2004 BMW Z4 Electrical Problems

REOCCURING ISSUE: -DOOR LOCKS NOT FUNCTIONING BY REMOTE OR CENTRAL BUTTON -WIPERS NOT FUNCTIONING -TRUNK RELEASE NOT FUNCTIONING BY REMOTE OR BUTTON -WINDOWS NOT FUNCTIONING -LIGHTING OF INTERIOR NOT WORKING, TO INCLUDE GAUGE CLUSTER -TOP NOT FUNCTIONING ISSUES INTENSIFY ON DAYS OF LOW/HIGHER TEMPERATURES. SEEMS TO RESET BY DISCONNECTING BATTERY AND RECONNECTING AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. ISSUES POINTS TO GM5 MODULE BEING FAULTY/FAILING THIS IS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL YOU START THE CAR, SEEMS TO BE A RANDOM OCCURRENCE, BUT HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE WEEKLY. SOMETIMES IT IS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.

NHTSA ID

11341390

Incident

Jul 24, 2020

Mileage

145,000 mi

I HAD THIS CAR BUILT AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER AND DRIVER. I HAVE HAD A PERSONAL MECHANIC TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF IT OVER THE YEARS AND THE CAR IS STORED FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS/YEAR BECAUSE I DO NOT DRIVE IT IN THE SNOW, AND FRANKLY, HARDLY DRIVE IT EVEN WHEN RAINING. HOWEVER, IT NEVER FAILS THAT EACH YEAR SOME WARNING LIGHT GOES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LAST FALL IT WAS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. MY MECHANIC PUT THE CAR ON THE COMPUTER, AND FOUND NO ISSUES. NOW AGAIN, THIS SPRING IT STARTED OUT AS NOT BEING ON, BUT WITHIN 5- 25 MINUTES (VARIES EACH TIME WHEN I START THE CAR UP AND DRIVE) THOSE TWO LIGHTS COME ON. EVERY YEAR THERE SEEMS TO BE NEW LIGHTS THAT COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR MORE THAN A FEW TIMES BEFORE A LIGHT COMES ON. IT'S COST ME SO MUCH IN DIAGNOSTIC TIME. ALSO ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT OFTEN THE RADIO DOESN'T TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE SCREEN ALSO DOES NOT POP UP. I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF AND THEN RESTART. MOST TIMES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMS TO 'RESTART' ITSELF SO THAT THE RADIO TURNS ON AND THE SCREEN POPS UP. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323610

Incident

May 2, 2020

Mileage

64,043 mi

I PREVIOUSLY FILED A REPORT ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, POOR STEERING, STICKING PRIOR TO HAVING IT FIXED ON THIS DATE. I HAD NOT FOUND THE PAPERWORK FOR IT UNTIL AFTER I SUBMITTED THE REPORT. THE TRACKING # 11300634.

NHTSA ID

11300644

Incident

Apr 22, 2013

Mileage

40,395 mi

GM5 MODULE FAIL. WHEN THE GM5 MODULE FAULS WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T WORK (THIS COULD BE A BIG PROBLEM IF IT RAINS!), INTERIOR LIGHTS WON'T WORK, WINDOWS WON'T GO UP OR DOWN, NO ALARM FUNCTIONS AND OF COURSE NO AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK CONTROL (DOORS CAN MANUALLY BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED AS LONG AS THE DOUBLE LOCK IS OPEN.)

NHTSA ID

11195746

Incident

Apr 12, 2019

Mileage

135,850 mi

26000 MILES ON CAR. ALWAYS IN GARAGE. NEVER DRIVEN IN WINTER AND USE A BATTERY TENDER DURING WINTER.REPLACED 2 BATTERIES THIS SUMMER RECENTLY AFTER NOT DRIVING IT FOR ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS. THIS TELLS ME THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SOMEWHERE BUT WHERE? IT'S PULLING POWER FROM SOMEWHERE. CAN'T BE TRUSTED

NHTSA ID

11043135

Incident

Jul 17, 2017

Mileage

26,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE EPS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 02/26/16*LJ UPDATED 02/29/16.*JB

NHTSA ID

10818912

Incident

Dec 18, 2015

Mileage

88,000 mi

I LEFT MY BMW IN THE SUN ALL DAY AND NOW MY LOCKS WONT WORK. MANY RESOURCES LINK THIS PROBLEM TO THE GM5 WHICH CONTROLS THE LIGHTING AND LOCKS. BAD LOCKS CAN BE A SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUE ON PARKED CARS BUT ALSO FOR MOVING CARS AS CHILDREN MAY OPEN VEHICLE DOORS IN TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID

10743567

Incident

Jul 25, 2015

Mileage

56,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 10/07/14*LJ UPDATED 3/23/2015 *JS

NHTSA ID

10631969

Incident

Oct 12, 2011

Mileage

20,000 mi

JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. DIDN'T NOTICE BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK BY EITHER USING THE KEY FOB OR THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING SWITCH INSIDE. DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE GM-5 BOARD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HEARD THAT THIS GM-5 CAN CAUSE FAILURE ON OTHER FUNCTIONS WITH THE CAR - WIPERS, LIGHTS ETC. THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD BUT ONLY HAS 36,000 MILES ON IT. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL SO QUICKLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10609504

Incident

Jul 8, 2014

Mileage

36,136 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE STEERING LOCKS IN PLACE. WHEN U TRY TO FORCE IT THE CAR STALLS OUT AND THE STEERING STAYS LOCKED .. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10485811

Incident

Nov 22, 2012

Mileage

78,000 mi

THE STEERING BINDS AT ALMOST ANY SPEED. I NOTICED IT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD. WHEN A CORRECTION IN DIRECTION IS MADE THE WHEEL BINDS UNTIL GREATER PRESSURE IS APPLIED. IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM IS REQUIRING EVEN MORE PRESSURE FOR THE CORRECTION. I CALLED BMWNA AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I AM IN FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS AROUND BMW'S Z-4 2004. *TR

NHTSA ID

10443737

Incident

Jan 6, 2012

Mileage

32,000 mi

WATER GETS INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE RUBBER GROMMET THAT CARRIES THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE FROM THE TRUNK TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT IS A WELL THAT ALSO HOUSES THE CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER. AMPLIFIER WAS SITTING IN ABOUT 2 INCHES OF WATER CAUSING THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO SHORT OUT AND CATCH ON FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10428293

Incident

Sep 29, 2011

WATER GETS INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE RUBBER GROMMET THAT CARRY'S THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE FROM THE TRUNK TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER DESTROYED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10428005

Incident

Sep 29, 2011

Mileage

86,000 mi

2004 BMX Z4, STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. OVER CORRECTION TO REGAIN CONTROL NARROWLY AVOIDING TRAFFIC AND CENTER DIVIDER. AT SLOWER SPEEDS IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO STEERING FLUID IN CAR. VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. BMW DEALER HAD REPLACEMENT STEERING COLUMN IN STOCK IT TOOK 2 DAYS TO REPLACE AT A COST OF $2942.02. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341411

Incident

Apr 19, 2009

Mileage

22,968 mi