Radio not working!

[Rich99]

I have just bought a 2003 E39 5 series, everything working perfectly, after a week I have had a witter towbar fitted, the next morning the battery was flat and i had to jump start it, on my next trip the cruise control did not work, on my next trip the cruise control was working and all seemed fine, the next day (2 days since fitting the towbar the radio/cd will not operate at all, no warnings or errors and the computer and sat nav both work although no sound, the television works again though with no sound.
I have it booked back in for monday but wondered if there is a simple fix?
Cheers Rich :)

[genphreak]

I have just bought a 2003 E39 5 series, everything working perfectly, after a week I have had a witter towbar fitted, the next morning the battery was flat and i had to jump start it, on my next trip the cruise control did not work, on my next trip the cruise control was working and all seemed fine, the next day (2 days since fitting the towbar the radio/cd will not operate at all, no warnings or errors and the computer and sat nav both work although no sound, the television works again though with no sound.
I have it booked back in for monday but wondered if there is a simple fix?
Cheers Rich :)

The factory bar has a module that just plugs in. If someone 'wired in an aftermarket bar' then anything can happen. What is a witter? Have you a link?

The installer needs to know what they're doing as the simplest issues will be light-out warnings, the most complex will be intermittent issues like you describe. e39 electronics is not basic, doing such a mod requires a good look at the wiring diagram- and more. See - BMW WDS (http://wds.spaghetticoder.org/en/e3902/)

I imagine that anyone making a bar for it would provide those details to the installer. Some may not read the diagrams or of those that do, perhaps make a mistake. Check the wires and the above diagram.

[whiskychaser]

Witter are pretty well known in the UK:
Witter Towbars | Tow bars | Bike Racks | Cycle Carriers | Towbar Fitting | Roof Racks (http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/)
I think I would be having a word with the installer. Seems a bit of a coincidence all this goes wrong after the bar was fitted. BTW, do you have to make any changes to any module software to tell the car you now have a hitch fitted?