Navigation System - Numerous Failures/Malfunctions: Overview
GROUP 84Phone, Navigation Systems
84 11 97
Woodcliff Lake, NJ
June 2001
Service Engineering
This Service Information bulletin supersedes S.I. 84 11 97 dated January 2001.
SUBJECT
BMW Nav Operating Software CD V17.0 for MK I, MK II, MK III, and MK III Radio Nav Systems
MODEL
E46, E38, E39, E53, E52
SITUATION
The following Navigation System MK I (up to 09/97 production) failure/malfunction may be experienced by the customers:
1. The words "Enter code" appear on the board-monitor when the ignition is switched on. Intermittently, when the ignition key is turned to position ON (KL 15), the prompt "Enter code" appears, even though the code function was previously not activated. The Main Menu screen can be recalled by pressing the "menu" button.
The following Navigation System MK II (from 09/97 production) failures/malfunctions may be experienced by the customers:
1. Poor readability of map display in the E53 vehicles.
Under certain conditions, it is difficult to read the map display on the board monitor due to inadequate contrast.
2. Inaccurate determination of vehicles position when starting the navigation system and then driving at 900 to the direction vehicle was facing when parked.
If immediately after activating the navigation system, the vehicle is driven in a direction 900 offset to the direction in which vehicle was facing while parked, the navigation system may not be able to determine its location correctly (e.g. leaving a parking space before vehicles location and planned route is established).
3. The faulty display "Incorrect software loaded" appears after the ignition is switched ON.
After turning ignition on (KL 15), the erroneous display "Incorrect software loaded" intermittently appears in the on-board monitor. Situation can be corrected by turning ignition OFF, waiting at least 1 minute, and then turning it ON again.
NOTE:
With the new operating software (from CD V16.1) loaded into the system, the display "Incorrect software loaded" may still sporadically appear, however the navigation computer will then automatically reset, and will be restarted with the correct main menu on the display.
4. The screen remains dark or shows only the status bar (at the bottom) after the vehicle was started.
After turning ignition on (KL 15), no display appears in the on-board monitor except for the status bar. The background lighting of the screen is dark gray. The remaining displays in the main menu, or the audio menu (if radio was switched ON before) do not appear. Time display in the status bar is not being updated. Situation can be corrected by turning ignition OFF, waiting at least 1 minute, and then turning it ON again.
5. The screen darkens during driving ("black" or "blank" screen) and the system reboots.
The on-board monitor intermittently blanks-out during driving when the Navigation System is operating. After a few seconds, the screen reappears and the system reboots. Then, the main menu (if radio was previously turned off) or the audio/BC display shows on the screen.
In some cases the screen remains black, and reappears again only after turning ignition OFF, waiting at least 1 minute, and then turning it ON again. In the "main menu" screen the "Navigation" feature cannot be selected (Navigation button is not highlighted).
6. A route intermittently runs in a loop.
Intermittently, the map of the planned route appears on the on-board monitor as a loop, or the route guidance instruction runs in a loop (e.g. at the intersection route guidance proposes a different direction then the one which was calculated initially, and after following this direction for a while, either: instructs to make a "U-turn", or describes a route back to the original junction where the turn was executed).
7. Inaccuracies in the vehicle position indicator or implausible route guidance information. Extended "reaction" time of the Navigation System in route guidance and planning, after vehicle departs from the originally planned route.
Intermittently, incorrect distances are displayed at intersections or highway exits (e.g. 200 feet or more). Situation is sporadic and cannot be reproduced in the same location (reproducible faults would indicate error in the CD map).
Or, vehicle position cursor on the map display drifts away from the road or runs alongside the road. This situation results in implausible guidance information (system "tries" to return to the originally planned route), and in some cases the message: "You are leaving the digitized area" is sent by the system.
8. On-board computer (BC) data not displayed on the board monitor.
After ignition key is turned "ON" (KL 15) and screen is changed from "main menu" to radio/BC display, the displayed board computer data is not complete (or appears with significant time delay). In most cases the missing values are: Range, Ambient Temperature, or Fuel Consumption. Sometimes, those values may reappear during driving of the vehicle.
9. Route guidance intermittently remains active following "Destination Reached" display.
If the vehicle's ignition was turned "OFF" in the very moment the" Destination Reached" message was displayed on the board monitor, the route guidance to that destination may remain active the next time the vehicle is driven (Navigation instructions are given, even though the "Navigation" button was not selected from the "main menu" screen).
10. System resets (screen "blanking") when selecting a road junction from the list with numerous entries.
When entering a road junction to a selected street during a "destination input", after approximately two minutes of calculations the system reboots. After the reset, in the "main menu" screen the "Navigation" feature cannot be selected (Navigation button is not highlighted). The failure described above may occur only when the selected street leads to a large number of intersections (example: 5th Avenue, New York City).
11. Turn guidance instructions are linguistically incorrect.
The following voice commands: "Left turn", "Right turn", "Left turn ahead", and "Right turn ahead" with introduction of CD V17.0 have been change to: "Turn left", "Turn right", Turn left ahead", and "Turn right ahead".
12. Sound and arrow guidance intermittent failure.
The acoustic commands, together with the graphic guidance intermittently fail during navigation. When switched to the map display mode, system operates correctly (vehicle's icon moves in the selected destination), but still the voice commands are not generated.
The following Radio Navigation System MK II and MK III on Z8 (E52) vehicles failures/malfunctions may be experienced by the customers:
1. Missing menu items in radio display.
Intermittently after turning ignition ON (KL 15), the menu items are missing from the MIR radio display. The full menu is restored again after switching ignition OFF and ON again (with one minute interval).
2. Menu item "Navigation" intermittently fails to appear in radio display.
Intermittently during driving, the "Navigation" menu line is missing from the MIR radio display. The radio-navigation cannot be selected. The full menu is restored again after switching ignition OFF and ON again (with one minute interval).
3. On-board computer (BC) data not displayed on the board monitor.
After ignition key is turned "ON" (KL 15) and screen is changed from "main menu" to radio/BC display, the displayed board computer data is not complete (or appears with significant time delay). In most cases the missing values are:
Range, Ambient Temperature, or Fuel Consumption. Sometimes, those values may reappear during driving of the vehicle.
4. Turn guidance instructions are linguistically incorrect.
The following voice commands: "Left turn", "Right turn", "Left turn ahead", and "Right turn ahead" with introduction of CD V17.0 have been change to: "Turn left", "Turn right", Turn left ahead", and "Turn right ahead".
5. Sound and arrow guidance intermittent failure.
The acoustic commands, together with the graphic guidance intermittently fail during navigation. When switched to the map display mode, system operates correctly (vehicle's icon moves in the selected destination), but still the voice commands are not generated.
The following Navigation System MK III (E46 from 06/00, E38/E39 from 09/00, E53 from 10/00 production) failures/malfunctions may be experienced by the customers:
1. On-board computer (BC) data not displayed on the board monitor.
After ignition key is turned "ON" (KL 15) and screen is changed from "main menu" to radio/BC display, the displayed board computer data is not complete (or appears with significant time delay). In most cases the missing values are:
Range, Ambient Temperature, or Fuel Consumption. Sometimes, those values may reappear during driving of the vehicle.
2. Turn guidance instructions are linguistically incorrect.
The following voice commands: "Left turn", "Right turn", "Left turn ahead", and "Right turn ahead" with introduction of CD V17.0 have been change to: "Turn left", "Turn right", Turn left ahead", and "Turn right ahead".
3. Sound and arrow guidance intermittent failure.
The acoustic commands, together with the graphic guidance intermittently fail during navigation. When switched to the map display mode, system operates correctly (vehicle's icon moves in the selected destination), but still the voice commands are not generated.
CAUSE
Software errors in the Operating Software of Navigation System MK I, MK II and MK III.
Important:
None of the complaints described above are valid reasons for replacement of the Navigation Computer.
CORRECTION
On a customer complaint basis only, load the Navigation Computer with the updated version of Navigation operating software (CD V17.0).
NOTE:
Also, in case of a hardware failure (not related to the situations described above) after replacement of the Navigation computer (on MK I, MK II, or MK III systems), or the video module (on MK I only) the units have to be coded, and the computer must be loaded with the new CD V17.0 operating software.
DISCLAIMER