[RWDdrifter]

I have a vast collection of music files and keep more than 5000 of my favorites on a USB drive. When the car was fairly new I edited most of the cover art. I started with the songs that had no cover art (for which the car console would display just a dull gray USB symbol). I really liked the images I was able to find. So I kept going and replaced much of the pre-existing cover art too – replacing a lot of stock album covers with images particular to the song / artist. By mid-2016 I was very happy with the colorful customized result.

Then one day in 2H17 a strange thing happened. When I started the car it resumed playing the right song at the right point, as usual, but it displayed the gray USB symbol instead of the cover art. A few days later it happened again. It was an intermittent problem. Over the course of several months it became more and more frequent. Since 2018 it happens every time I start the car provided that car is off for some number of minutes. (It never happens when I turn off the car for a few minutes to refuel.) Except for one morning in 2019 when the failure didn’t happen! Very weird.

The problem is not in the music files. It happens for all the songs, including the files I never edited. Also, at car startup when the gray USB symbol is displayed, if I jump to the next song and then jump back to the previous song the right cover art is displayed.

I discussed this once with my BMW service advisor and one of his technicians. As expected they never heard of such a problem. I also searched this forum in 2018 and didn’t find this issue, but people were having a variety of more serious problems in this general area.

I suspect this is an obscure software problem that’s been lurking in the car since I bought it in 2015. Not a big deal. Just annoying. Wish I could see the source code.

[morphomeman]

My door locks have been acting up. Fairly frequently, the driver's door does not unlock on the first pull and I have to use the central switch. I tried lubricating the lock, but I suspect that the problem is the solenoid, sigh! I don't want to have to open up the door, but that may be in the near future.

[harma24]

Originally Posted by ngl

One very cold winter (3-4 years ago), my 228i decided to take a moment of silence. No music would play ( radio / usb / bluetooth ). Everything else would work, just no sound. Later that day, when driving home ( after being parked in the sun for 8-9h ) everything was ok. Never happened again.

This happened to me once, but it was not on a terribly cold morning (probably just below 30def F. Tried turning the car off and back on to no avail. Drove to where I needed to go and when I came back out an hour later, everything worked fine. Also never had that happen again.

The other weird random problem I have experienced is the phantom trunk opening (there are other threads about it). Hop in, turn on the car, start to drive and get a warning that the trunk is open.

[delvec03]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

My door locks have been acting up. Fairly frequently, the driver's door does not unlock on the first pull and I have to use the central switch. I tried lubricating the lock, but I suspect that the problem is the solenoid, sigh! I don't want to have to open up the door, but that may be in the near future.

same here. did some research on this and it's a common problem. it's a diy job if you're into that.

[jzeiler4]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

My door locks have been acting up. Fairly frequently, the driver's door does not unlock on the first pull and I have to use the central switch. I tried lubricating the lock, but I suspect that the problem is the solenoid, sigh! I don't want to have to open up the door, but that may be in the near future.

I don't know about the F22/F23 but in the E46 this was caused by a worn relay on the GM5 module that controlled all the windows and door locks. There was nothing wrong with the locks or the solenoids.

I still remember the first day I took my wife for a ride on the (new to me) E46 vert. After a stop at a store I could not get the passenger door open no matter what I did and was about ready to put the top down so she could climb in the car when it decided to work. I had the car for 8 years and never did replace the GM5 module but it would act up from time to time, then work fine for a long time.

[ctemkin]

Every so often one or the other turn signal starts flashing quickly after I turn it on, triggering an alarm message, but the next time I start the car it will be fine.

[sandrik93]

Originally Posted by ctemkin

Every so often one or the other turn signal starts flashing quickly after I turn it on, triggering an alarm message, but the next time I start the car it will be fine.

I have the same. Happened a few times but only with the left one. After a few tries it goes back to normal

[Efftooto]

Just recently and randomly, I get my window(s) coming down as if I'm opening the door, the door(s) unlock, the interior light comes on, and the "door open" sign comes on the instrument cluster. All while driving. Will fix itself, and go away, but is really frustrating. I've done some research and some old E90's and E91's had this problem but I'm not seeing much in newer models ('16 M235i here). Supposedly some kind of programming issue?

Chris

[BrettKA7]

Originally Posted by H2O_Doc

I had the car sputter once at a very unfortunate time. I pulled a quick u-turn but with traffic fast approaching. Nothing extreme, but began accelerating at the apex and not as I came out of the turn. It was like the car vapor-locked (momentarily nothing) and then released. I'm assuming (hoping) that it was the sputter-god using traction control to wave a disapproving finger and say "thou shalt not enjoy lateral acceleration ni the pleasures of exceeding your tires coefficient of friction" (note that in my mind the sputter-god knows a bit of physics).

This happened to me once as well. It didn't feel like traction control in the moment, but it must have been.

I was pulling out of a parking lot in my M240i making a left turn. Pulled briskly into the street, but it wasn't a dangerous maneuver, no tire squeal, no screaming B58.

However, the lag once I was actually out on the pavement turned it into a dangerous maneuver.

[BrettKA7]

Originally Posted by ctemkin

Every so often one or the other turn signal starts flashing quickly after I turn it on, triggering an alarm message, but the next time I start the car it will be fine.

My F30 did this and from what I understand, the F2X chassis does this as well.

The tail lamp harness has issues which causes the tail lamp board to repeatedly burn out. If I remember correctly, BMW has a TSB to clip off the old harness and solder in a newer, reliable one.

Mine got so bad that it would be double flashing for days at a time, and the car would go "gong" with the alert message the first time I use the turn signal of each drive.

[BimmerDoctor]

Just today some bolt on the drivers door came somewhat loose and would clank whenever I would open and close it.

Two twists with a ratchet head and she's good as new. Odd.

[ZHP to B58]

1. A common issue - the rubber seal on the doors has been wearing away at the clear coat. Bought a small roll of Xpel PPF and made my own pieces so now it won't make contact with the paint.

2. Sometimes after starting up the car in the morning and reversing out of the garage and putting it in Drive, it jerks slightly under low acceleration.

3. There's something that rattles in the rear. Looks like another common issue for the 2-series, after checking around online. Still haven't been able to find the source yet.

4. With the music on (Spotify on Android, connected via Bluetooth) > pressing voice command button > calling someone, for whatever reason, the music will continue to play and that's all I hear in the background. Even when I turn it off prior to making a call sometimes, it'll still happen (turn on in the background).

[FX TR8R]

My 2018 230xi has had intermittent console control issues... Something is triggering random 'clicks' on the interface. Not sure why.

[230iZTR]

Yesterday I got an error warning message that said 'Selector Lever Malfunction: Not possible to change gear positions. Contact nearest service center.' It shifted right into gear with zero problems and the message hasn't recurred.

[Tony88]

Just a few weird things on my 16' M235xi

FEM body controller started dying at like 25k miles. Only symptom was the windshield washer wouldn't spray. BMW replaced under warranty.

Radio used to randomly change sources but it hasn't done that in a very long time.

Bluetooth to my phone used to be very flaky and fail to connect often or if it did connect, button presses would literally take 15-20 seconds to respond.

Every once in awhile the car will kinda sputter on start up or make almost a dieseling sound at shut down.

The most annoying one is the car almost always thinks the battery is dead. I constantly get the excessive battery drain warning and the car turns off all the exterior touch sensors/buttons so I have to hit the remote unlock. The car has never failed to start or even turn over slowly so I don't know what its problem is.

But 75k and going strong!

[freakystyly]

It wouldn't hurt to replace the battery (and have it programmed) if it is original. That sounds like the source of multiple problems.

[Craig in Alabam]

Every so often my iDrive selector (the big knob, whatever it's called) will require a forceful push to activate. Usually its just a light tap. It usually goes back to normal after a while, but it's annoying. This is on my '17 230i convertible.

Cheers!
Craig

[morphomeman]

I reported a while back that the driver's-side door lock was misbehaving, not unlocking, so that I had to use the center mechanism.
A couple of weeks ago, I brought it in. The entire lock mechanism had to be replaced at a cost of $600 total (the car is two years out of warranty).
Works fine now. If the other lock goes, I will stop carrying passengers.

[bobkat09]

When filling up with gas the pump nozzle keeps clicking off. I’ve tried to slowly pumping the gas. I’ve also tried different pumps and different stations with same result. Next stop will be the dealer. Any thoughts?

[jzeiler4]

Originally Posted by Craig in Alabam

Every so often my iDrive selector (the big knob, whatever it's called) will require a forceful push to activate. Usually its just a light tap. It usually goes back to normal after a while, but it's annoying. This is on my '17 230i convertible.

Cheers!
Craig

Hey we are almost neighbors, I'll trade you my knob as the wife's elbow is always hitting it. Would be nice if it stuck!

John

[vballer]

On the third day that I had my car, my engine stumbled as I was driving home from work. I don't remember the error message. I limped home, turned off the engine and tried to restart, but no go. I got it towed to the dealership where they replaced the crankshaft speed pulse generator and crankshaft sensor. No problems since.

[MarcoZandrini]

Originally Posted by bobkat09

When filling up with gas the pump nozzle keeps clicking off. I’ve tried to slowly pumping the gas. I’ve also tried different pumps and different stations with same result. Next stop will be the dealer. Any thoughts?

The pumps are seeing pressure at the nozzle. There has to be some sort of breather in the car's fueling system to vent the air being displaced by the incoming fuel. Take it to the dealer as the car is under warranty.