I've got a 2006 E90 with a new problem. When I'm playing an ipod through the Aux input it intermittently switches from the ipod to the radio and the radio display shows the word "alarm". Any idea of what causes this and how to fix it? I have heard of other E90s that have the same issue.
My two educated guesses are either a programming fault or your radio is bad If you're still under warranty, take it to a dealer to check for sure. If recoding to the latest software doesn't fix that, sounds like you're in for a radio replacement.
Ask for a goodwill repair. If you feel it failed through no fault of your own, if your car is out of warranty, it's probably not out of warranty by a whole heck of a lot. The car's only four years old. Worst thing that can happen is that the dealer will say no. But you won't know unless you ask -- and ask extra nicely. You're asking the dealer for a favor, not the other way around. Some of these dealers will surprise you at what they will do to build goodwill (and potential repeat business) with a BMW enthusiast. You can also ask how much would it cost to recode or replace the radio (recoding is a software update to the firmware on the radio). Mention your BMWCCA discount. Hope my advice helps.
Radio switches from AUX to radio This is an unresolved, unexplained problem on my 2003 530i. I have the dealer installled aux input jack in my glove box. I was told by my dealer in no uncertain terms, that if you have plugged the IPOD into the cigar lighter for a power source, that the radio will switch after a short period of time out of AUX mode and into tuner mode. Sure enough, it never happens when only using the IPOD on its internal battery and playing through the AUX jack. This makes no sense to me. Don
Check the docking connector and the cable on your ipod The Ipod only uses TWO pins on the cable to charge with. The rest are data lines. If there is any dust on these pins, it could be creating an electrical connection(s)) where there shouldn't be one. The Ipod needs to be able to know if it's charging itself or transfering data. Dust on the connector and cable can confuse it. Inspect them carefully -- the pins on a 30 pin ipod connector are very small and very close together. A false electrical connection can be created even if you can't see it. In other words, just because it LOOKS fine doesn't mean that it is. If in doubt, connect it to the USB port on a Mac or Windows PC, and open up Itunes. If Itunes detects it, it's fine. But if it only charges but doesn't appear in Itunes, it's could be a faulty cable or dust on the pins.
