Has this happened to you too? (Navigation system stops working in cold)

Messages
49
Likes
0
Location
Toronto, Canada
#1
Well, I live in Toronto, Canada and in Winter it gets cold here sometimes really cold like last night it was -22C ( -35C w/ windchill) but I have underground parking in my Condo so it gets down to -6 - -10C at worst, whenever I want to start my car after a brutally cold night my Navigation does not work and ironically even when I drive for a while and the inside of the car is pretty warm, it still does not work by that I mean I guess I can rule out the fact that it can be due to the liquid crystal screen getting frozen, you know like your cell phone in ski trips....

And when I try to eject the DVD in the trunk it does not eject .........

I talked to one of the technicians at my dealership and he said, "We've had some defective DVD disks!! it might be one of 'em but you need to bring the car in and if it's not the DVD we might have to replace the computer ......".

I was wondering if any of you guys have had the same problem....

'Cause honestly I don't think they just designed these Nav. systems for tropical regions!!!!!

Cheers,
[???1]
 
Messages
190
Likes
0
Location
New Jersey
#2
I live in New Jersey, where it can get down to the single digits or low double digits on a fairly frequent basis. My NAV system has never shut down and all other systems are OK, but the screen definitely gets dim when the temperatures drop below about 20 degrees and it takes a while before it brightens to normal levels. I assumed it did have something to do with the crystals being impacted by the cold.
 

bmwrocks

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,188
Likes
0
Location
Orlando, Fl
#3
This is kind of a long story but I am gonna tell it anyway as it is related to the DVD disk.

My car was delivered with a 2002 disk. I have since gotten my hands on the 2004 disk image and burned it to a DVD+R. When I first burned it I did it at 4x. Using this disk, the NAV computer would intermittently not boot, just like you are experiencing. The screen would stay blank and I could not eject the disk. I would wait for the system to fully shut down (red light out on player) then eject the DVD and reinsert. It would then work, but intermittently do the same thing over again. I then burned the image at 2x. The system has worked perfectly ever since.

Also let me add that I put in the factory disk when I was having this problem and it always worked. This led me to trying the slower burn rate as I determined the disk was the problem.

The moral of this story is that I found the disk itself can cause the problem you describe.

If you have a DVD burner, you can try copying the original to a new disk and see if that works.

Good luck.
 
Messages
49
Likes
0
Location
Toronto, Canada
#4
Tonight it was -22C here and I was out so I parked my car for a couple of hours outside and it happened again, funny thing was I was not familiar w/ the neighbourhood and I was driving home 3:00 a.m. !!!!!! I found my way though! But as I got home I tried what you said, popped the trunk and waited for the red light to go out then tried to eject the DVD it did not eject but what happened was apparently it start working 'cause on the second start of the car ( I mean turning the key halfway ) it started working!!!! My original DVD is 2004, but I did not get that whether you mean burning a copy of the original one w/ 2x even if I have the latest one would fix the glitch.

Now it's been a couple of days that my adaptive side view mirror has stopped working on reverse!

The thing is I try to avoid the sometimes not so knowledgeable technical staff at the dealerships unless it's absolutely necessary.

Cheers
 
Messages
4,917
Likes
18
Location
Reading,PA
#5
I wonder if it's the DVD hardware. My factory CD player in my Suburban did the same thing when the truck was new. It wouldn't play or eject CDs when it was cold. It was replaced twice under warranty until it was solved.
 

bmwrocks

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,188
Likes
0
Location
Orlando, Fl
#6
Theone said:
My original DVD is 2004, but I did not get that whether you mean burning a copy of the original one w/ 2x even if I have the latest one would fix the glitch.
I meant making a copy at 2x of your original 2004 DVD. Just to rule out the media as the point of failure.

Note: I used a DVD+R because that's what kind of burner I have. Also, burning at 2x could be a necessity unique for my burner and the BMW DVD player. It's an HP 300c. I burn movies at 4x all the time with no problem. Also I don't know if the BMW player will play DVD-R or RWs, haven't tried those, it very possibly will. If you have a DVD-RW I would try that first to avoid making coasters.

BTW, no idea if this would fix your glitch, but it fixed mine.
 
Messages
49
Likes
0
Location
Toronto, Canada
#7
Thanx for the tips;

As I talked to my dealer a couple of weeks ago when it first started, he just sent me this email;


"BMW has put out a service bulletin regarding the navigation system on 2005 BMW 330ci. It looks like we may have to change your system. Call me and I will make the appointment for you."


P.S. BMWrocks I'm gonna try what you said before dropping her at the dealership anyway, thanx for the advice.
 
Messages
2
Likes
0
Location
NJ
#10
NAV system

My whole system went dead last week on my 05 330xi (only 3k mi) after a subzero night. No NAV, radio, CD, Sirius. Automatic door locking quit, too, and alarm system would chirp when locking/unlocking some of the time and sometimes not. Dealer replaced the NAV computer--guess this was what the service bulletin was about--and said the lock and alarm issues were caused by the NAV problem. Sirius still not working, however; tech forgot to check despite that ugly roof antenna that says Sirius on it (duh) back to the dealer next week for that. Everything else back to normal.
 


Top