[leafsrule531]

More issues on the E46... go figure. I need help with all the experts on here who are good with electrical work.... I just got the airbag recall done and I have a feeling they messed something up. The other day I was driving and I lost power to all electronics in my car. I have a 04 330ci convertible zhp with 115k miles and the top doesn’t work anymore, heated seats don’t work, radio / Navi doesn’t work, all steering wheel functions including horn cruise control etc all stopped working.

I started by checking all the fuses using the circuit tester. If you look at the picture I posted, all my fuses at the bottom are getting voltage perfectly fine (ie the circuit tester is lighting up when I test both sides of the fuse. The middle row and top rows all don’t have any voltage.. I took them out to check if they all happened to be blown somehow and they seem fine. Does anyone know why those fuses aren’t working and what they are connected to? I’m assuming this is why the electronics in my car stopped working and I rmr bmw saying they were around that area when they replaced the airbag.

Any help will be highly appreciated!

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[All2kool]

I don't believe in coincidences.

 

[RRRM8E]

I'd start back with the airbag people. Somebody else had an airbag change issue a while back. Maybe search for that. If you're on your own, the ignition switch has been a popular culprit for odd electrical events in the past.

 

[leafsrule531]

I just took it back to the stealership and of course they tried to argue that it has nothing to do with them even though they literally had to take the fuse box out to access the air bag module. The service advisor was extremely rude and aggressive when I told him it was their fault. Either way they said that they’ll take a look on Monday and if it’s not related to them they’re going to charge me $180 diagnostic fee.

Either way if anyone else has any ideas let me know. I already changed the ignition switch.
Fairly certain it has something to do with the fuse box and the fuses at the top and middle not working.

 

[Sapote]

Does the horn button work?

 

[leafsrule531]

Does the horn button work?

Nope


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[Sapote]

I believe I know your problem. All 12 fuses have no power (from F4 to F15),. Read this:

I was right about the ignition switch pin2, which supplies 12v to the following 12 fuses: [F4 to F15], including the horn control input to the horn relay. So the radio, GM5, seat-belt Hall-sensors, headlight control switch and many other components are affected by this pin2.

SOLVED: What can cause the horns (and many things) not...

Guys, please keep this thread on topic and let's not bicker. It's very easy to take someone's comment in a negative way. Let's assume it was meant positively. Mkay? Sapote is a capable troubleshooter and has good electronics skills. If both issues started right after the airbag replacement...

www.e46fanatics.com

 

[leafsrule531]

I believe I know your problem. All 12 fuses have no power (from F4 to F15),. Read this:

SOLVED: What can cause the horns (and many things) not...

Guys, please keep this thread on topic and let's not bicker. It's very easy to take someone's comment in a negative way. Let's assume it was meant positively. Mkay? Sapote is a capable troubleshooter and has good electronics skills. If both issues started right after the airbag replacement...

www.e46fanatics.com

Thanks! I reread the whole thread and it seems like the issue was the ignition switch not being clean? Did they just clean the ignition switch and that fixed the problem?

 

[RRRM8E]

Didn't you say you replaced the switch?

 

[leafsrule531]

Yes - I just replaced it recently about 10k miles ago.


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[Sapote]

OP, you need to measure the ignition switch pin 2 for 12v when key is turned on, regardless if it’s old or new, as it supplies power to fuses F4 to F15.

 

[RRRM8E]

Was it new?

 

[markusmarkus]

Yes - I just replaced it recently about 10k miles ago.


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What brand?

 

[MrMCar]

If a row of fuses are dead, I'd be looking harder/longer at much farther back in the diagrams under power distribution.

Sounds like a larger fuse blown, bad heavier wire powering that segment or a bad fuse box.

 

[leafsrule531]

What brand?

I bought a brand new one from fcp in Jan of 2018. The brand was febi. I guess it has been a few years and I don’t drive the car much so maybe it could’ve gone bad ? I have lifetime warranty on it so could replace it with a new one if you guy think that could be the issue.


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[RRRM8E]

Perhaps try sapote's test just in case. Did you notice anything not working on drive home?

 

[leafsrule531]

Perhaps try sapote's test just in case. Did you notice anything not working on drive home?

I’ll definitely try his test once I get the car back on Monday from Bmw and they tell me it had nothing to do with their airbag replacement .

That being said, on the drive back I believe the radio / navi (I have an aftermarket eonon one) was working fine. It just randomly turned off and the other electronics started going wacky too. Even on my instrument cluster - it tells me the speed fine, but I can’t change the settings to see how much mileage I have left on gas or what’s my MPG.

I also had an issue with starting the car after that but at the time I just assumed something else went bad again with the car. The issue ended up being the clutch switch which I coded out and the car started right back up perfectly.

Also would like everyone to know that I have a fairly brand new battery from Bosch and a new starter replaced All in the last 3 years and less than 10k miles since I don’t drive the car much.


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[Sapote]

If a row of fuses are dead, I'd be looking harder/longer at much farther back in the diagrams under power distribution.

From TIS wiring diagram, Ignition SW pin2 supplies 12 fuses [F4 to F15] and nothing else in between.

 

[MrMCar]

So melted wire then?

 

[Sapote]

So melted wire then?

If not the switch pin2, then I think a bad connection at the connectors and not the melted wire.