Wiring Problems of BMW 5 Series

Just bought a used 2008 528i (e60) w/94k miles, in otherwise perfect condition. Went to change the angel eyes from drab yellow to lux led's. Noticed bare wires on both sides of the bulb connectors, on both sides of the car. Tried to use electrical tape, just made more bare wire. The more I touched the wires, the more insulation flaked off, almost like a powder. I've never seen anything like it. Can't possibly be safe. Definitely a fire hazard. Neighbor brought over a bottle of liquid tape, and I re-coated all the bare wire I could see, making sure each wire was separated so a short would not occur. That is a good temporary fix. Will have to stay on top of this problem, since most, if not all, of the headlight wiring is made with bad, quickly degrading wire insulation. A real disappointment in otherwise good german quality and engineering. I guess the source procurer at the factory saved BMW some big bucks on that wire!! this is definitely a NHTSA safety recall issue. Tort lawyers should have a field day on this one. . Read more...

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Lh and rh adaptive headlights wiring insulation is crumbling possibly resulting in a electrical headlight fire from the exposed bare wires.

See all problems of the 2007 BMW 5 Series 🔎.

Electrical wiring insulation/sheathing within the headlight unit/housing is showing signs of and or outright deterioration which in turn exposes bare wires within the headlight housing. At this point, the daytime running lamps have been the only effected lights but the wires for the headlights are also noticeably troubled. The issue is not speed, movement or area dependent. . Read more...

A message on the vehicle display screen indicated that the right-side low beam headlight was malfunctioning. I removed the headlight assembly to replace the bulb and found the wiring insulation is crumbling to the touch, resulting in a short circuit. The headlight bulb is not actually burned out. There are many complaints about this on the BMW forums but BMW and the headlight manufacturer, hella, refuses to acknowledge the problem or do anything about it.

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( I am the original owner this vehicle) while replacing a burnt out headlight, I noticed that the insulation in the sealed headlight was missing. When I checked the opposite side, I found the same thing, the insulation was broken and missing. Being that this is a sealed headlight housing, I am unable to remove and repair the problem. BMW parts stated that the wiring harness is not sold for those lights. One has to purchase a completely new headlight assembly at a average cost of $700. 00+.

While driving, the car suddenly shut down and lost all power. Had to pull over to the side of the road quickly to avoid an accident; had this been at high speed, the situation might have been worse. Subsequently when trying to start, the car shows a myriad of warning lights and faults. A fuse for the main computer (dme) had blown, due to a wiring short between the electronic thermostat and the main computer. Replacing the fuse is not a permanent fix, as it blows shortly after each time the car is started, rendering the car undriveable. This fix to replace shorted wiring is in the thousands of dollars. The car had been meticulously maintained and had never suffered any related issue before. There is a poor connection, faulty wiring, design flaw, or the like in this system.

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Intermittent engine shut-down. Engine shuts off while vehicle is in motion at any speed. "engine failsafe" warning light comes on. Vehicle must be stopped, key turned off and re-started. This is a serious safety issue that BMW is aware of and has issued a related TSB. $2000 plus repair bill for a new "engine wiring harness". BMW should be recalling these vehicles.

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 525xi. While driving 60 mph, the lights on the dashboard illuminated and the vehicle decelerated to 10 mph. The vehicle was unable to drive over 10 mph. The dealer stated that there was water on the passenger floor of the vehicle, which damaged all of the wiring and sensors. The dealer was unable to determine where the water originated, but suggested that it may have entered through an open window while it was raining. The current and failure mileages were 13,859.

2004 BMW 530 I. The consumer complained about several electrical problems, such as air bag warning light coming on/windows rolling down and then malfunctioning/trunk opening, and halo lights staying on. The onstar or sos systems was not working. Took the vehicle to the dealership. The manufacturer considered this vehicle a lemon. The dealership and manufacturer were not complying with the lemon law. This process was to buy back the vehicle. They were taking too long to resolve this matter.

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