If you ever find yourself in a car accident, you can experience the feeling of being in danger while being so uncertain about the next step. Or just imagine that you are driving down the road at night in the middle of nowhere, and your engine suddenly breaks. Now you are sitting on the curb, with your jam indicator on, and you can't figure out a way to get home.
SOS problems highlights
- Level of urgency:low
- DIY inspection:impossible
- DIY repairs:impossible
- Can you drive?yes
- Price of repairs:$150 - $300
- Ifignored:SOS callswon'twork
- Ways to fix:check the battery, find a good mechanic
Fortunately, BMW introduced a feature in their 4 Series (and the majority of other models, too). It is called SOS Call System. If you ever get in danger by any means, you can just press a button and your car will immediately start an emergency call with BMW support. They will act like a central emergency call center, giving you instructions on your problem whilst calling the suited authorities for the case at your exact location.
The cars are equipped with a unit called Telematic Control Unit (short: TCU). This is how the industry refers to the little box located at the back of the car, under the roof carpet, and near the antenna on top. It gathers information about the car, like location and speed or the condition of the engine.
The unit contains a lot of little components. One of them is a battery, big enough so even in a power outage the device can start an eCall. (An eCall being an emergency call, which provides rapid assistance to motorists on the road all around the European Union. From April 2018 it is mandatory in all newly made cars). The other important units are the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and a GSM, LTE, or WIFI chip which sends the gathered vehicle information to a GIS, in a long: Geographical Information System. The GIS then stores it in a database, along with other records made by other vehicles, so they can be recalled later if needed.
The TCB is also constantly reporting information about the car to BMW support, so at any time they can track down a car involved in a serious accident, without you even knowing about it. It can sound scary, but it is saving lives. Or at least it should, but as with many electricity-powered computerized accessories, it may fail from time to time. Or in fact, it can fail in every second BMW-made car...
With the placement of the unit, it is clear, that if the antenna's seal starts leaking it can get water-damaged really easily. And with the fact in mind that the TCB is also attached to almost every component of the car it can create short circuits or even prevent the car from starting up. But even in the best case, it raises an annoying error message on the screen!
The other common issue is the fuse blowing out. This unit has a really low 5-amp fuse usually located in the trunk, so even a little bit more electricity can break it.
Finally, some of the owners reported, that after "upsetting" the support with the lack of knowledge or accidental calling, they canceled their subscription - which action immediately disables the TCU feature in the car, not only giving an error code but completely disconnecting it from the GIS system - so they are not able to get in touch with the help center, NOT EVEN in the case of a car crash.
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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