Thanks for the reply, I was wondering if this was a "feature" of the X5 or the newer CCC iDrive vehicles. Seems to me to be a BLATANT oversight.

So after I posted this, I needed to pick my wife up at the airport, arrived early and hung out with the radio going for about 20 minutes. She called and I started the car while speaking with her on the phone. I forgot to look at my UltraGauge!

So I roll up, pick up my wife and head out of the airport on a restricted access road that has a BUNCH of construction and most of the shoulders are taken away by Jersey Barriers.

Cruising along an I feel a jerk, then the iDrive pops up a message about the All Wheel Drive is in fault. I am thinking, great, one more thing to screw with. Still not putting 2 & 2 together yet because I am having my wife read exactly what is displayed on the iDrive screen. Drive a few more miles and then I happen to glance over to a dark UltraGauge. Crap, I know what is going on now.

So while I am thinking about where I can pull off with no shoulders or how far I need to drive to get off the limited access road, then things really start to happen. ABS warning pops up, then shortly there after Stability Control warning, followed by Active Suspension and the Airbag!! I hit the lottery.

So I am quickly realizing the battery is quickly avalanching and running out of power. I have got to pull off otherwise the engine may shut down and then I will be really screwed. Then all of the sudden I see a partial shoulder where construction vehicles can access their portion of the road, I decide to pull off. Not the best location, but as least I am not stuck in the middle of a travel lane.

Let the car idle for a moment, then decide to shut the engine off because this is really the only way to get the charging system working, or at least how I have been managing the situation when it comes up. Hit the start button, NOTHING. The the drama starts. Wife is none to pleased. "Why did you shut the engine off ..........." ! Oh well, can I do anything right?

So I just happen to carry one of the large MicroStart batteries in the vehicle that is about the size of a VHS tape. Grab that, pop the hood, hook up the MicroStart, attempt to start, something, but not enough. Give the MicroStart a few minutes on the battery, hit the start button and I am in business. So I wait a few moments, anxiously watching my UltraGauge and it boots up. This is GOOD. Once the UltraGauge is working, I see 14.8 Volts.

Scramble out and grab the MircroStart and close the hood, I am back in business. Having the MicroStart in the car = PRICELESS!!

So I can now see I need to design a simple LED charge indicator for my X5 since BMW has no idea how to notify the driver that there is a charging problem other than modules and subsystems that are shutting down or going into some error mode! Starting to wonder if this is an engine specific problem, a vehicle platform problem, out of day software for the DME or other modules in the car or what is going on.

Totally unacceptable. Granted I was aware of the problem and had another means to monitor it, but having a basic indicator for charging problems has been around for almost 100 years. I guess BMW figures BMW Assist is just supposed to automatically dial out and have a BMW Assist Operator tell you your car has a problem, assuming you subscribe to BMW Assist??

I will update the thread with what I find on the charging problem and if I come up with a simple charging indicator.

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2008 4.8i Black with Tabacco. Black Y-spoke wheels and shadowline trim.