BMW 4 Series DAB Radio Chaos: Solutions Needed

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars, and funny enough, I had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW 3 Series diesel. The symptoms were exactly like what you're describing. Took it to my regular workshop and they found that the antenna was defective, it was causing all sorts of reception problems and system errors. They replaced the antenna unit completely, and it cost me around 255 Euro. Since then, everything's been working perfectly, no more signal drops or system errors. Before jumping to conclusions though, how long has this been happening? Does it happen more when you're moving or when stationary? Have you noticed any error codes on the display? This could help confirm if you're dealing with the same issue I had. The 4 Series and 3 Series share quite a few components, so I might be able to offer more specific advice.

Thanks for sharing your experience! This issue started about 2 weeks ago, and it's definitely worse when I'm moving. Error codes pop up out of nowhere, usually something like "Audio System Malfunction" or "Signal Not Found". Had my last service just 3,000 km ago at 136,240 km, and everything was fine then. It's good to know about the antenna being the potential culprit. That's much better than having to deal with a complete system replacement! I'll get it checked out at the shop next week. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't dealing with something more serious. Did your mechanic mention if this is a common issue with these models? Just curious if I should expect other similar problems down the line.

Hey again! Yeah, after hearing those details, I'm even more convinced you're dealing with the same antenna issue I had. The error messages you're getting are identical to what I saw on my 3 Series, and the fact that it's worse when moving is a dead giveaway. When I talked to my mechanic during the repair, he actually mentioned seeing this quite a bit in BMWs from around 2015-2018. Apparently, the antenna units can deteriorate over time, especially if the car's been exposed to varying weather conditions. Mine started acting up at around 130,000 km, so we're in the same ballpark. Just a heads up, when they replaced my antenna, they had to recalibrate the system afterwards. Make sure your shop knows how to do this, as some general workshops might miss this step. The whole job took about 2 hours for my car. Since fixing it last year, I haven't had any other audio-related issues. The rest of the infotainment system components are pretty solid in these cars. One thing though, if you're going to get it fixed, maybe ask them to check the antenna cables while they're at it. My mechanic did this as a precaution, and it's better to catch any potential issues early. Keep us posted on what you find out at the shop!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! It's really reassuring to know this is a relatively common and fixable issue. I've just booked an appointment with a BMW specialist workshop for next week. I made sure to mention the antenna issue and system recalibration you talked about, they seemed to know exactly what I was referring to. Appreciate the tip about checking the cables too. I'll definitely ask them to take a look while they're working on it. It's such a relief that it's likely just the antenna and not something more serious with the whole infotainment system. You've saved me a lot of worry and potentially saved me from paying for unnecessary diagnostics. Will update the thread once I get it sorted. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's been super helpful!