BMW X4 Infotainment Nightmare: Display and Audio Dead

Hey there! (Some experience with BMWs) I had a similar issue with my 2019 BMW X3. The display went crazy and eventually died completely, along with the audio system. Super frustrating! After dealing with the same symptoms for about a week, I took it to my regular workshop. Turned out the display unit itself was faulty and needed replacement. The whole repair including diagnosis and labor set me back about 725 Euro, but it's been working perfectly since then. Before throwing any money at it though, could you share more details about when this started happening? Like, did it occur after a software update or was it gradual? Also, would be helpful to know which error codes you're seeing. Hope we can help you narrow this down!

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's at 129485 KM and I started noticing this issue about two weeks ago. It wasn't after any update, just started acting up out of nowhere during normal driving. The flickering was occasional at first but got worse over time. The fault codes I'm getting are related to the CID (Central Information Display) communication errors. Seems pretty similar to what you experienced with your X3. Good to know about the display unit replacement, that gives me a rough idea of what I might be looking at cost-wise. The car's been solid until now, and I've kept up with all scheduled maintenance, so this was quite unexpected. I'll probably book it in next week to get it sorted. Just wanted to check if there were any quick fixes before heading to the shop.

Thanks for those extra details, and yes, your symptoms do sound exactly like what I experienced with my X3! When you mentioned the CID communication errors, that's basically identical to what my diagnostic report showed. Just to share a bit more about my experience, I initially tried some DIY troubleshooting like disconnecting the battery for about 30 minutes to reset the system (don't laugh, but I really hoped it would work!). Even checked all the fuses, but nothing helped. The flickering just kept getting worse until the display completely gave up. With the mileage you mentioned, it's probably the same issue I had, a failing display unit. These units do wear out eventually, though I'd say it's a bit early for a 2021 model. But hey, electronics can be unpredictable sometimes. One thing I learned from my experience, don't wait too long to get it fixed. I drove around for about a week with the flickering display, and honestly, it was pretty distracting, especially during night driving. Plus, you're missing out on important vehicle info without a working display. Let us know what the workshop finds! Always good to have more real-world cases documented for other X4 owners who might face similar issues.

Thanks so much for the additional insight! It's actually really comforting to know someone else went through the exact same thing. I was thinking about trying that battery disconnect trick too, so you saved me some time there! You make a really good point about not waiting too long, the flickering is definitely getting more distracting, especially when I'm driving at night. I've already called my regular workshop and booked it in for next Tuesday. Appreciate everyone's help here, especially sharing the real costs and repair details. Seems like I'm looking at a display unit replacement, but at least I'm going in prepared now. I'll definitely update this thread once I get it fixed, might help other X4 owners down the line facing similar problems. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences. It's exactly what I was hoping to learn before heading to the workshop!

I have changed my headunit with one from Xtrons and now get these notifications. The oem cic unit is not instaled anymore. Is there a way to clear these notifications, as the entertainment unit works fine. It's just not the oem headunit. Looking forward to your replly. Kind regards, Sander

You can try using a diagnostic tool to clear the error codes related to the OEM unit. However, since the original CIC unit is no longer installed, some notifications might persist due to the system expecting the OEM setup. If the notifications are not affecting the functionality of your new head unit, it might be best to ignore them. If you continue to experience issues, consider consulting with a professional who has experience with aftermarket installations. Let me know how it goes or if you have any further questions!

Thank you for your answer. I will just ignore the notifications related to the MultiMediaSystem. Thanks again.