER, WHICH I DID. I HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FOR SEVERAL WEEKS UNTIL I CALLED AGAIN. SHE THEN CALLED ME BACK AND SAID I SHOULD BE HEARING SOMETHING FROM BMW SOON. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVED A CHECK FROM PRINCETON BMW FOR THE COST OF ONE REPAIR TO THE REAR LIGHTS. HOWEVER, I FAXED RECEIPTS FOR 2 REPAIRS TO THE RIGHT REAR LIGHTS AND 1 REPAIR TO THE LEFT REAR LIGHTS. TO DATE I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM BMW ABOUT REIMBURSING ME FOR THE OTHER 2 REPAIRS.. HOW CAN YOU HELP ME GET REIMBURSED FOR THE OTHER 2 REPAIRS TO MY 3 SERIES CAR? *TR UPDATED 10/1512

Mileage: 134,815

ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO NOTED MY TAIL/TURN SIGNAL LIGHT OUT INDICATOR ON DASH, BUT ALL BULBS WERE GOOD. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT AT FIRST, BUT THEN BECAME CONSTANT ON LEFT LIGHT INDICATOR. WENT ON BMW INTERNET FORUM AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM TO 3-SERIES ASCRIBED TO GROUND NOT GOOD ENOUGH, BURING PIN/PORT ON CONNECTOR. INDEED THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING/CONNECTOR. I SPLICED ANOTHER GROUND WIRE TO THE ORIGINAL AND CONNECTED TO THE HOUSING AS DESCRIBED IN THE ONLINE FORUM AND SEEMS TO WORK FOR NOW, BUT I FEEL NOT HAVING AN OPERABLE TURN SIGNAL ON THE REAR OF THE CAR COULD BE DANGEROUS. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

I HAVE A 2003 BMW 325XI BUT THERE ISN'T A 2003 YEAR TO ENTER FOR SOME REASON. BOTH TAIL LIGHTS AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT MULTIPLE TIMES. HAZARD LIGHT AND MAIN LOCK NEXT TO HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON HAVE GONE OUT COMPLETELY, DASH WARNING LIGHT HAVE ALSO GONE OUT BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN FIXED WITH FUSES. *TR

Mileage: 128,000

2002 BMW 325 XI THE WARNING LIGHT FOR A BULB-OUT OR THE FAST BLINK FOR THE TURN SIGNALS COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE GROUNDING OF THE TAIL LIGHTS. THE WIRING HARNESS MELTS. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO FIX OUTSIDE WARRANTY. CHARGE TO REPAIR - $450. BMW SERVICE BULLETIN: SI B 63 03 06 PARTS NEEDED: 12 52 7 519 956 8-PIN CONNECTOR HOUSING 12 52 0 007 171 BLADE CONTACT SLK 2.8 WITH A WIRE LENGTH OF 500 MM, 1.0 MM 12 52 1 433 217 BLADE CONTACT SLK 2.8 WITHOUT WIRE FOR A CABLE CROSS SECTION OF 1.5 MM 61 13 8 353 747 CRIMP CONNECTOR 1.0 MM 61 13 1 379 833 SHRINK SLEEVE 61 13 1 393 718 COMB-TYPE CONNECTOR (HOUSING) 3-PIN 61 13 1 387 150 COMB-TYPE CONNECTOR (CONTACT STRIP) 61 13 1 387 144 FLAT CONTACT FOR COMB-TYPE CONNECTORS 07 11 9 975 531 FLAT PLUG-IN SLEEVE 4.8-2.5 SOURCE LOCALLY BROWN WIRE, 1.5 MM, LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 120 MM. *TR

Mileage: 55,000

THIS IS FOR A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD OR POSSIBLE REAR END ACCIDENT DUE TO A KNOWN FAILURE IN THE TERMINAL BLOCK ON THE TAIL LIGHTS. *TR

Mileage: 68,000

(1) PARKED AT A LIGHT. (2) LIGHT CHANGED, I ACCELERATED, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, VARIOUS DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, I NURSED THE CAR THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, AND PULLED OVER. TURNED THE CAR OFF, RESTARTED, DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. AFTER TALKING WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT I REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CAR WAS DRIVEABLE. WARNING LIGHTS STAYED ON BUT ENGINE POWER WAS BACK AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME. (3) DEALER RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH EXPLAINED THE ENGINE FAILURE AS AN ELECTRICAL FAULT INVOLVING "DEFECTIVE CRIMPING" IN THE THROTTLE MOTOR, RESISTENCE FLUCTUATION DUE TO PIN CONTAMINATION, OR "FAULTY CRIMPING OR DEFECTIVE FEMALE PINS" ON A CONNECTOR. WIRING HARNESS AND THROTTLE MOTOR WERE REPLACED.*AK

Mileage: 75,551

THE SEAT BELT LATCH TRIGGERED THE AIR BAG DEFAULT AND THE AIR BAG HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE SERVICE CHECK FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THE SYSTEM WAS CLEARED, DEFAULT/INOPERATIVE AIR BAG OCCURRED WITH THE NEXT SEAT BELT LATCH. (MODEL 325XI) *JB *SCC *JB

Mileage: 7,800