BMW X3 Parking Heater Dead: Troubleshooting Auxiliary Heat

Hey there! I've had some experience with cars and actually faced something really similar with my 2014 BMW X1. The auxiliary heating system was giving me the same trouble last winter. I took it to my trusted workshop and they diagnosed a defective glow plug in the auxiliary heater. The whole repair, including parts and labor, set me back about 440 Euro. I know it sounds steep, but it was worth fixing, these heaters are really important, especially during cold weather. Before I can give you more specific advice, could you share: Have you noticed any other warning lights? Does your engine start normally? When did this issue first appear? I also owned an X5 before, and these systems can be a bit tricky sometimes. Let me know these details, and I might be able to help you further!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X3 (52151 KM) is actually behaving slightly differently from what you described. Everything else in the car works perfectly fine, no warning lights, engine starts normally, and this issue just popped up last week. I did get it serviced recently, and they didn't mention any potential problems with the heater system. I'm a bit hesitant about the glow plug theory because there's literally no response when I try to activate it, no clicking, no humming, nothing at all. But I'll definitely keep your repair cost in mind when I take it to the shop. Really hope it's not something more serious!

Hey again! You know what, your description actually makes me think it might be different from my glow plug issue. In my X1, I at least got some clicking sounds before it failed completely. The total silence you're describing reminds me more of when my -in-law's X3 had a similar problem, turned out to be an electrical issue with the control module. The fact that it happened right after servicing is interesting. Sometimes these things can get disconnected during routine maintenance. Have you tried checking the fuse? It's a long shot, but worth looking at before spending big money at the shop. From my experience with BMWs (had my X1 for 6 years now), when there's absolutely no response, it's often either a blown fuse, a faulty relay, or a control module problem. The control module repair on my -in-law's car was around 600 Euro, but prices can vary. Tell you what, while you're waiting to take it to the shop, try activating the heater a few times with 5-minute breaks in between. If you get even the slightest response at any point, that could help narrow down the problem. That's what helped diagnose my issue back then. What error code did you get, by the way? That might help us figure this out better.

Thanks for the detailed follow-up! I actually tried what you suggested, activating it multiple times with breaks in between, but still nothing. I checked the fuse too, and it seems fine. The error code I got was 0x4B8D3F, but honestly, I can't make much sense of it myself. You might be onto something with the control module theory, especially since there's absolutely no response. That would explain the complete silence when trying to activate it. The timing with the recent service is probably just coincidental since they mainly focused on the regular maintenance stuff. I guess I'll bite the bullet and take it to the shop next week. I'll definitely mention the control module possibility to them, at least I'm going in a bit more informed now thanks to your help. Really appreciate you sharing your -in-law's experience too. I'll keep you posted on what they find!