# 01 E38 nav inoporable



## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

my newly perchased 740i has a problem with the nav system and stereo. from what the dealer i bought it for told me, the trunk mounted unit for the nav system needs replacement. this which they have been trying to locate but not having luck. the stereo works for a few minutes, then will loose sound. after this it needs to be turned off, then back on to regain sound through the speakers. i can see that the drive on the nav unit is torn up and really cant be properly repaired. 

being that it seems to be taking forever to find a new nav unit, i'd rather like to do some research myself. is there any aftermarket units that are some type of upgrade that can be installed? i would like it to have DVD capability and have auxilary inputs to connect XBOX or other systems. this, plus later on i plan to add aftermarket subwoofers in the trunk area, likely to be a built in system. but i would like to retain the stock front wide screen unit. 

but for now, is there anything that can be put in place of a stock nav unit?


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## southpol (Sep 21, 2008)

Go to ebay and you are guaranteed to find what you need. The problem is your trunk mounted nav computer is shot. The nav, stereo, phone, and c.d. player all run on the same bios line so if one component goes out it knocks out evrything else as well.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

well that'd explain why the cd player works when it wants to. i'm going to go bug the dealership tomorrow about it again. hopefully they can hurry up and find me the part because i've found it elsewhere besides through BMW. i'm going to see if i find it and buy it, that maybe they can reimburse me.


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## krockstk (Apr 25, 2008)

I Had the same problem. The nav comp was shot. The dealership (Daniels) told me $2500.00 I found one (mk2) from a member here, installed it myself, and it works great. The dealership also said the replaced unit had to be coded to my car for $250.00, but so far I've had no issues.(ps it's been about 4 months since install) good luck.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

well it seems like they are just farting around on the issue. i have it in writing that they must replace it though. so no way they can really get out of this.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

last week i took the car in. they attempted to repair the nav unit, as far as i'm concerned. i dont know what they were thinking. it worked for a while, then would turn on and off. finally completely crapping out. pretty much, as the unit heated up it would get worse. they've ordered a new unit for me. i looked to see how much they are, $2500. i'm sure they really didnt want to spend that much, but the dealer has that burden, not me.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

should i be rude with them, or does this particular part really take this long to get? i'm going up there to bitch at them. the service manager seems to never be there when i call. he also wont return the voice mails i have left. i feel like they are beating around the bush with this. maybe i'm being to hasty, but even with hard parts for my hondas comming from japan, they didnt take this long to get it right.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

would you believe this load of crap? after leaving two voicemails, the service manager finally calls me back to tell me that he ordered the nav unit, but received a new cd unit. WTF? i'm sorry, but i dont buy that. i work in auto parts and going by part numbers when you order doesnt have these results. but whatever, he's got the nav unit comming in. i swear nothing ever took this amount of time for my hondas special ordered parts.


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## dannyc9997 (May 15, 2008)

This is a tough situation. On the one hand you want to go in there and scream your head off, on the other hand maybe they are having a hard time getting it in. What I would do is ask him to give you a date that this service is to be done by. Dont be unreasonable. If they miss the deadline again, let them know (with a cool head) that you are upset and your considering your legal options. Send a demand letter, and then take it to the court system. Hopefully it doesnt get that far but it does seem they are dicking you around.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

well i suspect they are trying to get my nav unit at the loweset cost to them. this is likely why they are taking a long time. i havent been rude or anything to them yet. but i have popped in and made surprise visits prior to making phone calls here lately. all i want is my screen to work and be able to fully use my stereo. i'll be giving them a call tomorrow morning though regardless. plus i need to see about ordering some more accessories for my 7.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

went up to the dealership on monday, a surprise visit. well the service manager calls up the place they are ordering the nav unit from. they seem to have the CD changer listed as the nav unit. he tells me this is why its taking so long. yeah right. what kind of professional company does this crap? it should supposedly be comming from massachusetts. should have shipped in 3-4 days, so if its not here tomorrow they are going to have some problems with me. i mean i ordered floor mats monday and got them thursday. its time to be firm with them.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

here i am, a little more than 2 weeks later. finally get to take the car in. but guess what. they gave me more bs! they just half ass fixed it. and they tell me to come in later this week. WTF!? they supposedly couldnt find the new nav unit. i think its really time to get a lawyer involved with this. i've taken pictures of how the screen works now. this is really bougus. as you can see, it cant hold the picture. the stereo will now stay on without me having to turn it off, then on again. but after using my cd player, it messes up and i have to remove the cartridge from the trunk unit so to have an oporating stereo. i'm probably going to get the BBB to investigate them also. mind you i've been waiting for them to fix the problem since february. is this how they treat the "we owe" agreements or what?


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## dannyc9997 (May 15, 2008)

If I were you Id write a letter of demand setting a deadline for the transaction to be completed. You do have it in writing that they must fix your car right?


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

How did they half-way fix it without the new nav unit? 
This doesn't smell like a simple 'nav unit' problem to me. 
It is so easy to swap a nav unit and if that was the issue it would have been solved long ago. 
I think they do not know what the issue is and are trying to spin it out until you give up and go away.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

i e-mailed the service manager yesterday evening. still have no response. my grandmother who i live with is fully pissed and says that she is going to be calling the BBB and local tv station to get this taken care of. so hopefully by friday they do something for me or else we're going to quit being nice and patient. i've talked to a few other E38 owners that come into my store. they tell me that BMW of Corpus Christ is somewhat crooked. so i hope they are prepared for me to let it be known. i'm emailing the general manager right now too. see if that gets some response.


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## crewdog843 (Mar 15, 2006)

Have you contacted BMWNA? It might be worth a phone call.

jake


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

well i'm happy to say that the general manager has taken care of things and acknowledged the problem. just knowing that someone is really getting things moving makes me feel much better. i'll likely be taking the car in tomorrow morning.


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## crewdog843 (Mar 15, 2006)

Good to hear...hope everything turns out well for you.

jake


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

took the car in this morning. they had it about 6 hours. but its working and thats what i wanted.

well get a load of this. the nav unit is shot again. these have all been used units. they are ordering a brand new one this time. hopefully they will get it done. i can hear the unit clicking, but nothing shows up on the screen. i'm sure they havent bothered to do any type of testing on it to see what kind of current is going in from the car and what not.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

i'm finding it harder and harder to get ahold of the service manager. i dont know what the deal is. from 6/12 to now, still havent heard anything from them. i've sent emails, called and left voice mails. still no answer. i suppose i need to talk to the general manager again. that service manager seemed to have a problem with me contacting someone higher up. i guess i just need to keep being persistant. its been almost 5 months! if no answers tomorrow, i'm done. i'm going to let an investigative reporter in on this and take a crap on the dealer. since thats pretty much what they've done to me.


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## HELLROT750 (Jun 29, 2009)

Just joining at the tail end of the conversation but your definately getting the runaround. Man,,,if this was me i'd been in there with an ak47 already. Jk! I had the same problem with my 750il last july/2007. Same exact problem! The dealer replaced the navi unit with a refurbished one. Been working fine. I also had to replace the navigation sattelite receiver as the system was not receiving any signal. All to the tune of just under $3k. Maybe try the upgrade you and others are talking about. My cars 100% stock exept for the wheels/tires, to escared to try aftermarket or other parts..void the warranty.. Good luck OH...BY THE WAY.....KEEP THE BATTERRIES CHARGED WHEN NOT DRIVEN.. CAR USED TO ACT FUNNY WHEN BATTERIES GOT LOW!


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## dannyc9997 (May 15, 2008)

CodyItaliano said:


> i'm finding it harder and harder to get ahold of the service manager. i dont know what the deal is. from 6/12 to now, still havent heard anything from them. i've sent emails, called and left voice mails. still no answer. i suppose i need to talk to the general manager again. that service manager seemed to have a problem with me contacting someone higher up. i guess i just need to keep being persistant. its been almost 5 months! if no answers tomorrow, i'm done. i'm going to let an investigative reporter in on this and take a crap on the dealer. since thats pretty much what they've done to me.


This is STILL going on?? :yikes: I agree with you go for the investigative reporter, but you should try the general manager again and let him know how frustrated you are. Clearly they didnt factor in the price of this unit in the sale, but thats not your fault a deal is a deal.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

yep, the burden is on their shoulders, not mine. i mean seriously, this is a 7 series. they should have known! its a specificallly BMW only dealer.

well, tuesday i was impatient to get an email or phone call. so i went to the dealer. seems the serivce mangager is out. dunno if he's on vacation or what the hell. anyways, i'm going to try working with the service writer. seems like he actually cares and was prompt to find the status of my nav unit. said it should be in friday at the earliest. it was ordered a few weeks ago. comming from Germany maybe? anyways, that made me feel that much better.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

today i took the car in to have the new nav unit installed. its a newer one. 

a few things i noticed that are different. it turns the screen on only when the key is turned and not when i first open the door. it has a completely updated screen display and layout. 

the only thing is, the navigation doesnt work. its stuck in god knows where. i'm guessing with the phone disconnected, that would be the reason? i'm sure i get that fixed.


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

No connection between phone and navigation that would have an effect. Can you post screenshots?


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

need to clean my screen off, looks dirty in the pix.


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

Looks fine. What does it look like when you select 'Settings' and also in 'GPS-Navigation'?


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

basically it looks the same, same options and what not. jut a slightly different layout and color scheme selection, which i have two. i'll take some more pix at night when i have some time. 

i wonder if there's any way to get that scratch out? its not really bad unless the screen is dirty, but i'd rather it not be there. its not that horrible though.


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

Cody, I don't know if it's me or you but I don't understand your problem. You just said in post 28 that everything is OK -just that it looks a bit different- but in post 24 you said navigation doesn't work. 
If you still have a problem with the nav not finding your current location or not routing you correctly can you describe in more detail or provide screenshot? Reason I additionally asked about 'settings' menu is that it shows the Nav h/w and s/w versions there.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

well the unit itself works. i dont have a phone connected, so that may be why the nav isnt working? i'll have to take some pix to better explain. but simply, i can put a location in, try and look at my vehicle position and it wont move. also isnt in the right area, its somewhere out of state i'm guessing. it was before, being stuck in washington d.c., so i'm not all sure what i should do. but once i have a chance i'll take another look at it. i'm just happy to have the stereo and screen working properly.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

here's some better pictures. i suppose the nav needed time to initialize? who knows, but its working.


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

There's a procedure to get the nav system to calibrate. You need to drive around for about 15 minutes making turns to get it to recognise changes of direction, elevation, etc. Seems you've done that now and everything is ok.:thumbup:


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

i still need to calibrate it. i can say i'm crossing a certain intersection, but eventually i'll be out of range and will not be following the road correctly, according to the map. i still need to mess with it to get it right. this will be nice when i go up to san antonio or dallas, as the roads there can be confusing. i'm looking into the mods i can do with it now. i'd like to be able to connect my XBOX to it, also using it as a DVD player.


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