BMW 3 Hybrid Seat Controls Dead, Memory Function Issue

Hey there! I have some experience with cars and went through something very similar with my 2011 BMW 5 Hybrid (I also own a 7 Series). The seat controls completely stopped working on mine too. Turned out to be a faulty wiring connection under the seat – basically, some cables had come loose and weren't making proper contact. Took it to my workshop and they sorted it out in about an hour. The fix involved reconnecting and securing the cables properly. Cost me 95 Euro, which wasn't too bad considering the headache it was causing. Before I can give you more specific advice – could you share: Have you noticed any intermittent issues before it completely failed? Does this happen to both driver and passenger seats? Are you getting any specific error messages on the display? Let me know these details and I might be able to help you further!

Thanks for the detailed response! My issue seems quite similar. At 144988 KM and just after my last service two weeks ago, the problem started. Initially, the seats would work intermittently, but now they're completely dead. It's only affecting the driver's seat, and I'm getting error code E-4F32 on the display. Good to hear it might just be a wiring issue, that sounds less scary than having to replace the entire seat control module. Your repair cost seems reasonable too. Might book it in at the workshop next week to get it checked out. Think I'll have them take a look at the wiring first before exploring other options. My Hybrid's been pretty reliable otherwise, so hoping this is just a minor problem.

Hey again! Ah, that error code E-4F32, I had exactly the same one! And just like yours, my problem started with intermittent functionality before giving up completely. The timing after your service is interesting though, I wonder if something got knocked loose during the work. The fact that it's only affecting your driver's seat is actually good news. When I had this issue, my mechanic mentioned that driver's seat problems are usually simpler to fix because they're more common and better documented. The wiring under there takes a beating with all our getting in and out of the car! One thing I learned from my experience, if you're booking it in, ask them to check the seat rail connections too. In my case, they found some corrosion on the contacts there while fixing the loose wires. They cleaned those up as part of the job, and my seat's been working perfectly for the last 18 months. Quick tip: if you're waiting for the repair, avoid trying to force the seat adjustment. I made that mistake and apparently it can cause more damage to the motors if there's already a wiring issue. Let me know how it goes once you get it sorted. I'm curious if it turns out to be the same problem as mine!

Thanks so much for all this helpful info! That's really good to know about the E-4F32 code being the same as yours. You're right, the timing with my recent service is suspicious. I'll definitely mention that when I take it in. I've already taken your advice and stopped messing with the controls. Don't want to risk making things worse! I'll make sure to ask them about checking those seat rail connections too, makes sense that corrosion could build up there over time. Just booked it in for next Tuesday morning. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it's made me feel a lot better about the whole situation. Will definitely let you know what they find, but sounds like I might be looking at a similar fix to yours. Fingers crossed it's just those loose wires and nothing more serious! Thanks again for taking the time to help out. It's great to get advice from someone who's been through the same thing.