2010 BMW 5 Series Electrical System

insulation on wiring is deteriorated leading to possible fire and or shorting out of electrical system

THE INSULATON OF THE WIRING TO BOTH MY HEADLIGHT AND PARKING LIGHT LAMPS IS FLAKING OFF IN SMALL AND LARGE PIECES LEAVING THE COPPER WIRING EXPOSED.

I WAS DRIVING 2010 BMW 528XI ON HIGHWAY @SPEED OF 65 MPH AND ELECTRIC SUPPLY DISCONNECTED IN THE CAR AND I LOST THE CONTROL. I COULD NOT CONTROL SPEED AND BRAKES. IT WAS A SERIOUS THREAT TO MY LIFE. FORTUNATELY, I LET CAR GO AND IT STOPPED BY ITSELF ON SHOULDER. I CALLED TO BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THEY MENTIONED THAT BMW CANNOT HELP IN THIS CASE AND JUST NOTED THE COMMENTS. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BMW 5 SERIES AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUE.

UNDER NORMAL LOAD BATTERY CAN BECOME DISCHARGED EVEN WHILE DRIVING CAUSING TOTAL SHUT DOWN. THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ON MY WHILE DRIVING IT DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN OF ALTERNATOR CLUTCH (EFFICIENT DYNAMICS) THERE ARE COUNTLESS REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE THROUGH BMW FORUMS FOR MODEL YEARS 2010 AND 2011 OF 550I GT. IN MY SPECIFIC CASE, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING AFTER 20 MILES ON HIGHWAY. ALL WARNINGS WENT OFF AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE CAR WAS MOVING. BATTERY IS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD AND TESTS TO HAVE NO TROUBLE. I AM AFRAID THIS COULD HAPPEN WHILE AT SPEED AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=672462

I DROVE ACROSS TOWN TO MY PARENTS HOUSE AND WHEN I GOT THERE I TURNED THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND LOCKED IT. I VISITED WITH THEM FOR ROUGHLY 30 MINUTES BEFORE I HAD TO LEAVE AGAIN. I WAS APPROACHING MY CAR AND CLICKED THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON MY KEY FOB. ONCE THE CAR UNLOCKED I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I UNLOCKED TO HOOD TO RELEASE PRESSURE AND QUICKLY RAN TO GRAB A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CAR WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER I NOTICED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. I PUT THOSE FLAMES OUT BUT AFTER TWO MINUTES MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED BY FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FINALLY ARRIVED TO THE SCENE AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY PUT OUT MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. MY PARENTS HOUSE TOOK QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE AS WELL FROM THE FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF MY CAR.

BLOWER MOTOR SHORTED AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AFFECTING HEADLIGHTS AND THEIR CONTROL. A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE BLEW OUT OF THE VENTS AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING MOVED FROM THE GARAGE TO THE PARKING LOT AT A 3RD PARTY SERVICE PROVIDER.

MANY TIMES DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE LEVER WAS PULLED TWICE. IT ONLY UNLOCKS WHEN THE ELECTRIC UNLOCK BUTTON IS PUSHED. IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS DURING AN ACCIDENT IF POWER IS LOST AND I COULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TOO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 550I. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. BEFORE THE FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PANEL AND ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

COMPLAIN: BATTERY NOT REPLACED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY TOOK 2010 BMW 550I GT TO THE SHOP TO CHECK ON A WEAK BATTERY. SERVICE REPORT INDICATED SIDE LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE LEFT ON FOR 2 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES THAT CAUSED THE BATTERY FAILURE. FACTS: -MILEAGE WHEN THE FAULT OCCURRED WAS INDICATED AT 58091KM = 36096 MILES -ODOMETER READING WHEN BROUGHT TO SHOP WAS 36184. - RECEIVED VEHICLE ON FEB 1, 2013 @ 27291 MILES. -FROM 2/1/2013 TO 9/10/2013 THERE ARE 155 WORKING DAYS. -TOTAL MILES DRIVEN UP TO 9/10/2013 WAS 8805 (36184 ? 27291). SO MY AVERAGE DAILY MILEAGE IS 56.8 MILES. -IF THE FAULT OCCURRED AT 36096 MILES THAT MEANS IT WAS LESS THAN TWO DAYS BEFORE CAR IN THE SHOP. IT WOULD BE EITHER FRIDAY 9/6/13 OR OVER THE WEEKEND OF 9/8 OR 9/9 WHICH WAS THE SECOND TIME WARNING CAME ON. -THE SYMPTOM FIRST OCCURRED AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE CAN IN SHOP. SINCE THE FAULT READING INDICATED SOME ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WAS LEFT ON FOR 2:40 HOURS, THE WARRANTY WAS REJECTED. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, ONE OF THE FOLLOWING EVENTS MUST OCCUR FOR THE BATTERY TO BE DRAINED FOR THAT EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. 1.THE CAR DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN FOR 2:40 HOURS BUT THE CAR KEY MUST BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAR 2.SOMEONE SAT IN THE CAR FOR 2:40 HOURS AND TURNED ON THE RADIO 3.SOMEHOW SOME OF THE LIGHTS OF THE CAR WERE TURNED ON FOR THIS EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME FROM WHAT I CAN TELL AND EXPERIMENTED WITH THE CAR, NONE OF THE ABOVE COULD HAVE HAPPENED. 1.IF THE CAR KEY IS NOT IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAR, NO LIGHTS OR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WILL BE TURNED ON FOR THAT LONG PERIOD OF TIME. 2.IF THE CAR IS LOCKED THEN ALL LIGHTS ARE CUT OFF ANYWAY. 3.NO ONE SAT IN THE CAR FOR 2:40 HOURS AND NOT IN MOTION. THIS TELLS ME EITHER THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL LEAK OR THE BATTERY PREMATURELY LOST ITS EFFICIENCY. IN EITHER EVENTS, THE BATTERY SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSED BY BMW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2010 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V126000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY:CABLES) AND CALLED THE DEALER TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL CAMPAIGN HAD NOT OFFICIALLY BEGAN AND TO CALL BACK WITHIN A FEW WEEKS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.