Help please new owner

[Djflacoent]

I have a 2013 z4 and I having some issues. I'm more of a if I can fix it myself I'll try.the issue I'm having is first passenger door won't open. My hard top won't open at all its blinking red the button. The pop up screen won't come on only some times. My middle circle button don't want to work. It's also telling me something about passenger multifunction.

Any help I would appreciate anything I can check on my own I can do it just need to know what.

[Djflacoent]

Also my radiator gets hot if I drive it for more then 30min. Water start to come up from the top. Is it the radiator top I need to change?

[B21]

Your first step is to buy a decent code reader..with over 35 microprocessors on this car, almost everting is commanded / controlled by an ECU.

Your first step is to get the fault codes.

Having said that multiple failures can be caused by a bad battery but you sound to be in a worse place.

[Djflacoent]

Ok I have a blue driver reader so I'll connect that the car turns on and runs but I'll double check the battery or disconnect it and reset it .

[MRCW]

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

Ok I have a blue driver reader so I'll connect that the car turns on and runs but I'll double check the battery or disconnect it and reset it .

You will need to get a code reader that week read more than OBD2 codes. Get something BMW specific like bimmertools, pro tools or MHD, etc. to read specific modules

[DavesZed]

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

....the issue I'm having is first passenger door won't open.

In what way? Won't unlock? Physically won't release on pulling the handle? etc

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

My hard top won't open at all its blinking red the button.

So you press, and hold, the button? Do the windows go down at all?

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

The pop up screen won't come on only some times.

Hmmmm **

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

My middle circle button don't want to work.

?? What button?

Originally Posted by Djflacoent

It's also telling me something about passenger multifunction....

Hmmm **


Yeah defo codes need reading, with a proper reader that can read BMW. You need a proper one for two reasons, one, as above, so it can read specific modules, but also so it can clear the codes properly as well (well at least try to!)

** But, as stated by B21 above, this is very much looking like a battery issue. These modules are very susceptible to battery issues in some very wired ways that, sometimes, have no relation to each other, ie; one persons issues will bear no similarities to another, even though they have the same modules fitted.

[dryadsdad]

I too am a new owner. In my case, it’s a 2011. I note this thread to another new owner and agree it only makes sense to get a scanner and at least find out what’s going on. In my case, however, my ability to address issues is limited, very limited.

First, I’m curious to learn how many things are addressable by owners when they go wrong. While I don’t know details, just the top mechanism seems rife with sensors, micro switches and gosh knows what else. If I learned that micro switch Z38a44k went bad via the scanner, is it possible for me to replace it? I haven’t a clue all these devices’ locations.

Second, how much does an appropriate scanner cost? I have an $80 generic that works all right on my 2000 Tacoma so when things go odd, I can have an idea of what’s up before I see a repair facility. Although that begs the question of if I need to assure myself that the garage’s diagnosis is accurate then do I want to take my vehicle to such a place for repairs?

As to the OP’s passenger door, I’d suspect the unlock mechanism has failed.

[B21]

A not unreasonable set of questions…

The easy one

A generic decoder isn’t much help on an E89…generic decoders usually make a reasonable job on the engine and if you are really lucky maybe the gearbox…the problem is the E89 has over 2k additional ECUs that are BMW specific…without a specific BMW decoder you are going to struggle with almost everything.

Knowing the fault code at the very least will allow other armchair experts advisre / suggest what may be the cause of your problems.

As to whether you can fix matters that depends on your mechanical competence and an adequate toolset..

Personally I’ve found the specific bmw readers very useful.

At the very least it means you can have a more reasoned conversation with your favourite repairman ��

A 100 usd will get you a very good s/w reader

[B21]

Originally Posted by MRCW

You will need to get a code reader that week read more than OBD2 codes. Get something BMW specific like bimmertools, pro tools or MHD, etc. to read specific modules

MHD is good for the engine but doesn't read fault codes from other ECUs..AFAIK

[javis20]

My question is, did you buy a car with all these problems? Or is this your car, and you woke up one day to all these problems?

[dryadsdad]

Originally Posted by B21

A not unreasonable set of questions…

The easy one

A generic decoder isn’t much help on an E89…generic decoders usually make a reasonable job on the engine and if you are really lucky maybe the gearbox…the problem is the E89 has over 2k additional ECUs that are BMW specific…without a specific BMW decoder you are going to struggle with almost everything.

Knowing the fault code at the very least will allow other armchair experts advisre / suggest what may be the cause of your problems.

As to whether you can fix matters that depends on your mechanical competence and an adequate toolset..

Personally I’ve found the specific bmw readers very useful.

At the very least it means you can have a more reasoned conversation with your favourite repairman ��

A 100 usd will get you a very good s/w reader

Thanks. $100 is quite reasonable for a BMW specific or even Z4 specific scanner given the info it will convey. I found one that uses an app on the phone to Bluetooth to an OBD II reader which I expect will work but I'm tired of so many things demanding I install an app on my now crowded phone that I'm still searching.

In the short run, it's moot since I brought the car to a dealer due to a safety recall (PCV valve). While there, I asked the service writer to do a thorough diagnosis to find any issues besides the two I noticed (bad bulb and sketchy battery. The battery was original much to me, the tech and the service writer's shock given that made it 12 years old or so. I opted for a new one.

The car came back with no faults or issues much to my relief. Here it is:

[dryadsdad]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Not really a polite answer but one must realize that a 10 + year old E89 is going to have a problem every now and then. Simply an old and complex vehicle. Either find a good mechanic/dealer or if your are mechanically inclined, get good BMW tool such as INPA or INST-D. Being good at logically troublshooting helps as well.

Or, you could find an alternate form of a transport.

I'm unsure if you're talking to me, but if so, I much prefer a direct factual reply than pussyfooting about in an attempt to be 'polite'. Per my post above, since I was at a dealer for a recall, I had the car completely diagnosed and it came back clean aside from two issues I'd already decided needed addressing. I'll still get the scanner because, as you say, a decade + older highly complex car will not remain all in good nick indefinitely.

I hope to hear back from the OP as to what was going on. I think that good deal of it may be simply a worn out battery.

[rjahl]

[QUOTE=dryadsdad;30426772]I'm unsure if you're talking to me, but if so, I much prefer a direct factual reply than pussyfooting about in an attempt to be 'polite'. Per my post above, since I was at a dealer for a recall, I had the car completely diagnosed and it came back clean aside from two issues I'd already decided needed addressing. I'll still get the scanner because, as you say, a decade + older highly complex car will not remain all in good nick indefinitely.

I hope to hear back from the OP as to what was going on. I think that good deal of it may be simply a worn out battery.

Atually no, my reply was to another post. Now deleted that was short and of little help to the conversation. I should have quoted it to avoid this possibility. My fault for creating a potentially confusing post.

I try to keep all of my posts polite, even when replying to a post that’s totally full of excrement. Just how I believe people should behave on these forums.

I agree, when confronted with multiple faults across mutiple ecu’s my first suspect is power supply. Battery, then major supply cables and grounds. However my first recommendation to anyone wanting to trouble shoot thier own car will be get the right code reading tools. My preference is INPA and Tool32 but these are not easy to use and not suited for everyone.

The only time INPA let me down is trouble shooting my hardtop. No functions for the top module that I can find. I had to use INST-d to monitor the micro switches. Maybe I could have used Test-o to log them, didn’t think about it at the time.

I’ll try to delete my other post