[tkhater]

Hi All

Thought I would post this in case it helps someone.

I own a 2019 G05 X5 40i, that I have had since brand new. Yesterday I was out of town, and I got the dreaded "Emergency Call System Malfunction" error. I googled it and found a lot of people from my model year with 2 overarching issues 1) a shark-fin leak which leads to a blown telematics module which needs replacing, and 2) a bad telematics battery that needs replacing. As it had just mildly rained (and was hit with a cold front) I was dreading the first...

I got home and accessed the telematics unit.

Let me go on a tangent here - accessing the unit was painfully easy. Like 5 minutes easy. Do not worry about all of the stuff you see online that says the headliner has to be removed - it does not. The process for me was the following:
1) Pull off the top half of the rear weatherstripping. You want to pull it off so it is lower than the bottom edge of the 2 plastic covers on the inside of each D pillar. Probably not necessary but it made it easier for my fat fingers.
2) Pull off the 2 plastic D pillar covers. Each is attached with 4x plastic pins that pop out of the body holes. There is also a plastic tab on the top of each cover that the headliner sits in by the window. If any of the plastic pins remain in the body, you will need to pop them out separately and reinsert them in the plastic cover for later reassembly. If the plastic tabs fall out, they pop right back in.
3) pull the back part of the headliner down GENTLY. There are 2 more of those plastic pins. You can then bend the headliner down about 4-5 inches to get to the telematics unit. That is all the access you need.
4) You now have access to the telematics module. There is a little rectangular tab in the middle of the module. Pull it down a bit and it will tilt away from the case at about a 45 degree angle. Then slide the telematics module forward towards the front of the car about a half inch. Do not remove the wires off the telematics unit unless you are replacing it.
5) You can then use a baby screwdriver to pop open the battery compartment to get at your battery.

(It seems quite ridiculous that a dealership will charge HUNDREDS of dollars to replace this battery by the way...)

By now, I had discovered that my telematics unit was BONE DRY even right after a carwash. There were 4 coaxial connectors that were separated when I removed the telematics unit from the shark fin antenna bottom. This is entirely by design. Each of my coax connectors was shiny and non-corroded, signifying no water leak. I then popped out the battery per the instructions above, and measured with a voltmeter. I got 8.2 volts indicating a full charge.

By now, I was a bit puzzled, as neither of the common issues seemed to apply to my problem. I decided to clean the contacts of the battery which I polished with a pencil eraser. I also bent the contacts out about 1mm each (there are 3) to ensure a tighter fit. I MADE SURE NOT TO SHORT OUT THE BATTERY LEADS WHEN I PRIED THE CONTACTS UP.

I reassembled everything, and bazingaa, the system worked perfectly and the error disappeared.

So, I figured I either had a bad battery connection or a bad antenna connection. I personally doubt the antenna connection was an issue, however, as I never had issues with BMW Assist, Wifi, Bluetooth, onboard GPS, Carplay, microphone, or other connectivity problems. I think the cold weather forced a marginal battery connection open. The eraser/bend contacts re-established the battery connection and solved the problem.

Anyways, I hope this helps someone out there.

[yzhou2004]

very helpful information. but I wish you took a YouTube video for your work. So, it'll be much easier to follow the instructions by words

[FatHulk]

Few weeks ago I got the, "emergency call system malfunction" message and ordered a battery hoping that was the cause.

Yesterday I removed TCM unit thanks to this post it was extremely easy, but I noticed there was some black marks on the contacts. Opened the module and it was indeed fried.

Question I have is, how do I know if there is a leak in the fin? Is there a way to test it? My friend who works at a body shop insists it's not leaking but having just ordered the TCM and the Battery it has cost over $1200 and I don't want to replace it again if there is a leak.

He thinks it's condensation but I think it's a possible leak.

Another thing I noticed is that there's an indentation around the fin for water to pool and no where for the water to flow out. Really poor choice in design.

If it turns out to be a leak do I need to replace the antenna? Is the fin held on by double sided tape?

Thanks,
D

[FatHulk]

Marty in NY read you suggested putting some silicone around the fin! I'll try that and replace the TCM/Battery.

[Alan l.]

What type of battery does it use? do you have the part number?

[1024X5]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

What type of battery does it use? do you have the part number?

Call the dealer and give him your vin and tell him you want the battery. He will quote the part your car needs.

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by 1024X5

Call the dealer and give him your vin and tell him you want the battery. He will quote the part your car needs.

Do you know if it needs coding after the new battery/TCM replacement? I had the same issue last year and replaced under warranty. But it comes back again today after a heavy rain yesterday, and I am out of the 4 year factory warranty so trying to fix it myself. but if it is not a simple swap of the new parts, rather needs coding, then dealer seems the only choice.
I think this needs a recall indeed with a new designed replacement. Twice in 4.5 years is crazy.

[1024X5]

Originally Posted by 535gtxenon

Do you know if it needs coding after the new battery/TCM replacement? I had the same issue last year and replaced under warranty. But it comes back again today after a heavy rain yesterday, and I am out of the 4 year factory warranty so trying to fix it myself. but if it is not a simple swap of the new parts, rather needs coding, then dealer seems the only choice.
I think this needs a recall indeed with a new designed replacement. Twice in 4.5 years is crazy.

Mine was only needing a battery. I changed that and the error went away.

[535gtxenon]

Originally Posted by 1024X5

Mine was only needing a battery. I changed that and the error went away.

Thanks for your reply. Do you happen to know if the TCM can be replaced without coding when you talked to your dealer? Mine was replaced last spring so the battery is less than 1 year old. My guess is the TCM is cooked. The instruction from above gives me direction how to replace it, but coding would stop me doing this. Thanks.

[CallMeAJ]

Originally Posted by yzhou2004

very helpful information. but I wish you took a YouTube video for your work. So, it'll be much easier to follow the instructions by words

For those of us that are visual learners, has anyone found a video on how to do this? I am worried about breaking the fasteners, etc. I can’t find one on YouTube, etc.