BMW's FlexRay System Causing Multiple Electrical Failures

Hey there! I experienced something very similar with my 2014 BMW 3 Series last month. The symptoms were almost identical, complete audio failure, unusual system warnings, and the iDrive going crazy. Took it to the garage and it turned out to be a damaged wiring harness connector near the firewall. Some of the pins were corroded and one wire had rubbed through the insulation. The mechanic found it after running a full diagnostic scan. It wasn't a major repair in terms of parts, but it required careful troubleshooting to pinpoint the exact location. The repair involved replacing the connector and rewiring that section. It took them about 4 hours to complete the job. The FlexRay bus issue you mentioned could be related, but in my case, it was just this faulty connection causing all those error messages. These electrical gremlins can be tricky to diagnose, but once found, the fix is usually straightforward. Going to a certified BMW specialist really makes a difference with electrical issues like this. They have the right diagnostic tools and know these systems inside out.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful. My symptoms do sound very similar to what you had. Since you got it fixed last month, everything working fine now? Would you mind sharing how much the repair ended up costing you? I'm trying to get a rough idea of what I might be looking at for my repair budget.

Hey again! Really glad to give you an update. Yes, everything's working perfectly now, no more error messages or system glitches since the repair. Your symptoms definitely matched what I experienced, and it turned out to be exactly what I suspected, a FlexRay bus fault. The mechanic sorted it out pretty quickly once they identified the issue. They found a faulty cable connection that needed fixing. The total bill came to 95 € which wasn't too bad considering all the weird electrical issues it was causing. It's such a relief not having my iDrive going haywire anymore! Trust me, with these electrical problems, it's worth getting it checked out by someone who knows what they're doing. These modern BMWs are pretty complex when it comes to their electrical systems, but once you find the root cause, the fix is usually straightforward. If your symptoms are similar to what I had, you might be looking at a similar repair cost. Let me know how you get on, hope it turns out to be something simple like mine was!

Thanks everyone for the advice! Just wanted to update you all on what happened with my BMW's electrical issues. I finally got it checked out by a certified BMW specialist. Turns out the problem was more straightforward than I feared. It was a faulty connector causing all those crazy electrical issues, pretty similar to what you experienced. The repair took about 3 hours, and they had to replace a section of the wiring harness. Cost me around €600 including diagnostics and labor, which wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The best part? All those annoying error messages are gone, the audio's working perfectly, and everything's back to normal. Really glad I didn't put it off any longer. The mechanic also did a thorough check of the entire electrical system to make sure there weren't any other potential issues lurking around. Thanks again for sharing your experiences, it really helped me understand what I might be dealing with and gave me the push to get it sorted!