SOS malfunction light due to bad cell signal area?! - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum

ucfsteven · 02-28-2009, 08:44 PM

I received the SOS malfuction light (SOS with a line through it) when this happened my Idrive would not work at all. There was no fuction of the radio CD player, Satelite radio climate control, naviagation or anything.

I pressed the SOS button and got an operator on the phone.

They told me that it means there is a POOR CELL SIGNAL in my area right now and it will correct itself. She also explaiend to me that the idrive functions work on this principle as well and if I have a poor cell area none of this will work because the SOS does not work.

This seems a bit insane to me. I walked back outside after parking my car and checked 15 minutes later everything works find now.

Has anyone else heard this as a reason for the SOS with the line through it? A poor cell signal?!

DESI4life10 · 02-28-2009, 10:42 PM

I had something like that happen a while back as well. I got the icon but only my bluetooth was not working

I turned the car off and started it right away with no luck. Then I just parked the car some distance away from my home and came back to it 1 hour later to find that the problem was gone.

It was weird because I always had signal at my house. I just told myself "German electronics"

and just moved on..hehe

ENINTY · 03-01-2009, 09:22 AM

I've had that happen a few times with my car (no IDrive). I live in an area with no cell service (and drive all time in areas with no cell service), but I think the Operator is wrong about poor cell signal, or my car would indicate the SOS malfunction signal every day. I park my car under a carport with a metal roof, which would also block any GPS signals getting to the car, but I don't think that is the issue either. I didn't renew the BMW Assist after the first year, so when the malfunction light comes on, I really don't care.

It's probably a bug in the software.

volkswackin · 03-01-2009, 09:39 AM

no cell service should make your SOS maybe not work properly...however it would not affect your idrive or anything else...

02-28-2009, 08:44 PM	#1
ucfsteven New Member Drives: 335i Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: south florida Posts: 5 iTrader: (0)	SOS malfunction light due to bad cell signal area?! I received the SOS malfuction light (SOS with a line through it) when this happened my Idrive would not work at all. There was no fuction of the radio CD player, Satelite radio climate control, naviagation or anything. I pressed the SOS button and got an operator on the phone. They told me that it means there is a POOR CELL SIGNAL in my area right now and it will correct itself. She also explaiend to me that the idrive functions work on this principle as well and if I have a poor cell area none of this will work because the SOS does not work. This seems a bit insane to me. I walked back outside after parking my car and checked 15 minutes later everything works find now. Has anyone else heard this as a reason for the SOS with the line through it? A poor cell signal?!
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02-28-2009, 10:42 PM	#2
DESI4life10 Brigadier General Drives: Coding: Desi4life10@gmail.com Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West of Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,373 iTrader: (18)	I had something like that happen a while back as well. I got the icon but only my bluetooth was not working I turned the car off and started it right away with no luck. Then I just parked the car some distance away from my home and came back to it 1 hour later to find that the problem was gone. It was weird because I always had signal at my house. I just told myself "German electronics" and just moved on..hehe

03-01-2009, 09:22 AM	#3
ENINTY Banned Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,415 iTrader: (0)	I've had that happen a few times with my car (no IDrive). I live in an area with no cell service (and drive all time in areas with no cell service), but I think the Operator is wrong about poor cell signal, or my car would indicate the SOS malfunction signal every day. I park my car under a carport with a metal roof, which would also block any GPS signals getting to the car, but I don't think that is the issue either. I didn't renew the BMW Assist after the first year, so when the malfunction light comes on, I really don't care. It's probably a bug in the software.

03-01-2009, 09:39 AM	#4
volkswackin Lieutenant Colonel Drives: too broke for a BMW Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: i get around.. Posts: 1,826 iTrader: (1)	no cell service should make your SOS maybe not work properly...however it would not affect your idrive or anything else...