X5 display shows Ext. Temp -37 degrees and fuel gauge is innacurate

[X5H]

Hi,

This morning whilst trying to find the BT code in the trunk I noticed that when i tried to start the X5 it took abit longer and the message Ext. Temp -37 degrees(Its not that cold outside!) is displayed. Ive also noticed that the fuel gauge isnt accurate as it shows about a quarter of a tank but I only filled it up yesterday. No visible leaks as far as I can see. I also saw the message Transmition Failsafe something although the gear changes are fine. I did a search on here and it pointed to a potential problem with the battery. Ive had the battery checked and its showing 12.4volts. The car was stood for about 3 weeks and the battery was charged to get it going. Ive been driving it around for a week now but only today have I had a problem

I dont get the transmition failsafe message but do still get the Ext Temp -37 degrees and the fuel gauge is still innacurate. Car seems to start fine.

Any ideas what the problem could be here and how I go about getting it fixed please? Is it worth putting the battery on charge and is there a way of resetting the fuel gauge/outside temp control?

Thanks in advance

[X5H]

Is it worth disconnecting the battery leads and re-connecting to see if it resets the gauges?

Ive been driving the X5 and noticed the fuel gauge has moved abit but still not fully accurate at the moment. The temperature reading has also come down to 14 degrees which is better. I think the problem is with the battery and planning to put it on a slow charge tonight. If this fails I will purchase a new one and see how things are

[X5H]

All seems ok now after driving the car.

I still do think the battery isnt quite right as it drained quick when the satnav was turned on. Its the original BMW battery on a 2004 model X5 3.0 Sport just over 50,000 miles

[thedweeb]

My advice would be to change the battery. If you look around on this forum you will see loads of similar electrical issues that have been connected to poor voltage from the battery.

[X5H]

Thanks for the response.

Yes will look to replace the battery before the winter kicks in. Its fine at the moment as it still starts the car. Ill need to ensure the engine is running when using the tape/sat nav to avoid the battery draining resulting in the problems mentioned above :-)

Is it worth purchasing the original BMW battery or say an aftermarket bosch one as an example?

[thedweeb]

Always the question ; however I had a mate ( now sadley passed away) who worked in a battery factory who said that a branded battery is as good as any OEM

[X5H]

ok thanks for info