BMW X5 Temp Sensor Failure: Climate & Mirror Heat Dead

Hi there! I had a similar problem with my 2013 BMW X3 last winter, and I have some experience working on cars (though I'm not a pro mechanic). The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I dealt with. For me, it turned out to be a faulty wiring connection to the ambient temperature sensor. Initially, I thought it was the sensor itself, but my mechanic found that the cable connector was corroded and had a loose connection. The fix wasn't too complicated, they replaced the wiring harness and connector. Cost me about 95 Euro for parts and labor. Since then, everything's been working perfectly, temperature display, climate control, and mirror heating all came back to normal. Could you share if you're getting any specific error codes? Also, have you noticed if this started happening suddenly or gradually? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the same issue I had. Just make sure your mechanic checks the wiring connections before replacing the entire sensor unit, could save you some money!

Thanks for the detailed response! I've got 47776 KM on my X5, and it just had its service last month. You're spot on, my issues started gradually over the past couple weeks. Getting error code P0073 mainly. Really appreciate the tip about checking the wiring first. I was worried it might be something more serious with the climate control module itself. Will definitely have the mechanic look at those connections before jumping to replace the whole sensor. Nice to know it might not break the bank too badly. Will update once I get it checked out.

Hey again! Good to hear back from you about your X5. You know, after I had my X3 fixed, I actually learned some more details that might help you. Since we seem to be dealing with pretty much identical symptoms, I thought I'd share. That P0073 code you mentioned, that's exactly what I had too! When my mechanic dug deeper, he found that moisture had gotten into the connector over time, which started the corrosion. These BMWs are pretty sensitive to that kind of thing. After my initial repair, I actually had my mechanic apply some dielectric grease to the new connector, it's this special stuff that helps prevent moisture from getting in. It's been over a year now, and I haven't had a single issue since. Might be worth asking your mechanic to do the same when they fix yours. Your mileage is pretty similar to what mine was when this happened too. These sensors tend to start acting up around the 45-50K mark, from what I've learned. And since you just had service done, they might even give you a break on the labor costs. Let me know how it goes, really curious if you end up having the same root cause as mine did!

Thanks so much for the extra info, this is super helpful! Never knew about that dielectric grease trick, definitely going to ask about that when I take it in. Makes total sense about the moisture causing issues, especially since my problems started during some really wet weather. Really relieved to hear yours has been running fine for over a year after the fix. Going to schedule an appointment first thing tomorrow and will specifically ask them to inspect the connector and wiring before anything else. The service history might help too, I'll bring that up. Thanks again for all the detailed advice, really saved me from stressing about this!