[ucfsteven]

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]

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]

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.

[GMWNashville]

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