# Seat memory weirdness -- what's going on?!?



## mrogers (Mar 2, 2004)

I've had my '97 540i for a few weeks now, and everything's great except for the driver memory feature -- it seems to have amnesia. It randomly forgets what was stored in certain positions. I haven't been able to identify a pattern, but I'll tell you what has happened and maybe someone here can see something that I don't:

I stored all my settings in position 1. The first time my girlfriend drove the car, I told her to store all of hers in 2 (she's driven BMWs before, she knows how to work these things). I get in the car next, and pressing 1 works. However, the next time she gets in the car, she presses 2 and nothing happens. She's reset her settings twice now, and after I drive the car they get erased.

Then my dad drove my car for a day. He didn't use the memory settings, he just adjusted everything to his satisfaction. He has a 528i, so I know he knows what he's doing. When I got the car back, I pressed 1 and nothing happened. WTF?

I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on. The only other feature linked to the memory settings that I know of is the keys -- the car can be set to move to whatever position was last used with a particular key when the car is unlocked with that key. I have a key and my girlfriend has the other, and when I gave my dad the car he used my key. I don't know if that helps, but I'm laying out everything because I can't figure out what's going on. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## norcal 528i (Dec 2, 2003)

I can't help, but my car does the very same thing. For a while my wife and I accused the other of screwing up the settings. We haven't found any rhyme or reason to it, sometimes they will stick for a month or two, sometimes gone after just a day. :dunno:


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## fixdaserver (Oct 19, 2003)

After my wife drives the car, I have to hold the #1 button down and keep pressure on it while the seats return to the stored position. If I one touch the button, it doesn't work.


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## mikemaster (Mar 22, 2003)

When I press the memory button as soon as I open the door, it works fine. But if I turn the ignition on first, then I have to hold the button in.


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## mikemaster (Mar 22, 2003)

Thanks, I know.
But this guy has only had his car for a few weeks and may not.


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## mrogers (Mar 2, 2004)

I do know that, but thanks. Holding down the button does nothing.

Any other ideas?


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## 03&04Owner (Dec 9, 2003)

mrogers said:


> I do know that, but thanks. Holding down the button does nothing.
> 
> Any other ideas?


I had the same issue with a 2004 530i. BMW Service did a "software upgrade" on it which seems to have solved the problem. They also performed "recalls" on 19 different modules. Whatever that means...


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## Sands (Apr 7, 2004)

how is your battery? If it has low voltage - your computers will not remember the settings. My '99 was pretty flaky a few months before the battery killed itself. After the change, all is well with the computer functions and memories.


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## mrogers (Mar 2, 2004)

Sands said:


> how is your battery? If it has low voltage - your computers will not remember the settings. My '99 was pretty flaky a few months before the battery killed itself. After the change, all is well with the computer functions and memories.


 Well, I believe my battery is fine...the car starts strong, all the accessories work fine with the key in aux position. None of my other settings that are maintained by the battery have a problem, so I don't think that could be it. Thanks for the idea, though.


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