[kis2012]

The radio's display has lost most of the pixels it needs to be able to read it.
It works ok but you can't see what you're doing.

2007 E93 325i M sport UK

Can anyone recommend the best path to repair, here is what I am considering.

Buy another head unit.
(Might have or develop the same issue)

Take head unit apart and solder in a new display.
(Replacement displays are £80 it seems)

Send off for repair.
(Risk of damage, be without the head unit for a week, cost)

Buy a head unit from a later car with USB and Bluetooth inside.
(Coding seems a pain, still not sure if it works)
(Car does not have factory Bluetooth and only an Aux socket).

Any thoughts or help appreciated. Thanks

[F31B48]

Originally Posted by kis2012

The radio's display has lost most of the pixels it needs to be able to read it.
It works ok but you can't see what you're doing.

2007 E93 325i M sport UK

Can anyone recommend the best path to repair, here is what I am considering.

Buy another head unit.
(Might have or develop the same issue)

Take head unit apart and solder in a new display.
(Replacement displays are £80 it seems)

Send off for repair.
(Risk of damage, be without the head unit for a week, cost)

Buy a head unit from a later car with USB and Bluetooth inside.
(Coding seems a pain, still not sure if it works)
(Car does not have factory Bluetooth and only an Aux socket).

Any thoughts or help appreciated. Thanks

I fitted a second hand unit from a later car into mine when the display went. I found this was the cheapest option. Coding is relatively easy if you have the gear.

[ctuna]

Trouble with the coding is you sometimes need the more expensive
Icom Cable to code a Radio.
Also you have to learn the coding process and download and setup
the coding software which is OK if that is what you want to do or can do.
Putting in a new display requires a certain amount of skill.
The easiest thing is to send it in but keep track of the Serial Number
if you do so you get the same one back.

[sabino56]

I think it depends on what you are most worried about going down a bad path.
For me - I'd solder in a new display. I'm confident I can get radio out and semi-confident I could solder in new display (assuming it's not ball grid).
I am actually having same problem - can you post link to display you found?
I'm pretty uncomfortable on random website repair guys unless you have good recs from someone you trust.
Ditto on buying a used unit + I've also had enough problems getting diagnostics to work, coding simple things - there seems to be, for me, always some gotcha - that is, of course, because my experience in that area is poor.
Good luck!

[kis2012]

Does anyone know if there was a changeover to the head units, where the displays are better and no longer get dead pixels?
Or will it always happen after 10+years, regardless of the BMW Pro head unit?

Here are the displays I found... Not exactly easy to get hold of. No UK stockists. Not sure I want to deal with Aliexpress sellers.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3283...64e5702ef5e272

https://www.citycarparts.co.uk/cd73-...d73-6382-p.asp

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332319740...3ABFBMwO-_3cRf

[Camery]

I am interested in this as well as my display is also giving up.

IF the head unit display after a certain year/date has been fixed maybe it is possible to buy a second hand head unit (complete, if its cheaper than a separate 'pixel fix' display ) and swap over the screen (= no coding??).

[850CSi]

Tagging because I’ve got the same issue

[ctuna]

My display is going fine in 16 year old car but I don't leave it outside in the
Sun and there are only maybe two weeks a year where the temp is above
95 degrees.

[kis2012]

Does anyone have a post 2011/12 car with a faulty radio display?

I looked on eBay, where there were no post 2009 radios with faulty displays for sale in the UK. Obviously doesn’t mean much.

[kis2012]

Given that I can't find an answer to, if newer radios are effected by the same display problems, fixing the existing one seems like the better option.

Here are all the displays I can find.

pixelfixltd@yahoo.com
This guy wants £140+ now I think, just for the part, if he has any.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3284...64e5702ef5e272

Do I trust Aliexpress???? Hmmm
Still wondering what to do?

[nickldio]

I would just buy a new one off of ebay or something, probably saves alot of time and money in the long run...

[dcnz]

When my head unit is cold, I can read every pixel. When it heats up, it fades. After opening the head unit I found the LCD screen is back lit by LED's. I'm guessing the LED's are failing when they get warm. I've read other peoples posts on the internet, saying that they replace the LCD screen when their head unit starts fading, but I don't understand how that fixes the problem. I think they are all wrong/lying. LCD screens don't produce light and if it did, why would there be 2 rows of LED back lights behind it? The LCD screen reads perfectly when cold. No dead pixels. Old LED's fail as they get warm. It just makes sense that the problem with fading is from failing LED's not the LCD. I'm trying to find a way to replace the LED's...

[NZE90]

Originally Posted by dcnz

When my head unit is cold, I can read every pixel. When it heats up, it fades. After opening the head unit I found the LCD screen is back lit by LED's. I'm guessing the LED's are failing when they get warm. I've read other peoples posts on the internet, saying that they replace the LCD screen when their head unit starts fading, but I don't understand how that fixes the problem. I think they are all wrong/lying. LCD screens don't produce light and if it did, why would there be 2 rows of LED back lights behind it? The LCD screen reads perfectly when cold. No dead pixels. Old LED's fail as they get warm. It just makes sense that the problem with fading is from failing LED's not the LCD. I'm trying to find a way to replace the LED's...

Good luck with that.