.. I've spent nearly a half year trying to fix the problem. 2yrs ago i bought the x5 from a small car lot because I was attracted to the price tag, 3rd roll, and mileage of just 49k. It drove fine for a few hundred miles until the cel appeared and accompanied by a slight hesitation. After minimal research I started off replacing the gas cap then even the 02's but it did nothing. The strange part was a reset of the computer the car would drive fine again with no cel but will return after around 50 miles of driving. I then used Carly to check for faults and a bunch came up, from pt can to kcan to vvti failure, anti theft system, ac, etc. The voltage was super low and sometimes resulted in a battery drain overnight so i bought a new battery and even registered it but no still difference. I then brought the truck to bmw to do the fuel pump and airbag recall and had them check the problem. They said the IBS neg cable was bad and replaced it and charged me over $500. I got back the vehicle and it drove fine because of the computer reset, but 20 miles later the problem came back. I took it back to bmw and complained a whole lot, so they kept the truck for a month to check everything for free, unusual but thankful! They narrowed down to the computer and found that the components and connectors were improperly secured in place and an aftermarket dme was installed. They said a new dme and programming were needed and "should" fix the problem. Of course it also came with a hefty price estimate so I took back the car. I wasn't convinced and shipped the dme to an independent shop specializing in bmw dme repairs, and paid the guys $450. Surprisingly, the unit was sent back with a refund of $400 because nothing was wrong it. How honest, right? They said there's no aftermarket dme's either and that the tamper seals on the unit only means it was repaired once before. So after all that, I'm back to square one. I then did more research and next I started to tackle the alternator. I spent $350 on a new valeo, what a waste of money. I replaced the cam shaft actuators, the eccentric sensors, vanos tested, no difference. I even went as far as replacing the throttle body harness, what a joke!



Anyhow, with the pandemic, I now have more time off and will try again to tackle the problem. This is why I revisited your post and started researching on the JBE. I came to realize that many bimmers with electrical issues were mostly a result of a faulty JBE. And due to the location of the unit and how most failures are a result of age and shock, I'm aware of a previous accident involving the passenger side fender, so I think this could likely be the case. If it does the trick, I will surely pay for a plane to ticket to Indiana and buy you many drinks, my friend. Thank you Q for sharing your knowledge and take care.