BMW 7 Series Clutch Switch Issues, Multiple Systems Failing

Hey there! I've got some experience with BMWs, I drive a 2005 BMW 5 series and previously owned a 3 series. I had a pretty similar issue last year with my car. The symptoms were almost identical, cruise control problems and weird behavior with the clutch sensor. Took it to my regular workshop and yep, it turned out to be a faulty clutch pedal switch with some damaged wiring connections. The fix wasn't too complicated, they had to replace the switch and repair some connections. Cost me around 95 Euro total, and it solved all those annoying issues. Before I can give you more specific advice, could you share: Which engine variant you have? Is it manual or automatic? Are you getting any specific error codes? I'm not a pro mechanic (just someone with some basic car experience), but these details would help me understand if you're dealing with the exact same problem I had.

Thanks for the detailed response! Mine's a gasoline engine with automatic transmission. Last service was about 2 months ago at 158061 KM. Yeah, those symptoms you mentioned are spot-on with what I'm experiencing. Kind of relieved to hear it might just be the clutch pedal switch and not something major. I got the error code P0704 stored in the system. Really hoping it's as straightforward and budget-friendly as your repair was. Did your car also have any issues with the gear display when you were dealing with this?

Hey again! Yes, actually my car did have the same issue with the gear display, completely forgot to mention that in my first response! The P0704 code is exactly what I got too, which confirms it's likely the same problem I dealt with. When it happened to my BMW, the gear display would out of nowhere go blank or show incorrect gears. Super annoying, especially when you're trying to figure out what gear you're in! The interesting thing is that all these symptoms, the gear display, cruise control, and starting without clutch input, are all connected to that one faulty switch. After getting mine fixed, everything went back to normal immediately. The gear display started working properly again, cruise control kicked back in, and all the other little quirks disappeared. The mechanic told me it's actually quite common in these models as they age. Just a heads up though, while you're getting it fixed, make sure they check the wiring harness around the switch too. In my case, there was some wear and tear on the wires that needed attention. Better to catch that while they're in there rather than having to go back later. Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out. I'm betting you'll be looking at a similar repair cost to what I paid, and it should sort out all those issues in one go.

Thanks so much for all this info! It's such a relief to hear someone had the exact same problems and got them fixed without breaking the bank. And wow, even the same error code! That really makes me feel better about the whole situation. I'll definitely get it checked out this week and make sure they look at the wiring harness too, great tip about that. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in detail. I've been worried about this for days, thinking it might be something major. Will let you know how it turns out, but I'm feeling much more optimistic now. Thanks again for all your help!