E53 PDC's, I know I know

[Greig]

I know there's plenty topics out there and the problem appears to be intermittent in many cases. (It certainly is in mine) I searched for a few days and couldn't find an immediate fix or even anything new to try.

My current theory, is its weather related? We've had 3 or 4 clean dry driving days here and my PDC's are working as BMW Intended.

I'm willing to bet, as soon as the showery rubbish stuff comes back, they will go back to working when they feel like it.

Having said that, mine are all reasonably clean and dry, no obvious signs of excessive wetness even in the rubbish weather.

Any thoughts on this?

[RoShamBo]

When the system stops working - do you check the sensors for ticking ? To identify if one is playing up ?

The PDC system is fairly basic - consists of sensors, wiring and a control box. Most of the time problems are with the sensors.

[Frontman]

Hi, I know there could be a few different causes, but an easy check is water in the plastic battery box. My X5 had PDC problems and in an unrelated search I found that the PDC unit and self levelling air control units were about a third underwater.
I'm looking at replacing the suspension for springs and getting a new PDC unit. since removing the units the battery drain problem is also sorted.

[Greig]

Yep, as i suspected. They worked just fine all year.

Into the first frost and the wet windy showery shit stuff. They're back on their own agenda.

[KGB BORIS]

Same prob as me! very frustrating as it only does it every nower and then and every time it does it is when I really need them to work, i.e in a car park where theres low bollards that are in the blindspot etc. cant exactly get out and listen for the sensors when people are trying to get past, I may have to take them all out and clean up connectors etc, no water in battery box or near the ecu for them. grrrrr could just rip them out and replace with a cheap aftermarket set as they would prob be more reliable!

[VegyBS]

My works, intermittently, turns of its either the harness wire or the connection to my rear middle left as jiggling the wire sorts it out. It works less often when it's raining.

[Greig]

And here we are again.

One week of no wet, sunshiney stuff, and they're working again!

I was even on my knees listening for ticking on Sunday. Identified 3 out of the 8 that were duff, decided to bite the bullet and replace the lot. The lo and behold, they blipped at me correctly while parallel parking this evening.

Maddenning. ::)

[Greig]

Just so you all know, they stopped working on Nov. 6th 2015.

I'll post again when they work again (any time now I reckon)  )