[RedmumbaSeattle]

I took my 2014 BMW X3 in for detailing, and everything was fine at drop off--but they mentioned that after steaming the vents, the iDrive screen was flickering (uhoh). This was a high-end detailer so I was a little shocked.

Here is a short video of the issue:

View post on imgur.com

Many of the reports I've found seem to be unrelated or look like very different issues. Before I bring this in for what I suspect will be a typical costly repair, has anybody else seen this?

[richardodn]

Almost certainly it's one of the connecters. Likely due to moisture. It may simply require waiting a couple days for it to dry out. Or you could put the whole car in a bag of rice.

[RedmumbaSeattle]

> Almost certainly it's one of the connecters. Likely due to moisture. It may simply require waiting a couple days for it to dry out. Or you could put the whole car in a bag of rice.

Hmmm, seems like a Costco run might be in order...

Any idea if I can speed the process along (i.e., is this a common problem where the connector is known?)

[Weslsew]

Originally Posted by RedmumbaSeattle

> Almost certainly it's one of the connecters. Likely due to moisture. It may simply require waiting a couple days for it to dry out. Or you could put the whole car in a bag of rice.

Hmmm, seems like a Costco run might be in order...

Any idea if I can speed the process along (i.e., is this a common problem where the connector is known?)

Park in the sun with the windows cracked

[WagonR]

I'd pull the screen out, you could actually put that in a bag or rice, or out in the sun to dry, and if there is water in the connectors this would allow that to dry too. Pretty easy to do.

Step 1 - Pull the trim with the vents and start/stop button straight back, it's just clipped in.
Step 2 - let that trim panel hang down.
Step 3 - Unscrew the screen. Two screws on the bottom corners are now accessible. Remove them.
Step 4 - Pull the screen out. Pull the bottom part, it will swing out, unplug the plug in the rear, and finish pulling out.

It's really a quick process, so I'd give it a go.

If the screen is toast, then a used one shouldn't be that expensive, probably under a couple hundred bucks. The hard part is making sure you find one where the antiglare isn't all scratched up. MSRP on a new screen is about $2K...Obviously if you have to buy a new one, I'd be going back to the detailer for that.