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Oh you are most welcome! Malta is a busy country, Gozo is far more relaxing. Both have their good and bad sides! If you do come here, let me know so that I can give you my mobile number just in case you need anything during your stay!

good luck sorting the car.

4zwmb wrote:Hi Sammy, here in Gozo there are dealers that sell bmw cars but they dont even know what a software upgrade is...I have to travel by ferry to Malta, i guess this is my only option here. In Malta there is one agent for bmw cars, just one.

I remember diving on the old Gozo Ferry around 2002 when I had a diving holiday in Malta. Shame it sank upside down.

Yes what a pity it is for diving enthusiasts! The perks of living in Gozo, everything on the wrong side except for the sun and the sea!

Anybody who had my same problem got to know what is the name of the software upgrade that solves the ebrake failure?

Add another one to the list, 2011 2.3i, came back from a 25 mile drive, parked the car on the drive and no problem. Went back to the car an hour later and as I opened the door I got the Bong, yellow P lit up on the dash.

Only had the car since October, bought from a Bmw dealer with a year warranty so hopefully they will get it sorted tomorrow

Like my colleagues car, they will tell you the hand brake cables broken

Strange a lot of cars back in 2013 like my 2009 and friends 2011 called back for a security upgrade, I wonder if some dodgy code in the 2011 models.

Bmw technician came out and plugged in his computer, it needs a software update. He made sure that the handbrake was off and off it's gone to the dealers. I asked if I could wait but they said it can take up to 8 hours for software updates anyway I now have a courtesy car for a couple of day's

8 hours?!?! Hell I am tempted to just leave the car as it is, after this experience I will never park the car if not on gear anyways! Peace of mind ascertained only in this way!

8 hours, that's just to make sure that they haven't made a complete F****p of an already bad situation. I hope it's free.

flybobbie wrote:8 hours, that's just to make sure that they haven't made a complete F****p of an already bad situation. I hope it's free.

Got it back today, they have had it 2 day's, no charge as the car is still under warranty. They just said that it needed a system update, I now have a handbrake again lets hope that it lasts

cmp999 wrote:

flybobbie wrote:8 hours, that's just to make sure that they haven't made a complete F****p of an already bad situation. I hope it's free.

Got it back today, they have had it 2 day's, no charge as the car is still under warranty. They just said that it needed a system update, I now have a handbrake again lets hope that it lasts

Good result OP.

But it rather puts me off the idea of an E89 (or any newer BMW) to be honest - you really wouldn't want to be paying for this sort of stuff once the car is out of warranty!

I needed a new electric water pump and thermostat on my first Z4C - cost fitted was just over £800, but as the car was worth about £10K it was well worth doing.

But 05 onwards some E9*s have the same N52 engine, and you can buy one for about £3,500 - that sort of bill is nearly 25% of the value of the car!

And to be fair, what does an electronic handbrake do that a mechanical one doesn't do (well apart from fail)? If the electronic one still relies on a cable I really can't see the point - other than to generate revenue for dealerships and rape the wallets of buyers.

My comment about a cable was to reflect the ignorance of the person on the other end of the phone at the dealership.
The electric brake is very good in my experience. More room around the gear lever, holds for few seconds on slopes after every brake application, no slack adjusting required, part of traction control which probably where the software problems occur.

I quite agree . Our 2015 golf has an electronic handbrake as many newer cars have . I've also got a mk 1 mx5 as a modern classic being restored and i almost prefer it to my E89 in some ways as it's so basic and no electronic gis mos .

If we all baulked at new tech - we would still have cranking handles and friction shockers!