2004 Facelift Stereo problem

[Point]

Hi all,

someone on Bimmer Forums suggested I posted here.

While listening to a cd in my 2004 Facelift X5 3.0d it suddenly switched to radio then cut out completely. It came on intermittently for a day but now I can't turn the stereo on at all. The satnav, computer etc all work fine on the head unit but there is no orange light for the stereo on/off.

I've checked the 3 fuses and they all seem fine, and tried a battery disconnect for half an hour which didn't fix it, so just wondering what my next step is? I'm not very good with electrics tbh.

Any help would be much appreciated.. tia.

[X5Sport]

Worth checking the radio module itself. It’s in the boot where the battery is. You’ll need to remove the spare wheel and if you have rear self levelling air suspension then the dome held by three bolts needs to be lifted.

It is not unknown to get water in that area - but not always. The radio module is in the group of units by the battery, left side and closest to the battery. See images:

IMG_3042.jpeg (115.44 KiB) Viewed 1048 times

If it’s failed then try a company such as Cartronics as they had a good reputation on here when the E53 was in its heyday. There may also be a fuse on the receiver module. The receiver will probably be a BM54 type.

If the amplifier has failed, it is located with the Mk4 DVD navigation computer and CD multi changer in the left rear cubby in the boot. The amp may be behind them depending upon audio specification. They don’t usually go wrong.

[Point]

Hi mate,

many thanks for your detailed reply, it is much appreciated. The research i'd done suggests the problem is either the amp or the radio module so those were my next steps, but the problem i have is how do i check if they are working or not?

I'm guessing it will involve a multi-meter but as i say, i'm pretty clueless when it comes to electrics and electronics.

[marti]

Sounds like the module has gone, thers a chap on eBay thats fixes them.