[Kleev]

Well an update, the car is at the dealer. I'm getting a courtesy car delivered today to cover me for the weekend as it's a bank holiday here, so Monday they will be closed, I don't expect my car back until Tuesday at the earliest.

Have to say the BMW roadside assistance was excellent. They were out to me with 30 minutes and I was back home courtesy of a lift home from the technician within an hour.

[AustraliaG20]

Let us know how you go. It might be a separate type of fault. Glad you got a courtesy car... hopefully an M3 or something

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by AustraliaG20

Let us know how you go. It might be a separate type of fault. Glad you got a courtesy car... hopefully an M3 or something

that would be the first time in history that someone got an M3 as a loaner!

[Kleev]

Originally Posted by AustraliaG20

Let us know how you go. It might be a separate type of fault. Glad you got a courtesy car... hopefully an M3 or something

Haha. No chance, they use rent-a-car. Guy phoned me and said he's having trouble locating me a BMW to use, so did I want a Vauxhall...

I said no, I want a BMW. I said I'll wait until tomorrow, but I'm not that desperate that I'll drive anything, otherwise I can just drive my brother's old Jag for a few days.

Annoying this had to happen on a bank holiday, I had driving plans.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Kleev

Haha. No chance, they use rent-a-car. Guy phoned me and said he's having trouble locating me a BMW to use, so did I want a Vauxhall...

I said no, I want a BMW. I said I'll wait until tomorrow, but I'm not that desperate that I'll drive anything, otherwise I can just drive my brother's old Jag for a few days.

Annoying this had to happen on a bank holiday, I had driving plans.

This experience is why I have never considered an Alfa. Great cars but not reliable. I could consider living with the unreliability but I have heard too many reports that the dealers give you Fiats and Chrysler 300s as loaners. If they gave me an Alfa loaner it would be a pain but I would consider it.

Good luck.

[Kleev]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

This experience is why I have never considered an Alfa. Great cars but not reliable. I could consider living with the unreliability but I have heard too many reports that the dealers give you Fiats and Chrysler 300s as loaners. If they gave me an Alfa loaner it would be a pain but I would consider it.

Good luck.

Thanks! I was open minded on alternatives but when he said it would be a Vauxhall, I drew the line. OK, some people may just need any old car to get around but that isn't my situation.

I just want my 330 back, it's annoying.

[3erMan]

Originally Posted by Kleev

Haha. No chance, they use rent-a-car. Guy phoned me and said he's having trouble locating me a BMW to use, so did I want a Vauxhall...

I said no, I want a BMW. I said I'll wait until tomorrow, but I'm not that desperate that I'll drive anything, otherwise I can just drive my brother's old Jag for a few days.

Annoying this had to happen on a bank holiday, I had driving plans.

Since we don't have Vauxhalls in the U.S., that might be exotic enough to make some of us take that in the absence of a BMW. Might be like you getting a Lincoln Continental or Dodge Challenger in the UK.

[Kleev]

Originally Posted by 3erMan

Since we don't have Vauxhalls in the U.S., that might be exotic enough to make some of us take that in the absence of a BMW. Might be like you getting a Lincoln Continental or Dodge Challenger in the UK.

Haha, I'd enjoy either of those.

Just an update, dealership called me today, they diagnosed a complete instrument cluster failure. Apparently they are waiting for the new part to arrive tomorrow, quite a big job, so the work may roll over to Thursday.

Regarding BMW roadside assistance, the initial service (call out and tech) was excellent but they have failed to provide me with a courtesy car despite them promising to call me on saturday, after I chased them, I have heard nothing from them since.

Absolutely terrible service to be honest. Fortunately I did not need a courtesy car, so didn't bother chasing them up for a third time, but to be told by rent-a-car that they would definitely call me back, and then not to, is unacceptable.

I understand that BMW pass me over to enterprise rent-a-car who they use for courtesy cars, so technically speaking it is rent-a-car who are failing to call me, but still. It's not good enough.

I feel I should complain.

[Jonnyjar23]

Good post

[MTDR]

This phenomenon was happen in Japanese model too.
It is a major safety defect.

[LuxoM3]

My wife's 2021 X3 just developed the dreaded dead instrument cluster issue. What was THE fix for you guys?

[clone1008]

Originally Posted by LuxoM3

My wife's 2021 X3 just developed the dreaded dead instrument cluster issue. What was THE fix for you guys?

My 2020 330i was doing it a bunch early on but OTA updates seem to have corrected it.

[SteveinArizona]

This thread is a great example of why I would never buy a car like the Tesla model 3 where the only display is the electronic one. At least the OP could still see the HUD; in a Tesla he would be totally blind.

[Seaford]

Any stuff like this should be looked at by a dealer if within warranty - if it repeats while out of warranty they will have a record of the fault and will probably do the right thing.

[Benetton]

Mine went out too. I was driving and then it turned off. I have a custom ordered 2021 M340i and I took it to the dealership. They tried to update the software but it still did not work. They said they would need to order me a new screen. Worst part about it is there is not one screen located in the USA. The screen will come from Germany and they do not know how long it will take because of the chip issue. Has anyone’s dealership said that have to order a new one???? Please help.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

This thread is a great example of why I would never buy a car like the Tesla model 3 where the only display is the electronic one. At least the OP could still see the HUD; in a Tesla he would be totally blind.

I guess analog gauges can't go blank, right?

[AustraliaG20]

Believe it or not, electronics tend to be more reliable than mechanical cables etc.

In regards to the screen, I left my car sit for a couple of hours and it fixed itself. Then with an OTA update it has been fine since. But imagine this is a different problem since it's 2021.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by AustraliaG20

Believe it or not, electronics tend to be more reliable than mechanical cables etc.

I am not sure about that, e.g. maybe electronics/motherboards that drive the digital display can go bad sooner than thick electrical wires to analog gauges?

[Flamingi]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I am not sure about that, e.g. maybe electronics/motherboards that drive the digital display can go bad sooner than thick electrical wires to analog gauges?

There are no thick electrical wires to analog gauges, it's still the same trace on a PCB. Only difference is these traces going to stepper motors instead of a screen. Also, this seems like a software issue, so it wouldn't matter if it's analog or digital. Your analog gauges would be sitting at 0mph as well.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Flamingi

There are no thick electrical wires to analog gauges, it's still the same trace on a PCB. Only difference is these traces going to stepper motors instead of a screen. Also, this seems like a software issue, so it wouldn't matter if it's analog or digital. Your analog gauges would be sitting at 0mph as well.

I am referring to the PCB + chip(that drives vertical and horizontal scans of digital display) that replaces the stepper motors(analog gauge).

The electrical wires to the stepper motors should be much thicker than the PCB traces and the nanometer-range wires on those chips, right?

[Flamingi]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I am referring to the PCB + chip(that drives vertical and horizontal scans of digital display) that replaces the stepper motors(analog gauge).

The electrical wires to the stepper motors should be much thicker than the PCB traces and the nanometer-range wires on those chips, right?

Sure, the wires will be thicker than traces on a pcb, but I don't think cables are more sturdy, in fact probably the opposite, that's why they have to be that thick in the first place. Traces don't move, are not flexible etc. so they can be much thinner. There's also no significant current (iirc the digital panel has a separate connector for power).

All in all, the weak point will be the panel itself, and screens in a car are not exactly new tech so I think hardwarewise there shouldn't be any issues. The software side of things just got much, much more complex in recent years and I'm pretty darn sure if the cars had analog gauges we would see similar reports about seemingly dead stepper motors.

[Yo Russ Dude]

Hi

My 4 series screen went blank for maybe ten seconds. It worked perfectly after but decided to take it in to the dealer.

After 2 weeks the car was returned with a new screen.

In the meantime I was provided with a lease car so I am very happy with the service (Alhough a Fiesta ST didn’t quite cut it)

Russ