Satellite radio

M235SDCA · 03-06-2017, 10:53 PM

So I am still having a satellite radio problem with my 16 M235 and am wondering if anyone else has had this. So I bought the car in August, and the sat radio failed after about a week. No problem, dealer replaced the antenna. Radio failed again after a month, dealer replaced the head unit. Took a bit longer, as they had to ask BMW NA since it is expensive. This I am fine with, since electrical problems can be hard to troubleshoot. So now it is March, the satellite part of the radio fails again. BMW dealer said the fault code indicates an antenna, but they tried another antenna and no joy. So back to BMW NA for help. At this point it is a most irritating problem, since the car is likely to spend some quality time at the dealer.

SCCThree · 03-07-2017, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M235SDCA

So I am still having a satellite radio problem with my 16 M235 and am wondering if anyone else has had this. So I bought the car in August, and the sat radio failed after about a week. No problem, dealer replaced the antenna. Radio failed again after a month, dealer replaced the head unit. Took a bit longer, as they had to ask BMW NA since it is expensive. This I am fine with, since electrical problems can be hard to troubleshoot. So now it is March, the satellite part of the radio fails again. BMW dealer said the fault code indicates an antenna, but they tried another antenna and no joy. So back to BMW NA for help. At this point it is a most irritating problem, since the car is likely to spend some quality time at the dealer.

Wow! That's not good. Keep us posted. Hopefully they figure it out for you.

RoundelM3 · 03-07-2017, 12:39 PM

From another perspective, my wife's 2016 228i MSport convertible's satellite radio has worked flawlessly since we purchased it a year ago this month. Definitely seems there's some sort of electrical problem, but strange that it's just the satellite radio portion of the complete entertainment system. You have to wonder if it's the cable from the antenna to the head unit shorting out or a loose connection somewhere, maybe?

M235SDCA · 03-07-2017, 10:08 PM

I thought the same thing and it might be a cable or something. So BMW NA today said to try new cable and then new antenna. If that doesn't work another head unit. The SA said BMW NA told them apparently this has happened before, more often with the verts for some reason. Anyhow will post when I get the resolution which will probably be next week.

Deutsche-Broke · 03-07-2017, 10:46 PM

Sounds like a hidden cable ground fault. But could also be Sirius...

steve@codemybimmer · 03-21-2017, 09:55 AM

Take out the head unit and if you have one of these, plug it into the pink port of the head unit and see if it works any better. If it works then you know for sure it's the antenna.

I use one of these to test our head units before shipout and I get pretty good signal indoors.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/audiovox...?skuId=5480801

M235SDCA · 03-21-2017, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimmercoders

Take out the head unit and if you have one of these, plug it into the pink port of the head unit and see if it works any better. If it works then you know for sure it's the antenna.

I use one of these to test our head units before shipout and I get pretty good signal indoors.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/audiovox...?skuId=5480801

Thanks! That looks like the antenna I had on my E46. If I run into more problems, may have to do that. Have to say I would have liked to have more of an idea of what was wrong before bringing it in.

So long story short got the car back, and they changed the head unit, antenna and cable from the head to the antenna. Problem here is that there was no part number for the cable, so they had to buy one for an X5 and retrofit the end. What a hassle. I can see why this took a while, since BMW NA was involved and telling the dealer what to try next. Obviously this is not a common failure, but something they (BMW NA) have seen with M235 convertibles. Not sure why it would be not all verts - maybe different harness or manufacturing process (?).

Downside: recoding the car. Expected that. Also I didn't take off the JB4. The car has a BMS intake and DP, and I wasn't going to get into taking everything off. The SA probably would not have said anything, but when it got into a new head I told him it had a JB4 in case that caused any issues when programming. So they had already seen it, and BMW NA also did. Any expensive warranty repairs BMW corporate gets involved. They didn't make a big deal or even not it on any paperwork, so my guess is that BMW corporate has tools that can detect this, even if you remove the box.

M235SDCA · 04-19-2017, 08:57 PM

Update in case anyone else runs with an F23 runs into this. Cable installed at the dealer was lossy and I had intermittent signal. Major bummer. Decided to buy my own cable and replace. Hade one made at an on line cable shop using 20' of RG-316 and FAKRA H (violet) right angle jack connectors. Works great, and 20' is the perfect length to run from the head unit to the antenna.

03-06-2017, 10:53 PM	#1
M235SDCA Second Lieutenant 105 Rep 225 Posts Drives: 16 M235 Vert Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	Satellite radio - 3rd failure So I am still having a satellite radio problem with my 16 M235 and am wondering if anyone else has had this. So I bought the car in August, and the sat radio failed after about a week. No problem, dealer replaced the antenna. Radio failed again after a month, dealer replaced the head unit. Took a bit longer, as they had to ask BMW NA since it is expensive. This I am fine with, since electrical problems can be hard to troubleshoot. So now it is March, the satellite part of the radio fails again. BMW dealer said the fault code indicates an antenna, but they tried another antenna and no joy. So back to BMW NA for help. At this point it is a most irritating problem, since the car is likely to spend some quality time at the dealer. __________________ 16 M235 Cabrio - BM3, ER CP, Wagner DP & IC, Dinan Intake, MPE, Torqbyte CM5 18 340i F30 mostly stock
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03-07-2017, 12:39 PM	#3
RoundelM3 Major General 1837 Rep 6,990 Posts Drives: 15 F80 M3, 22 G01 X3 30i Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Clayton, NC iTrader: (2) Garage List 2022 BMW X3 [9.83] 2015 BMW M3 [6.50]	From another perspective, my wife's 2016 228i MSport convertible's satellite radio has worked flawlessly since we purchased it a year ago this month. Definitely seems there's some sort of electrical problem, but strange that it's just the satellite radio portion of the complete entertainment system. You have to wonder if it's the cable from the antenna to the head unit shorting out or a loose connection somewhere, maybe? __________________ 2015 F80 ///M3 Sedan 7DCT Tanzanite, 2022 X3 sDrive30i 8AT Brooklyn Grey
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03-07-2017, 10:08 PM	#4
M235SDCA Second Lieutenant 105 Rep 225 Posts Drives: 16 M235 Vert Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	I thought the same thing and it might be a cable or something. So BMW NA today said to try new cable and then new antenna. If that doesn't work another head unit. The SA said BMW NA told them apparently this has happened before, more often with the verts for some reason. Anyhow will post when I get the resolution which will probably be next week.
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03-07-2017, 10:46 PM	#5
Deutsche-Broke First Lieutenant 110 Rep 393 Posts Drives: 2016 M235i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Northwest US iTrader: (0)	Sounds like a hidden cable ground fault. But could also be Sirius...
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03-21-2017, 09:55 AM	#6
steve@codemybimmer Lieutenant Colonel 665 Rep 1,976 Posts Drives: 2020 G20 320i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada & HK iTrader: (2) Garage List 2020 320i M Sport [0.00]	Take out the head unit and if you have one of these, plug it into the pink port of the head unit and see if it works any better. If it works then you know for sure it's the antenna. I use one of these to test our head units before shipout and I get pretty good signal indoors. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/audiovox...?skuId=5480801 __________________ CMB Solutions Limited \|codemybimmer.ca Vehicle Diagnostics \| CarPlay Solutions \| Retrofit & Repair Consulting/Programming steve.ma@cmbsolutionsltd.com \| www.codemybimmer.ca Online Store \| Remote Coding Package\| ID6 Retrofit for almost all F Chassis BMWs
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04-19-2017, 08:57 PM	#8
M235SDCA Second Lieutenant 105 Rep 225 Posts Drives: 16 M235 Vert Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	Update in case anyone else runs with an F23 runs into this. Cable installed at the dealer was lossy and I had intermittent signal. Major bummer. Decided to buy my own cable and replace. Hade one made at an on line cable shop using 20' of RG-316 and FAKRA H (violet) right angle jack connectors. Works great, and 20' is the perfect length to run from the head unit to the antenna.
	Appreciate 0 Quote