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janniksmith45

BMW 1 Series Nav System Dead, GPS Not Connecting

No GPS connection

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Fault stored

Hey everyone, having trouble with my 2008 BMW 1 Series diesel. The navigation system is acting up, GPS won't connect, routes take forever to calculate or just fail completely. Also getting some error codes. I suspect it might be the GPS antenna, but not completely sure. Has anyone dealt with similar navigation issues on their BMW? What was the actual problem and how did your mechanic fix it? Any insights would be really helpful.

4 comment(s)


emiliajohnson1

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and faced a similar issue with my 2006 BMW 3 Series diesel last year. The symptoms were exactly like yours, GPS not connecting and super slow route calculations. After struggling with it for a while, I took it to my regular workshop. Turns out it was indeed a faulty GPS antenna. The repair, including parts and labor, cost me around 200 Euro, but it fixed the problem completely. The navigation system has been working perfectly since then. Before you spend any money though, could you share which error codes you're getting? Also, have you noticed if the issue gets worse in certain weather conditions? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the same problem I had. Sound like we have similar cars, so happy to share more details if needed!

janniksmith45 (Author)

Thanks for sharing your experience! My BMW just had its service last month at 129582 KM, and I've noticed these GPS issues starting right after. I've been getting error code 65902, which from what I understand relates to the antenna signal. The problem definitely gets worse during cloudy weather, almost unusable then. It's good to know the repair wasn't too expensive in your case. I'll probably take it to the shop this week to have them check the antenna. Thanks again for the advice!

emiliajohnson1

Hey again! Oh wow, that's really interesting that your issues started right after the service, and that error code 65902 is exactly what I got too! When my BMW hit around 125000 KM, I started having these problems, so our situations are quite similar. Just to add to my previous response, I remembered something that might be helpful. In my case, the mechanics found that during my last service, some connections near the antenna got a bit loose while they were working on something else. That's why the problems started showing up after service. And yeah, the weather sensitivity was a big red flag for me too, exactly like you described, really struggled on cloudy days. Quick tip: before you take it to the shop, check if there's any visible damage to the shark fin antenna on the roof. In my case, there was actually a tiny crack that was letting moisture in during bad weather, making everything worse. The repair was pretty straightforward once they identified the problem. Just make sure they check both the antenna and all the connections, sometimes it's not just the antenna itself that needs replacing. Let me know how it goes at the shop! I'm curious if your issue turns out to be identical to mine.

janniksmith45 (Author)

Thanks so much, this is super helpful! I just checked the shark fin antenna like you suggested, and wouldn't you believe it, there's actually a small crack on one side! Can't believe I never noticed it before. That definitely explains why it's acting up more in bad weather. Really appreciate you mentioning about the loose connections too. I'll make sure to bring that up when I take it to the shop tomorrow. They'll probably want to check everything since it started right after the service anyway. The whole thing makes so much more sense now, similar mileage, same error code, and identical weather-related issues. Fingers crossed it'll be a straightforward fix like yours was. I'll let you know how it turns out, but I'm feeling much more confident about getting this sorted now. Thanks again for all your help!

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