[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by Andyx5

Just got the same problem on my car with the the emergency call failure, gps no longer working correctly and loss of connection to the bmw connect drive server. Looks like this is a latent defect as there are number of owners with the same issue. It’s not helped by the fact that the roof is concave where the shark fin is attached which allows water to sit around it.

I would say it is definitely a design flaw. I looked at my other bimmers, a E90 and a G30, both have fins on rood but without the dent design around the fin and never had a problem, while my X5 replaced one last year and now same issue again (I park my cars outside garage which may have accelerated the leak). And if you look at the Fathulk's image about how the fin is fixed to the roof, there is no screw, no silicon glue required, so no wonder water gets in. Beats me why BMW came up with this design. Keep in mind they do no do that to the same generation G30 which does not have this issue.

[FatHulk]

Originally Posted by Andyx5

Just got the same problem on my car with the the emergency call failure, gps no longer working correctly and loss of connection to the bmw connect drive server. Looks like this is a latent defect as there are number of owners with the same issue. It’s not helped by the fact that the roof is concave where the shark fin is attached which allows water to sit around it.

Agreed that was the first thing I noticed when I checked the hood and wondered why it was concave for water to just pool there.

[Security_IE]

SIB 65 12 22

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...27571-9999.pdf

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by Security_IE

SIB 65 12 22

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...27571-9999.pdf

OK. This is interesting. So BMW is full aware the situation and kind of admitted it is a design flaw as the paint prevents a good seal. But they stop short of calling for a recall.

[Andyx5]

Clearly this is a latent defect and I suspect will affect many cars. Has anybody had the repaired done out of warranty and if so have you managed to get bmw to contribute to the cost of repair

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by Andyx5

Clearly this is a latent defect and I suspect will affect many cars. Has anybody had the repaired done out of warranty and if so have you managed to get bmw to contribute to the cost of repair

If I remember correctly, even when in warranty there were a few folks whose dealer wouldn't replace it without charging them. Said it was from using a pressure washer on the car.

I would guess there would be close to zero chance they would do anything out of warranty.

[Security_IE]

Mine was caused by the storm that crossed the country and came through central VA a week ago. My car is garage kept and I drive a truck when it is raining. I had it at the dealership for a 12volt battery issue and it was parked outside when the storm went through. The technician pulled the car in to install the new battery and got the SOS malfunction, which was not there at drop off.

So, first time my car sat out in the rain (heavy with high winds) and this happens. I would expect many cars will experience this issue out of warranty through exposure to water over time.

My repair included the TCB3 module, battery, sublet for paint and the associated labor. The dealer stated they had everything in stock for the fix, so they may have been stocking the antenna covers in various colors to do these repairs.

[Stinkyxy]

I had mine replaced twice under warranty, about 1-2 months apart due to water damage. Glad I didn’t have to pay for it but nonetheless has to pay for transfer case fluid. Can’t win them all but these issues / defects are rubbing me the wrong way. Cross fingers I don’t have to replace the transfer case out of warranty.

[FatHulk]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

If I remember correctly, even when in warranty there were a few folks whose dealer wouldn't replace it without charging them. Said it was from using a pressure washer on the car.

I would guess there would be close to zero chance they would do anything out of warranty.

Agree that it is unlikely you will get the dealer to pay anything for this, I was already out of warranty which is why I decided to purchase the parts and DIY.

[FatHulk]

Originally Posted by Security_IE

Mine was caused by the storm that crossed the country and came through central VA a week ago. My car is garage kept and I drive a truck when it is raining. I had it at the dealership for a 12volt battery issue and it was parked outside when the storm went through. The technician pulled the car in to install the new battery and got the SOS malfunction, which was not there at drop off.

So, first time my car sat out in the rain (heavy with high winds) and this happens. I would expect many cars will experience this issue out of warranty through exposure to water over time.

My repair included the TCB3 module, battery, sublet for paint and the associated labor. The dealer stated they had everything in stock for the fix, so they may have been stocking the antenna covers in various colors to do these repairs.

I also replaced the antenna as it was corroded, fingers crossed that nothing else is wrong as I don't think the wiring was affected by the water.

[FatHulk]

One thing to note is that since I received the SOS many weird electrical issues have happened over time. First it was the SOS, then comfort access stopped working on the doors minus drivers side, Rear trunk does not open fully on occasion, Garage door opener doesn't close the garage, Tire pressure monitor came on. I'm going to get the dealer to do a software update as I'm hoping these are unrelated but they only started happening after I received the SOS.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by FatHulk

One thing to note is that since I received the SOS many weird electrical issues have happened over time. First it was the SOS, then comfort access stopped working on the doors minus drivers side, Rear trunk does not open fully on occasion, Garage door opener doesn't close the garage, Tire pressure monitor came on. I'm going to get the dealer to do a software update as I'm hoping these are unrelated but they only started happening after I received the SOS.

sounds like issue with 12V battery(ies)

[M42]

Dealer said they have 4 cars with sos system antenna replacements this week
🤦🏽‍♂️ this is getting out of hand

[535gtxenon]

Since the emergency call warning occurred, I lost GPS signal too as others experienced, but it is not a too bad problem since I use Android AUTO. But recently I lost speed detection on the head up display. On a clear day, the camera fails to read the speed limit correctly. Sometimes it display "---". Never seen this before. I wonder if anyone else has similar issue, as I fail to see why the camera would be part of it. I also tried to pull off the fin cover on the roof to see if there is indeed water leak, but it seems very stable as I can't get it off with my hands. Now I wonder if it would be some software issue instead of the water leak since the camera is affected too. Any advice is appreciated before I start to buy the parts.

[FatHulk]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

Since the emergency call warning occurred, I lost GPS signal too as others experienced, but it is not a too bad problem since I use Android AUTO. But recently I lost speed detection on the head up display. On a clear day, the camera fails to read the speed limit correctly. Sometimes it display "---". Never seen this before. I wonder if anyone else has similar issue, as I fail to see why the camera would be part of it. I also tried to pull off the fin cover on the roof to see if there is indeed water leak, but it seems very stable as I can't get it off with my hands. Now I wonder if it would be some software issue instead of the water leak since the camera is affected too. Any advice is appreciated before I start to buy the parts.

Would start by checking to see if the battery needs to be replaced in the TCM module. Don't think your issue would be connected to the TCM Module but I'm no expert on this.

[X5MC4ME]

Is there anything I can do to prevent this issue? Is there a sealant that can be put externally around the antenna module?

X

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by FatHulk

Would start by checking to see if the battery needs to be replaced in the TCM module. Don't think your issue would be connected to the TCM Module but I'm no expert on this.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into that. Have not got the chance to get into the modules. Waiting for it to get warmer to work on it.

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by X5MC4ME

Is there anything I can do to prevent this issue? Is there a sealant that can be put externally around the antenna module?

X

If you look up earlier replies, the fin cover may be pulled off fairly easily and the BMW bulletin says the paint on the roof where the fin cover supposed to seal on needs to be scraped. So it seems to me one preventive procedure to do would be taking off the cover, remove the paint underneath and use sealant when you put back the fin cover. For me, I just taped around the fin cover until I have the chance to do it properly.

[Bottom16]

Our X5 is in the shop right now due to the “Emergency Call Sytem Malfunction.” Good times. It’s a 2019 with 30K miles, meticulously maintained, kept in a garage and still under CPO. Water leaked in due to a recent storm here in Northern California and shorted the system. Fighting with BMW right now…why should I (and others on here) be liable and have to pay a crazy amount out of pocket for a piss-poor design/flaw on BMW’s part? From a risk/return perspective (yes I’m in finance) one would think BMW would spend a few grand (which is nothing to them) to cover this crappy design flaw to retain a loyal customer that would continue to purchase another vehicle and another vehicle (spending many many thousands of dollars). I mean spending a few grand to retain hundreds of thousands of dollars for new car purchases going forward? Am I missing something? 🤷‍♂️ Lol! Will let everyone know much I had to take it up the tailpipe and what the final damage is when I get her back later this week. 🤞

Cheers everyone!

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by Bottom16

Our X5 is in the shop right now due to the “Emergency Call Sytem Malfunction.” Good times. It’s a 2019 with 30K miles, meticulously maintained, kept in a garage and still under CPO. Water leaked in due to a recent storm here in Northern California and shorted the system. Fighting with BMW right now…why should I (and others on here) be liable and have to pay a crazy amount out of pocket for a piss-poor design/flaw on BMW’s part? From a risk/return perspective (yes I’m in finance) one would think BMW would spend a few grand (which is nothing to them) to cover this crappy design flaw to retain a loyal customer that would continue to purchase another vehicle and another vehicle (spending many many thousands of dollars). I mean spending a few grand to retain hundreds of thousands of dollars for new car purchases going forward? Am I missing something? 🤷‍♂️ Lol! Will let everyone know much I had to take it up the tailpipe and what the final damage is when I get her back later this week. 🤞

Cheers everyone!

If yours is under CPO, it should be covered. I got my first “Emergency Call System Malfunction” last year. When I bought it to the dealer near me(not the one I bought the car from), the technician just told me they saw the same issue many times and fixed it without asking any questions. Now I am out of the 4yr warranty. And the last replacement did not even last 12 months. Considering the problem can come back again, I almost wanted to just leave it as the Android AUTO works better than the BMW navigation which by the way you have to pay for map update after 4 yrs, until I lost the speed detection on the HUD.
The problem is BMW sells their cars so well (at least in my area), I do not think they care much about return customers. Maybe it is time to taste a different brand. Stuck to bimmer for last 15 years

[Bottom16]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

If yours is under CPO, it should be covered. I got my first “Emergency Call System Malfunction” last year. When I bought it to the dealer near me(not the one I bought the car from), the technician just told me they saw the same issue many times and fixed it without asking any questions. Now I am out of the 4yr warranty. And the last replacement did not even last 12 months. Considering the problem can come back again, I almost wanted to just leave it as the Android AUTO works better than the BMW navigation which by the way you have to pay for map update after 4 yrs, until I lost the speed detection on the HUD.
The problem is BMW sells their cars so well (at least in my area), I do not think they care much about return customers. Maybe it is time to taste a different brand. Stuck to bimmer for last 15 years

According to the BMW, it is, unfortunately, only covered under the original New Vehicle Warranty and not CPO Warranty. I am even going down the path of the Goodwill Assitsnce Program…🤷‍♂️
I don’t use the navigation on the system, that subscription ran out. So, like you, I use my phones Navi (for the real time traffic, etc.). If Thai gets fixed and it happens again, like it seems to be entirely possible based on this forum post, definitely going to sell the thing. Haha

[FatHulk]

I didn't even bother trying to get BMW to cover this but when the cover came off so easily I was shocked on how poorly this was installed. The whole thing doesn't make any sense but it is what it is