BMW Audio System Dead: DAB Radio Issues and Solutions

Hey there! I had something very similar happen with my 2012 BMW 3 Series diesel. I have some experience working on cars, but when it comes to electrical issues, I prefer leaving it to the pros. Sounds exactly like what I dealt with, turns out my antenna was defective. The symptoms were identical: poor DAB reception, error messages, and the whole system would sometimes just give up. Had it checked at my regular workshop, and they confirmed the antenna was the culprit. Got it replaced and working perfectly since then. The whole thing cost me 255 Euro, but it was worth it to have my audio back! Before I share more details though, which trim level is your 2 Series, and have you noticed if the issues get worse in certain weather conditions? This could help narrow down if it's the same problem I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My car has just done 184542 KM and had its last service about 3 months ago. I have the Sport trim, and yes, now that you mention it, the reception seems to get way worse when it's raining! Really helpful to know about the antenna being the culprit in your case. I was worried it might be something more serious with the entire infotainment system. Did you have any warning lights on the dashboard when this happened? Mine's been clear but the error messages on the screen are getting pretty annoying.

Hey again! Yeah, the rain connection definitely makes me more confident it's the same antenna issue I had. In my case, there weren't any dashboard warning lights either, just those annoying error messages on the infotainment screen. Actually, the rain thing was what helped my mechanic diagnose it faster because moisture was getting into the faulty antenna. My BMW was at about 165000 KM when this started happening, so we're in a similar ballpark mileage-wise. The Sport trim has the same antenna setup as mine did, so that's another tick in the box for it being the same problem. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, before I got it fixed, I tried resetting the infotainment system a few times thinking it might help, but it was just a temporary fix. The issues would come back as soon as there was any moisture in the air. I'd say go ahead and get the antenna checked out. Since you're having identical symptoms to what I experienced, it's likely the same issue. Just make sure they check the antenna connections too, not just the antenna itself. Mine had a bit of corrosion on the connectors that they cleaned up while they were at it. Let me know how it goes after you get it checked out!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! This is exactly what I needed to hear. The fact that you had the same problems with moisture and no dashboard warnings really makes me think we're dealing with the same issue. I've actually tried resetting the system too, glad I'm not the only one who thought of that! I'll definitely get the antenna checked out first thing. Really appreciate the tip about having them look at the connectors too, wouldn't have thought about the corrosion aspect. The price you mentioned seems reasonable, especially compared to what I was imagining for a full infotainment system repair. I'll book it in with my mechanic this week and let you know how it goes. Fingers crossed it's just the antenna! Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful!