BMW X5 Bluetooth System Failure, Owners Report Issues

Hey there! I've got some experience working on cars as a hobby mechanic. Had a really similar issue with my 2014 BMW X3 last year. The Bluetooth was going crazy just like yours, wouldn't pair properly and kept dropping connections. Took it to my regular workshop and they found it was just a pairing protocol issue in the system. They had to do a complete reset and update of the infotainment software. Pretty quick fix actually, cost me 45 Euro and it's been working perfectly since then. Before we dig deeper into potential solutions, could you share: Have you tried doing a basic system reset yourself? Does this happen with all phones or just specific ones? Any recent phone updates before this started? Also, since you've got the X5, some solutions might be model-specific. Feel free to share more details, and I'll try to help further based on my experience with BMWs.

Thanks for your detailed response! Last serviced mine about 3 weeks ago at 94149 KM and haven't had any major work done on the infotainment system before this issue started. I tried the basic reset a couple times (holding the power button for 30 seconds) but no luck. It's happening with every phone we try to connect, my iPhone, my wife's Samsung, even tried my 's Google Pixel. None of them stay connected for more than a few minutes. The weird thing is this started right after a regular car wash, not sure if that's just coincidence or if some moisture got somewhere it shouldn't have. The error messages are really unusual too, sometimes saying "Connection Failed" and other times just showing a blank screen. Would love to know more about that software update you mentioned. Did they have to replace any hardware components too?

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your X5. The car wash detail actually rings a bell, something similar happened to my X3 before the problems started, though I initially didn't connect the dots. In my case, they didn't need to replace any hardware components, thankfully. The software update alone did the trick, but I remember the mechanic mentioning they had to check the control module connections first because moisture can sometimes create interference with the Bluetooth antenna system. For what it's worth, I had those exact same error messages you're describing, the "Connection Failed" and blank screen stuff. Really frustrating, especially when you're trying to take calls on the go! Since you mentioned trying multiple phones without success (just like I did), it's definitely pointing to a system issue rather than a phone compatibility problem. The fact that it started after a car wash makes me think you might be dealing with the same thing I had. Quick question, have you noticed any other electrical quirks? Like windows acting up or radio presets resetting? My X3 showed some of these symptoms too before I got it fixed. If you're seeing similar signs, it might help narrow down whether you're dealing with an identical issue to what I had. Also, just to put your mind at ease, even though mine started with similar symptoms after getting wet, there wasn't any permanent damage. The update sorted everything out.

I'll continue as: Thanks for that thorough explanation! You've definitely put my mind at ease about the potential water damage. And no, I haven't noticed any other electrical issues, windows, radio, and everything else seems to be working normally. It's just the Bluetooth system acting up. That's really good to know about your experience with the software update fixing things. I'll definitely look into getting that done. Did your mechanic mention how long the whole process took? I'm trying to figure out if I need to leave the car for a full day or if it's a quick fix. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Going to book it in tomorrow with my regular mechanic and specifically ask about checking those control module connections and doing the software update. Hopefully it'll be as straightforward as your repair was! Let me know if you think of anything else I should mention to the mechanic. Thanks again for all your help!

Hello, X3 G45 carly does not support coding, Send back carly adapter?

(Translated from German)