I have had missing pixels on my IC since I bought the 2001 X5 new. The IC was replaced once under warranty, which corrected it for a while. But it's been missing pixels for the last 60K miles. I don't think it is the IC itself, as the missing pixels move around - they are sometimes different, and sometimes not missing at all. I think it is a software problem, but have no clue how to confirm that. I know this is a common problem. How have others dealt with it?
I had this issue with my e39 540ia. After many calls to BMW-NA, they offered to pay for the part, if I payed for the labor to have it installed. If you go this rout, I recommend that you shop around, all dealers charge different rate and will quoat different amounts of time to. It should not take more then 20-30 minutes, but most dealers wanted 1 to 1.5 hours. Good luck!
Common issue, Right now we have 2 X5s that are suffering the same issue. Pulling the Cluster and cleaning the contacts often resolves the issue. One of my tasks this weekend.
Pixel DIY repair... This is from the BF.c e39 section but it should be basically the same procedure for all BMW clusters. The contacts between the ribbon cable and mainboard are failing due to a poorly designed connectivity issue. Give this clever fix a try and report back that you have successfully repaired the infamous "dead pixel" issue... http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1290127&highlight=cluster ribbon cable IMO, this is a very clever "upgrade" from the OEM build and apparently a route that BMW may have abandoned due to cost issues, which is why we all have the same failing pixel problem. Replace the ribbon cable and secure it properly with screws to the mainboard to increase positive contacts at the connection...makes sense to me.
