BMW Audio & DAB Issues: Radio Reception Dead?

Hi there! I have some experience working on cars as a hobby mechanic. I actually had a very similar issue with my 2020 BMW 4 Series (previous car was a BMW 3 Series). The symptoms were exactly the same, terrible DAB reception and constant infotainment errors. After taking it to my regular workshop, they diagnosed it as a defective antenna. The whole repair, including parts and labor, cost me around 255 Euro, but it completely fixed the problem. Before you head to a workshop though, could you share: Have you noticed any physical damage to the shark fin antenna on the roof? Did these issues start suddenly or gradually? Are you experiencing any other electrical problems? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the same issue I had. In my case, it turned out the antenna connection had deteriorated over time.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've got 174087 KM on my BMW, and just had it serviced last month. The issues actually started quite suddenly, no damage to the shark fin that I can see. Everything was working perfectly fine until last week. No other electrical problems at all, just this annoying audio/radio situation. Your antenna diagnosis sounds pretty spot-on though. Nice to hear it was a relatively straightforward fix in your case. I'll definitely mention this to my mechanic and see what they think. It's especially helpful knowing it's not just me dealing with this kind of problem!

Hey again! Thanks for the additional details about your BMW. You know, hearing about your mileage and the sudden onset of problems actually makes me even more convinced it's similar to what I dealt with. In my case, I had about 160,000 KM when these issues popped up, so we're in the same ballpark. What's really interesting is that my problems also started suddenly, just like yours, working fine one day, completely acting up the next. No visible damage to the shark fin either. The workshop found that despite the antenna looking perfectly fine from the outside, the internal connection had worn out. They said it's actually quite common in BMWs around this mileage. Since you've just had it serviced last month, and there are no other electrical gremlins, I'm even more confident it's the antenna. When my mechanic fixed mine, they mentioned these connections can fail without warning, regardless of how well-maintained the car is. Quick tip: When my mechanic replaced my antenna, they also checked the wiring harness connection points. Might be worth asking yours to do the same while they're in there. Saved me potential future headaches! Hope this helps narrow things down for you. Let us know what your mechanic finds!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! It's really reassuring to hear that your issues were so similar to mine, especially with the mileage being in the same range. The fact that yours also started suddenly makes me feel better about the whole situation. That's a great tip about checking the wiring harness connection points, I'll definitely mention that to my mechanic. I've actually booked an appointment for next week, and I'm feeling much more confident now about what to discuss with them. It's always helpful going in with some knowledge rather than being completely in the dark! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. I'll make sure to update everyone once I get it checked out. If it turns out to be the antenna like yours, at least I know it won't break the bank to fix! Thanks again for all your help!