BMW 4 Series Hands-Free System Not Working? Fix Inside

Hi there! I have some experience working on cars and had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW 3 series. The infotainment system completely failed on me, no calls, no audio, nothing. After trying basic troubleshooting like resetting the system, I took it to my workshop. They diagnosed a faulty control module in the infotainment system. The repair wasn't cheap, set me back about 815 Euro, but it fixed the problem completely. Could you share more details about your car? Like the exact trim level and whether you've had any other electrical issues? Also, have you tried resetting the iDrive system? Sometimes that can help with minor glitches. Let me know these details and I might be able to help you figure out if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've got 46103 KM on mine and just had the latest service done last month. I have the luxury trim package and haven't noticed any other electrical issues. Actually tried the iDrive reset a couple times but no luck, still getting that same frustrating hands-free problem. The Bluetooth connects fine and music plays perfectly, it's just the calling feature that's acting up. Think I'll need to bite the bullet and take it to the shop like you did. Really hoping it won't cost as much as yours though! Did your workshop mention how long the repair typically takes?

Hey again! Yeah, I totally get your frustration, especially since you've already tried the iDrive reset. It's interesting that your Bluetooth and music are working fine though, that's actually different from what I experienced. In my case, the whole system was dead. Given that your car's only got 46K on it and everything else is working, I'm thinking it might not be the full control module like mine was. Could be just the microphone or its wiring that's gone bad, which would be a much cheaper fix. My repair took about a day and a half, but that's because they had to replace the entire module and reprogram it. When I took mine in, they first ran a full diagnostic to pinpoint the exact issue. If it's just the mic, they should be able to sort it out in a few hours. I'd still expect to leave the car with them for a day though, as they might need to remove some interior panels to access the wiring. Quick question, have you noticed if the problem started suddenly or did it gradually get worse? In my case, it was a sudden complete failure, which is why it turned out to be the module. If yours has been getting progressively worse, it might point more toward a wiring issue.

Thanks for that detailed response! That's really helpful to know about the timing. You've actually made me feel a bit more optimistic, the fact that my issue is isolated to just the calling feature while yours was a complete failure does suggest it might be something simpler. And you're right, now that I think about it, my problem did kind of develop gradually over a couple of weeks. At first, people just said I sounded a bit muffled, and then it got worse until they couldn't hear me at all. I'll schedule it in with the workshop next week and get that diagnostic done. Really appreciate all your help and experience with this, it's definitely given me a better idea of what to expect. I'll probably aim to leave it with them for the full day just to be safe. Thanks again!