[simoneves]

I just got my brand-new 2013 328i Convertible on Thursday, and I love it to bits already, and although I have been lurking on this particular forum for a while with speculative thoughts for upgrading the stock HiFi sound system with a Technic harness and a JL amp, I have something unexpected to report first...

There is a low hiss from all six speakers all the time, whether there is music playing (radio or USB, haven't tried a CD or the Aux input yet), regardless of volume (even zero) or if the stereo is turned off, and even when the ignition is turned off and the key out!

It's obviously drowned out when music is playing or the engine is running, but quite obvious when all else is quiet.

I see a bunch of threads here about hiss problems with modified systems, but none about the stock system, and certainly none that I've found that describe a hiss when the car is turned off!

At the very least I'm worried that the factory amp is somehow on all the time and it's going to flatten the battery.

As a secondary problem, I also get the occasional GSM chirping interference when my iPhone 5 (AT&T) is in the centre console cup-holder (non-iDrive), which is annoying because that's the perfect place to put it while driving. The noise goes away if I lift the phone a few inches out of the cupholder, so I guess it's affecting wiring under there.

Thoughts, anyone? Obviously I can talk to the dealer (about the first issue at least), but I thought I'd float it here first...

[ctuna]

If the car is awake a lot of stuff is turned on causing a
drain on the battery . One of the things that is on is the amp
if you lock the car it should turn off within a minute.
Locking the car causes it to go into sleep mode faster also do not
leave the FOB close to the car as it can detect it and this will cause
the car to draw more current.

I would get that noise fixed or looked at though because it shouldn't
do that unless you have the volume almost floored on the Stereo .

FYI
http://www.bawarec.ru/manuals/3er/e9...3er-e90-12.pdf

[simoneves]

That's great info, thanks! I'll check it tonight.

I hadn't considered that OFF might not really mean OFF. These modern cars, eh?

PS. Thanks for the manual link. Very interesting.

[BOBKUR]

Originally Posted by simoneves

That's great info, thanks! I'll check it tonight.

I hadn't considered that OFF might not really mean OFF. These modern cars, eh?

PS. Thanks for the manual link. Very interesting.

+1

[simoneves]

For the record, the hiss does indeed stop about a minute after locking.

I will get the dealer to take a look (or, rather, a listen) to it, though, along with the passenger seat which has now twice decided to crank both the base and the headrest all the way up all by itself after the passenger got out and closed the door... :\

[ctuna]

Tell us what they do to fix it.

[MatrixE93]

I have the same exact problem in a 2009 E93 with HiFi, would love to know the fix.

[taibanl]

It requires radio replacement.

[cdgatti]

my guess is they will call this problem 'characteristic' and withing the tolerances of normal.

[Bob Shiftright]

My car has had several radios. I've had pretty much the entire spectrum of E9x radio problems from hissing with the car off, to loud popping from the speakers to a completely dead radio.

My best failure was driving back from Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago and I was telling my daughter -- who is a far saner person who drives a Honda Accord -- that BMWs are a lot of fun to drive and "really not all that unreliable" (she was having trouble stopping herself from laughing!) when deus ex machina, the BMW poltergeists intervened, the radio quit, half the radio display went blank, and the other half showed machine language gibberish.

So I've had several radios. And software updates. After the battery cable recall, the poltergeists went back to sleep for a while, but finally awoke and the radio quit completely, finally allowing a correct diagnosis.

(BTW, it also took out the backup sensors. BMW apparently has that wired into the stereo, too.)

The problem (a problem?) was found to be the stereo amplifier. The part was back-ordered for about a month, as I recall, so I wasn't alone.

My BMW dealer was very good with all this. It was all covered under the original warranty (no deductible) since I had been complaining for several years.

The radio has been fine since the amp was replaced. (Knock-on-wood). That was more than a year ago.