# problems with an E39 Radio/nav



## 16hr Day (Apr 17, 2004)

I just took delivery of my 2003 540i-6 with navigation and DSP. When I first got it the screen had a glow but was blank from start up. The radio works fine and was able to navigate through the radio blindly. Last night I ejected the Mk4 nav unit and found a CD ROM from the North East. When I started the radio again it was fine. I got the BMW Screen on start up and all the radio controls worked except of course the Navigation because now there is no disk. Then this morning it was fine and at lunch the screen again was blank. Does anybody here have an idea of what might be wrong? I really dont want to take it to BMW. The selling dealer is out of state (car was shipped) they are helpful and have offered to send a replacement screen or nav unit, I just need to figure out exactly what the problem is. Last night I thought it was just the CD ROM and today it's not. Can somebody shed some light??


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## [email protected] (Sep 5, 2006)

Let's first try to reset the car. Disconnect the negative battery terminal and then the positive. Touch the battery LEADS together, do this away from the battery itself and touch the LEADS together, no the battery terminals themselves. There may be a small spark. This will reset the vehicle and drain out the capacitors and hopefully reset the NAV.

If this does not work please let me know and we can proceed to the next step


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## 16hr Day (Apr 17, 2004)

thanks will try it.


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## [email protected] (Sep 5, 2006)

Let me know if that works 


Your vehicle list is very nice. I am intrigued by the Scout...


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## 16hr Day (Apr 17, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> Let me know if that works
> 
> Your vehicle list is very nice. I am intrigued by the Scout...


OK I did the reset and my radio seems better, but it still doesnt see the Sirius unit. I have radio with a build date of 8/2003 so I should see the Satillite Radio. any ideas?


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## 03 525i (Sep 8, 2009)

Hi everyone, I am new to the board. I was looking for info as to the Gremlins in my E39... I keep seeing BLANK SCREEN on NAV and the RADIO dies after a few minutes. Has anyone come up with the actual cause of this? I have see unhook the battery and reset everything but that no longer works for my car. Funny thing is I have not seen any threads with this problem without nav. My car has the High MID system and DSP without NAV. The problem was intermitten at first, but happens pretty much all the time now. When I turn the key on the MID screen is blank, the Radio starts and then goes off after about 3 minutes. When this was more intermitten I also noticed that the turn indicaters on the dash didn't work when the screen was blank but did work when the screen worked (all of the outside lights work normally all the time though) I am finding this on several sights but no one seems to have figured it out and only a few have started linking the blank screen and the radio together. I am positive the radio shutting down is linked as my screen would come on and the radio would come on right after while I was driving down the road. Any ideas???????????????????


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## RichardP (Jan 8, 2005)

E39 radio modules are very prone to dry joints (where the solder cracks are creates a broken or intermittent contact). Disconnecting them will often reset them and they recover from an intermittent contact, but it soon happens again getting more and more frequent.

There are only 2 solutions :

1) Reflow the joints, easy if you have reasonable soldering skils or know someone that has.
2) Replace the radio, if you get a 2nd hand unit then it may have the same problem.


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## jvr826 (Apr 22, 2002)

Reviving an old thread, was this issue ever resolved? I'm having similar in my E46.

Also, I sent you a PM on the soldering situation Richard. Hope you are still active around here!


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## Tymm (Feb 28, 2011)

I´ll re-bump this also so I don´t get into trouble for starting a new thread and not searching first!!!löl
I´m having the same problems and would like to know how to fix "dry solder" 
What joints do I do? what the mostly likely to go first?
I have been unplugging everything then everything works but after a month or so 1 thing stops then the next then the next 
I can solder but don´t know where to start any help would be good

Thanks!!

sorry forgot to say I have the full HK system with Nav, 6 CD( in the boot) and tape deck 4:3 screen when I look on the settings screen top right I have the code SW 3-1/63, I still have the original nav disc plus a burnt 1 direct from BMW ( so said the PO!!)
I posted a pic of what my screen looks like
If you need anymore info let me know!!!


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## DennisCooper! (Jan 29, 2011)

Hi

Have a read of this writeup about bypassing the amplifier stage of the oem unit. In the UK this is known as the BM54 unit. I 'think' USA side it's the BM53 but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure the guide i've linked to will be exactly the same internals as the US version.

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/index.php/t...__323315__hl__bm54__fromsearch__1#entry323315

Cheers, Dennis!


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## Tymm (Feb 28, 2011)

DennisCooper! said:


> Hi
> 
> Have a read of this writeup about bypassing the amplifier stage of the oem unit. In the UK this is known as the BM54 unit. I 'think' USA side it's the BM53 but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure the guide i've linked to will be exactly the same internals as the US version.
> 
> ...


Funny that I was just reading on M3cutter about the same thing, I juat have to find out what unit I have, I´ve just finished work now for a 4 week holiday (looking after my little girl!) so I´ll be taking the whole system out of the car and opening everything up to have a look for any dry solder joints then if that doesn´t work then I might try the RCA bypass thing


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## DennisCooper! (Jan 29, 2011)

Hi 

I'm also on the ********* forum, it's the only one where I don't have this 'DennisCooper' name as it has a name character limit! I'm ExCop530dT on there. 

I'm involved in the Car Audio trade and have a few projects and concepts I'm working on to replace the whole OEM setup as fixing these specific modules that are now failing on a more regular basis is expensive!

Have a good look around some of the European based forums to see if theres any specific information on the setup you may have in your car. Perhaps there's another version BM55 or something !!

Cheers, Dennis!


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## Tymm (Feb 28, 2011)

Cool can you send me a link so i can follow it
I´m not in the car audio world but have built a few set ups in my time but the whole BMW set up is way over my head with the OBC


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## FrancoGuad19 (Sep 4, 2014)

Well Sorry to bump this post back again. Did anyone figure this issue out? I have this problem on my e39 as well. I can't figure it out and I really do not want to spend hundreds fixing or buying a new one.


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## tdd540 (Jan 8, 2015)

I have had the same problem for a year now, (2000 540). It's an intermittent problem, but I think it is related to the temperature of the trunk and the temperature of the unit. When the weather is cold I don't have the problem as much as when the weather is hot. Also when the unit has been running for a while and I shut off the engine, the NAV unit stays blank when I restart. I have had this problem less frequently this winter than last summer. I don't have a solution yet.


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