[RigPig11]

Got back from a 2 week vacation and my Key Fobs did not work. I called BMW and they said to come in and get new batteries for my Fobs. After returning home neither Key worked again so after further analysis it looked like the car battery was dead. I had a BMW roadside tech come out to jumpstart but the vehicle would not jumpstart since the keys did not work. Had the car towed to BMW dealership and after a few days they said they had to call BMW Engineers and would get back to me asap.

Today I got a message that they had to replace the Body Domain Controller and that depending on what time it arrived tomorrow I would probably get my car tomorrow. Does anyone have any experience with a faulty BDC (Body Domain Controller) and does anybody think this having this Controller be faulty be a sign of a larger problem?

One thing the tech who came to jumpstart the car noticed that when he hooked up the jumpers that the Touchscreen Display powered on and he said that should not have happened. He thought maybe this was the reason the car battery died was because maybe the touchscreen stayed powered on when I shut my car off. But this was all just thinking out loud and we had no reason to narrow the problem down to this. Hopefully tomorrow they will tell me why the battery died and how I got to the situation I was in with what felt like a dead car sitting in my driveway. (No Key Fobs working and a dead battery).

Any thoughts or thing I should look out or questions I should ask tomorrow when I pick up my car? Thanks in advance for any responses.

Love,

RigPig

Edit: I wanted to add that I plan on buying a trickle charger for when I go away from this point forward. On Thursday I leave for a month and the car sits in my driveway 6 months a year as I work 28 days on/28 days off.

[Joe-BMW33]

I don't think a faulty BDC module is very common. I am assuming you are under warranty as this is not a cheap fix and I am sure you would have noted it if you were paying.

Definitely a good move on the charger. I use mine if it's sitting for more than a week. If your car sat for that long, the battery will certainly die without it, so I am not so sure it was the screen being on.

Another thing to keep in mind, sometimes the dealer just throws up their hands and replaces parts vs. trouble shooting. The old BDC may be fried, but it may also be giving them issues trying to reset it and code it and they called it a day.

Keep us posted.

[RigPig11]

Last night they replaced the BDC and that did not fully fix the problem. I’m going back out of town for a month today and was hoping everything would be fixed before I left. Bummer. Was told they will keep me updated. I’m hoping that they just decided to swap parts to see if that fixed it.

Yes I am still under Factory Warranty.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Last night they replaced the BDC and that did not fully fix the problem. I’m going back out of town for a month today and was hoping everything would be fixed before I left. Bummer. Was told they will keep me updated. I’m hoping that they just decided to swap parts to see if that fixed it.

Yes I am still under Factory Warranty.

Yeah, it sounds like the original BDC wasn't or isn't the issue and as I said, sometimes that just swap out parts instead of digging in. Dealer may not be competent either.

[RigPig11]

Still no updates besides then asking if I’ve put any 3rd Party parts into the car. I bought it from them after a lease so it better be factory. Anyways not feeling good about this. Will be contacting them tomorrow for an update.

[RigPig11]

Got an update this morning that the DME Digital Motor Electronics has internally shorted. They said they have submitted their findings to BMW and and waiting to hear back to replace it.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Got an update this morning that the DME Digital Motor Electronics has internally shorted. They said they have submitted their findings to BMW and and waiting to hear back to replace it.

Oh boy, this is not good. I bet they are stumped and BMW NA ain't paying unless they are totally sure. The DME controls every single electrical aspect of your car and requires extensive coding to your VIN.

Do you at least have a loaner? It is going to be a while before you have your car back.

[RigPig11]

Yes they gave me a loaner which I returned before I left out of town for work. They are lucky because I’m not going to be home until mid-October so I hope they can figure this out. Looks like the DME swap out didn’t work….

This is the text I received this morning:

“Good morning, quick update on your vehicle. We are still having issues with the vehicle. At this point, we have done every logical repair based on the codes that we have present. We are going to have a BMW technical service engineer come out to look over the vehicle and let us know how to proceed. We're waiting to hear when one will be available to come out to look at your car. I will let you know as soon as I have an update. I am not in the office tomorrow, if I don't have another update today, I will update you on Monday.”

I just want someone to hold me, and tell me everything is going to be okay…

Just bought this CPO 2021 in June and have put less then 1k miles on it….

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Yes they gave me a loaner which I returned before I left out of town for work. They are lucky because I’m not going to be home until mid-October so I hope they can figure this out. Looks like the DME swap out didn’t work….

This is the text I received this morning:

“Good morning, quick update on your vehicle. We are still having issues with the vehicle. At this point, we have done every logical repair based on the codes that we have present. We are going to have a BMW technical service engineer come out to look over the vehicle and let us know how to proceed. We're waiting to hear when one will be available to come out to look at your car. I will let you know as soon as I have an update. I am not in the office tomorrow, if I don't have another update today, I will update you on Monday.”

I just want someone to hold me, and tell me everything is going to be okay…

Just bought this CPO 2021 in June and have put less then 1k miles on it….

That's unfortunate and sorry you are having such a bad experience. As I indicated, it sounds like they are guessing and swapping parts. Doesn't sound like a competent dealer. Hopefully the BMW NA Master Tech will sort it out.

[Warp Ten]

You said you are under factory warranty. Out of curiosity, what year and model is your car and did you happen to lease it? I ask because if they really can't figure this out, maybe they could find a way to get you a different car. On a lease vehicle, I know from experience that with BMW Financial's OK they could get you a newer car and do a collateral substitution. One of my customers had that done, although quite a few years ago. The customer had a 2008 535i with a recurring problem and our service manager went to bat for him (he was very patient and polite, good to work with). The only comparable car they could find was a new 2010 and they did a collateral substitution on his lease. At the end of the lease he got to buy his new 2010 out at the contractual 2008 residual. Don't know if they do that now. But regardless how you financed or purchased the car, it may be time for them to consider getting you into a newer comparable car at no cost or at least a good discount. You might explore that with the service manager to see if that might be possible. --Bob

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Warp Ten

You said you are under factory warranty. Out of curiosity, what year and model is your car and did you happen to lease it? I ask because if they really can't figure this out, maybe they could find a way to get you a different car. On a lease vehicle, I know from experience that with BMW Financial's OK they could get you a newer car and do a collateral substitution. One of my customers had that done, although quite a few years ago. The customer had a 2008 535i with a recurring problem and our service manager went to bat for him (he was very patient and polite, good to work with). The only comparable car they could find was a new 2010 and they did a collateral substitution on his lease. At the end of the lease he got to buy his new 2010 out at the contractual 2008 residual. Don't know if they do that now. But regardless how you financed or purchased the car, it may be time for them to consider getting you into a newer comparable car at no cost or at least a good discount. You might explore that with the service manager to see if that might be possible. --Bob

Just bought this CPO 2021 in June and have put less then 1k miles on it….

[Warp Ten]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Just bought this CPO 2021 in June and have put less then 1k miles on it….

thanks Joe--I missed that. But as noted, in that case, maybe the dealer can help move him into a newer better car if they can't figure out the problem. --Bob

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Warp Ten

thanks Joe--I missed that. But as noted, in that case, maybe the dealer can help move him into a newer better car if they can't figure out the problem. --Bob

Yeah, I figured you did so what just pointing it out.

I'm with you Bob on pushing for a replacement, but easier said than done. That is the last resort for a dealer and BMW NA. It takes a lot for them to get to that point and most of the time, it's an enforceable lemon law that begrudgingly gets them to take action.

[RigPig11]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

That's unfortunate and sorry you are having such a bad experience. As I indicated, it sounds like they are guessing and swapping parts. Doesn't sound like a competent dealer. Hopefully the BMW NA Master Tech will sort it out.

Yeah, I’m going to be patient and wait to hear back after they get this specialist in before getting too worked up. I work on ships and am very aware of incompetent people just swapping parts in an effort to fix things rather than know how to truly troubleshoot an issue. Fingers crossed on this one. Unfortunate situation.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Yeah, I’m going to be patient and wait to hear back after they get this specialist in before getting too worked up. I work on ships and am very aware of incompetent people just swapping parts in an effort to fix things rather than know how to truly troubleshoot an issue. Fingers crossed on this one. Unfortunate situation.

Good approach. I guess the good news is you’re going away, so you don’t really need the car or will miss it.

[Hoa]

BMW engineer only come out once a month and it's only by appointment so depending on when was the last time they came out to your area, it may be soon or a long time. Once the engineer looked at it, it will either be fixed or they will buy back the car if the engineer can't figure it out.

[RigPig11]

Update this morning via GOD DAMN text and they havent returned my calls....

Text: "Good Morning, quick update on your vehicle. The TSE came out on Friday and looked over the vehicle. We found that your vehicle has been struck by lightening. This is something you will need to contact your insurance company as we cannot cover the repairs under manufactures warranty. We are still looking into what all needs to be replaced. Please contact your insurance company and let them know your vehicle is at our dealership so that they can come out and inspect it. Please let me know the company and claim number once you have the info."

I'm not the best at troubleshooting but I find it kinda fishy that after 3 weeks there they just now noticed " burn marks coming out of the wheels". I didnt notice any burn marks on my wheels but I dont have any proof. Still waiting for them to call me back with the reports of everything they did and I want to know how they came to that conclusion.

What do you guys think? Of course its something they wouldnt cover, right!

Edit: Just got the Inspection Report and their comments were, " Found BDC, DME, and KOMBI to be shorted internally due to lightning strike. Recommend replacement of shorted modules to start and then further diagnosis will be required. Repair Estimate: $7,047.13." Also, "Found 12v battery to be shorted due to lightning strike recommend replacement. Repair Estimate: $845.60" that battery price sounds a bit inflated to me.

Anyways this is where it stands. Unfortunate situation and trying to stay positive.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Update this morning via GOD DAMN text and they havent returned my calls....

Text: "Good Morning, quick update on your vehicle. The TSE came out on Friday and looked over the vehicle. We found that your vehicle has been struck by lightening. This is something you will need to contact your insurance company as we cannot cover the repairs under manufactures warranty. We are still looking into what all needs to be replaced. Please contact your insurance company and let them know your vehicle is at our dealership so that they can come out and inspect it. Please let me know the company and claim number once you have the info."

I'm not the best at troubleshooting but I find it kinda fishy that after 3 weeks there they just now noticed " burn marks coming out of the wheels". I didnt notice any burn marks on my wheels but I dont have any proof. Still waiting for them to call me back with the reports of everything they did and I want to know how they came to that conclusion.

What do you guys think? Of course its something they wouldnt cover, right!

Oh your insurance adjuster will want to know the same things. They’ll have to prove it. That’s a crazy story. Assuming you keep it in a garage, how did it get struck by lightning without you knowing?

[RigPig11]

https://bbmwmrrbfl.mktext08.com/p/KOoYK9.jpg

Picture of contact point under the air valve stem.

[RigPig11]

Originally Posted by NGT2

Oh your insurance adjuster will want to know the same things. They’ll have to prove it. That’s a crazy story. Assuming you keep it in a garage, how did it get struck by lightning without you knowing?

I was out of the country for 2 weeks and left it parked in the driveway.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by RigPig11

Update this morning via GOD DAMN text and they havent returned my calls....

Text: "Good Morning, quick update on your vehicle. The TSE came out on Friday and looked over the vehicle. We found that your vehicle has been struck by lightening. This is something you will need to contact your insurance company as we cannot cover the repairs under manufactures warranty. We are still looking into what all needs to be replaced. Please contact your insurance company and let them know your vehicle is at our dealership so that they can come out and inspect it. Please let me know the company and claim number once you have the info."

I'm not the best at troubleshooting but I find it kinda fishy that after 3 weeks there they just now noticed " burn marks coming out of the wheels". I didnt notice any burn marks on my wheels but I dont have any proof. Still waiting for them to call me back with the reports of everything they did and I want to know how they came to that conclusion.

What do you guys think? Of course its something they wouldnt cover, right!

Edit: Just got the Inspection Report and their comments were, " Found BDC, DME, and KOMBI to be shorted internally due to lightning strike. Recommend replacement of shorted modules to start and then further diagnosis will be required. Repair Estimate: $7,047.13." Also, "Found 12v battery to be shorted due to lightning strike recommend replacement. Repair Estimate: $845.60" that battery price sounds a bit inflated to me.

Anyways this is where it stands. Unfortunate situation and trying to stay positive.

Smells fishy. Even if it was struck by lightning, they should still be able to diagnose the issue or issues and document the repair necessary. Doesn't seem like they still can do this.

Let the insurance company come out and let the dealer convince the adjuster it was struck by lightning. If they are in agreement, fine. If they aren't, the dealer is going to stand their ground and you are kind of fucked here. Sounds like the dealer is trying to have it totalled vs. lemoned.

I have been jerked around like this once in 30 years of BMW ownership. It's not fun and in the end, I lost.

The problem at this point is that this particular dealer has colluded with BMW NA, so going somewhere else is going to be fruitless.

Let your insurance take over and have a lawyer ready to go.

[RigPig11]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Smells fishy. Even if it was struck by lightning, they should still be able to diagnose the issue or issues and document the repair necessary. Doesn't seem like they still can do this.

Let the insurance company come out and let the dealer convince the adjuster it was struck by lightning. If they are in agreement, fine. If they aren't, the dealer is going to stand their ground and you are kind of fucked here. Sounds like the dealer is trying to have it totalled vs. lemoned.

I have been jerked around like this once in 30 years of BMW ownership. It's not fun and in the end, I lost.

The problem at this point is that this particular dealer has colluded with BMW NA, so going somewhere else is going to be fruitless.

Let your insurance take over and have a lawyer ready to go.

The insurance company is going to send an adjuster out to inspect soon. They asked if I want to have the work done at this dealership. I told them im not sure and want to think about it. Any reasons I shouldnt have the work done at this Dealership based off anything I have posted so far? So far I feel they have treated my fairly to be honest. Naturally, I was upset this morning when they told me via text and couldnt give me the courtesy of a phone call to allow me to talk to someone who knows exactly what they are talking about. My only gripe is the SA. Other than that they have been alright.

https://bbmwmrrbfl.mktext09.com/p/fUpZIo.jpg

Zoomed in photo in link