BMW 5-Series Power Seat Controls Dead, Solutions Needed

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a similar issue with my 2009 BMW 3-series diesel. The power seats completely stopped working just like yours. Took it to my regular workshop and it turned out to be a faulty wiring connection under the seat. They had to remove the seat to access the plug connections, and found one of them was corroded. Total repair cost was 95 Euro, mostly labor since they just had to clean and reconnect the cables properly. What's the mileage on your 5-series? Also, can you hear any clicking sound when you try using the controls? This might help determine if it's the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My 5 series has 14069 KM and just had its service last month. I actually don't hear any clicking sounds when pressing the controls, it's completely dead silent. That's interesting what you mentioned about the corroded connection, definitely sounds like it could be something similar. Might save me some diagnostic time at the shop. Did your seat memory settings get wiped when they fixed the wiring?

Hey again! Yes, I remember helping you with this issue. Actually, in my case when they fixed the wiring connection, all the memory settings were completely wiped. Had to reprogram all my preferred positions again, which was a bit annoying but not a huge deal. Since you mentioned there's no clicking sound at all, it really does sound similar to what I experienced. When mine was acting up, it was also completely silent, no response whatsoever from the controls. The total silence usually points to an electrical connection problem rather than a mechanical one. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, before taking it to the workshop, I tried checking the fuse box just to rule out the simple stuff, but that wasn't the issue. Given that your car just had service and has relatively low mileage, I'd bet it's the same wiring problem I had. Just to add, after they fixed mine, I haven't had any issues with the seat controls for the past year. So once it's properly fixed, it should be pretty reliable. Let me know how it turns out when you get it checked!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! Really helpful to know about the memory settings getting wiped, I'll make sure to note down my current positions before taking it in. Glad to hear you haven't had any issues since the repair. That's actually pretty reassuring, especially since it seems our problems are so similar. I'll definitely check the fuse box first before heading to the shop, might as well rule that out myself. But yeah, given the complete silence when pressing the controls, I'm betting you're right about it being a wiring issue. Think I'll book it in next week and have them take a look at those connections under the seat. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I'll let you know what they find when I get it sorted!