It appears that my X has decided to play a Halloween Trick on me.

I was driving home Friday night and some accessories plugged into the the 12V outlets started to power on and off over and over. I turned them off and within in a moment the Lovable "Transmission Failsafe Prog" message appeared and the ABS, Brake, DSC and tirepressure indicators illuminated.

I turned off the AC/Heat and some ofthe lights went out.

I drove about two more miles cautiously as I was very near home and it was not shifting out of third or so it would seem.

As I approaced the last stop sign about a mile from home the whole car shut down. A friendly motorist help me push it to the side.

Within 35 minuts the battery (1 year old) was dead.

My buddy and I towed it back to the house andwe then went to his house where he loaned me a car while this is repaired. Two and a half hours later the battery had recharged itself enough to at least me try starting, but all it did was allow the lights to come on and make the "clicking" noise to indicating there's not enough battery juice to do the job.

After reading quite a few posts with the "transmssion failsafe" message and the symptoms I have it sounds like the alternator.

Thanks to all those posters who have provided input on previous posts regading similar problems. I'm confident that the alternator is done for.

My question is why hadn't the check engine or other indicator message of some kind come up prior?

Wouldn't some kind of message have come up if the charging system was shot? At least something before the whole car shuts down in a matter of minutes after receiving the instrument cluster going crazy?

Is replacing a watercooled alternator as bad as it sounds in the Bentley repair manual? Drain the coolent system completly?

Also any reccomendations on replacement alternator vendors of good reputation is appreciated.

Happy Halloween,

-Tom

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'04 X5 4.4i