A slightly puzzling situation - self repairing Z4

[B21]

The sensors often go dicky with moisture / salt / lack of use etc etc..so not unusual to magically repair themselves…it’s seldom for ever..copper grease can cause issues to..best get it checked at your convenience…not on a rainy night by the breakdown servie..

[flybobbie]

Self repair, when bought my car, there was a nasty scratch just left of gear stick on the fake wood and lacquer trim.
Was there for years.
But now it's gone.
Not sure if solvent in furniture polish i use softened the lacquer and scratch healed up.
I always use Lidl beeswax polish all over car.

[MikeyH]

Divine intervention

[Pondrew]

Divine intervention

Yep, that could be it! God knows!?

[MikeyH]

Divine intervention

Yep, that could be it! God knows!?

[Trav]

One other thing I have had on another car was a split reluctor ring causing a similar lot of faults. Sometimes the reluctor ring would catch and spin and clear the sensor fault. But others it would just sit stationary or part spin causing faults. They are not a very thick piece of metal and can get corroded.

[RAYK47]

tell me about it, i am having some issues where the car will light up like a Christmas tree and go into limp mode, engine light remains on. However when i scan it there are only relatively minor issues showing and will drive perfectly. Happened twice now so reluctant to drive her at the moment.

viewtopic.php?t=145482

Mine looks like an electrical fault, could yours be similar, there are some similar symptoms?

[Busterboo]

Part 1
Well, well, well ... had a similar situation on Thursday. Drove 70 miles to a Notts village. (Granddaughter foxhunting.) Parked on wet grass. On re-starting, rear wheels spun & rear end lurched. Car then drove normally for 2 miles. Parked on more wet grass. After 30 minutes, Blackpool Illuminations - ABS, e-brake, P position on gear lever, price of coffee in Munich et cetera - & wouldn't start.

Called AA. Rubbish. Really unhelpful. Called BMW Roadside Assistance. Excellent. Tech arrived within promised time. Car started immediately & drove normally. He then attached large laptop, which took several minutes to read it, but came to no major conclusions, so he suggested following me to my next destination, a couple of miles away. He then re-read the car, re-booted the gearbox and left, all the while being pleasant & positive about the situation.

I had some lunch and ... the car wouldn't start. So, I phoned him directly, he came back in 30 minutes, spent more time on the car, re-started it and ... at his insistence, followed me the 80 miles to my local BMW authorised dealer, where he checked in the car with Reception, told me that they were obliged to repair it within 48 hours (or I don't know what, but not just put it at the back of the queue). He then offered me a lift home.

(Just before switching the car off & leaving it, I ran its own display, which said, 'NO FAULTS'.)

[RAYK47]

Yeah, mine is baffling me. Got a feeling it may need to go to BMW.

[Busterboo]

Mystery Part 2
So, went back to the BMW authorised dealer to collect the car. "It was the battery, sir." It was 'non-standard' (or something like that - my ears stopped working at the mention of 'battery').
Acute embarrassment. I mean acute. (I'd been through all this for the childishly obvious reason of a battery?)
"We've replaced it, sir, given the car a 692-point health check, washed it & sent you a video. That'll be £335.95p."
So I drove home & had a cup of tea.
A bit later, decided to cheer myself up with a drive & ... yep, you've guessed it ... Blackpool Illuminations again et cetera & it wouldn't start.
"We're very sorry, sir. Please bring it back tomorrow & we'll work on it first thing."
(There was a fly in the ointment of this offer, of course.)
So, I phoned BMW Roadside Assistance & learnt another lesson: "Sorry, sir, you don't have 'Home Recovery'. We can collect it for you, sir, but that will be £175.' Quite a lot for about 8 miles, I thought.
Ever optimistic, I realised I could call the AA (who'd been crap last week, but very good from home years earlier).
Then a little voice said, 'Maybe ... just maybe, with a new battery, a bit of a drive and a snooze, the car's re-set itself & ... yep, you're right again, it had. Well, it drove, stopped & restarted 6 times, anyway.
Whether it will tomorrow, I have no idea, of course. But I do have the wife's Fiesta.

[Busterboo]

p.s.

Sytner BMW Leicester were helpful throughout their involvement and then phoned to see if all was well.