2002 e39 - Stereo not working after low battery

Check the fuse.

I've checked the fuses in the glove compartment, and those in the boot just above where the battery is. They're all good. The manual says there's also fuses in the "load area", but I can't work out what they mean. I'm thinking this is an alternative discription for the touring model, maybe? Or are there some more fuses hidden away somewhere?

you will need to pull the radio out and check the wiring for in-line fuses. Also there will be a fuse or two inside it on the cicuit board.

Right. Will try this tomorrow. Cheers

You might need the code to activate it.

I hadn't thought of that. However, I've just checked the manaual and it says "Manual input of a security code or similar is not required". If it did require a code, would it not give me some kind of error message?

Turns out that I'm a complete idiot, and there's nothing wrong with the radio - it's the CD changer that's playing up. I pulled the radio out, and there was nothing obviously wrong with the connections. I checked the fuse in the back of the unit and it was fine. Put it back and and tried again and no luck. Then I just starting hitting buttons at random, and the radio came on! I then tried to change back to CD and the screen just shows the clock. No error message, no sound - just like it was switched off. So it had been turning on all the time, just not doing anything because of some fault with the CD changer. I'd at least expect an error message!

So I go and look at the CD changer. First I try to eject the cartridge, but it doesn't respond. I take the unit out, disconnecting the 3 pin and

6 pin connectors. The connections and wiring looks OK. I test the fuse, which is fine. I plug it back in, and when I connect the 3 pin plug there's a whiring sound from the unit, which suggests it has power OK. But it still won't eject the cartridge!

I'd love to get this working again, but at the very least I want to get my

6 CD back! Any ideas?

with the car computer rebooting with every start, I have found after an electrical gremlin appears (usually a low voltage culprit me thinks) with a battery replacement for example ... or a recharge ... or what ever makes the lights go on and the systems get out of wack.

is a few re-starts.

When Tillman's while in their care 'found' the electical problem that made the fuel pump not work they say, and various lights on the dash appear and systems malfunctions came on ... it took about 50 restarts to get everything to quiet down and get back into working order.

now ... that the key fob is DEAD ... no doubt about it .. have to get a

200 dollar battery now to fix my old key with a new key.

that might help make lights disappear and systems go back to normal function.

now ... all that is amiss ... is the key fob.

it was the stereo system like with yours.

have to wait until it is broken, smoking, on fire ... to get the pros from Stuttgart to check it out.

Still with my last engine die out ... lights flash on .. no re-start ... on the last inspection.

NO CODES ... (528i) no idea why it quit and not restart making for a land dolly.

other then keep the other key around and try that and see what happens is the cure from BMW ... for now.

sumbuddie hopes this helps

:?

Only thing that happens to my E39 radio if you disconnect the battery is you lose the station memory.

The battery obviously did get that low, as now that I've got the radio working again it still has all the stations in memory. I think it's just a coincidence that the CD changer stoped working at the same time. It just won't repsond. It won't play anything, and I still can't get it to eject the CD cartridge.

?

You just need a bigger hammer. 8)

When I changed the battery on my E46, I lost nothing at all.

Think there's some sort of mechanical release - like on a single CD player.

I don't see anything obvious, and I wonder how that would work if the unit stopped working whilst a disc was being played. I think I'll have to take it to bits to get my 6 CDs back!

lol. I don't really want to resort to the big hammer approach until I know for sure that it's the changer units that's failed, and not just something daft like the cable connections. But it's heading that way..

Thanks

I was just wondering if the problem was fixed as my situation is exactly same, after battery change the radio is not working, CD cartridge is not coming out i think I can see a cd stuck. tried all the fuses no joy. Thanks

My radio turned out to be just fine. It was just the CD changer that had stopped working. I haven't got it to work yet, sadly.