545I Software problems

[rangerbill]

I had the new software package loaded last week(2 1/2 day process). But I'm still having the same problems. At times the engine will not start at all--the screen is blank. Other times the BMW logo comes on but nothing else and the engine wouldn't start. In both cases I have to exit and lock the car. Re-enter and restart. Most times it will start up. Occasionally I have to repeat the drill. Today, I started the car and the Entertainment element would not function. Radio would not work, couldn't switch between radio and CD, it was as if it were frozen. Turned off the engine and tried to restart. Car wouldn't turn over. Exited the car, locked the doors, waited, re-entered and tried to restart. The engine kicked over but the Entertainment element was still frozen. Drove for a while, exited the car and waited five minutes or so before re-entering the car and restarting. This time the Entertainment software worked fine.

To pay so much for a vehicle and then not know if the damn thing is going to start is very frustrating. At this point, I almost regret purchasing the car, and I've been driving BMWs since 1977.

[cassidym]

My service writer tells me similar problems plagued the 7-Series when it debuted in 2002. Said that, by the 2003 model year, they had solved most of the problems. Consequently, he says he wopuld never buy the first model year of any BMW with all the electronics they now have.

Apparently, according to him, BMW works its engineers hard designing a new model series then, once its introduced, they work the engineers even harder at solving the problems that crop up.

Based on all this, I waited till now to order a 545 so I could get a 2005 with, hopefully, most of the problems solved. I pick it up in Munich in early October