BMW In-dash Problem?

[Andy Traxel]

I've had a Clarion Plug & Play for several years. Only use it at home now because the BMW 335i I got 2 years ago came with Sirius built in. I think that radio might be having problems now.

Since mid-summer of 2008 (before the merger went into effect) the radio stops playing whatever stream I was tuned into & "Updating List" appears on the screen. It then takes several minutes before the process completes & the stream comes back on.

This started out happening every couple weeks. Lately it happens a couple times a week. I've had it happen 45 minutes apart.

These updates don't coincide with updates on the unit I have at home. So it seems to be something specific with the radio in my car. Or perhaps with the subscription for the car radio.

The car is still under warranty. The BMW dealer is clueless about problems with Sirius.

Does this sound a like a hardware problem that I should pursue with the dealer? Or with Sirius?

Andy

 

[JohnBrowning]

Yes, it does sound like a hardware problem. My old Jensen in my pickup truck went through a similar sequence of events before it crapped out completely. I stuck another antenna on it just to be sure, but, that made no difference. In my experience, the "updating" routine is evidence of a dying radio. I assume it is similar, though newer, to the OEM Sirius radio in my 2005 MINI. It is a plug-in module that shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to change out. Mine is in a side compartment in the "boot", as those Brits like to say.