Getting into X5... dead battery!

[scottnow]

I have a problem... my battery died on my '01 X5 and my door lock is not working... probably snapped the cable due to cold weather.

Is there a way to get access to the X5 without a key, or perhaps somehow get into the hood to charge the battery?

Thanks!
Scott

[UCrewX5]

Short of breaking a window, I don't think there's any other way to get in.

[Tomaz]

I've thought about this puzzle, as I was almost in the same situation a few months ago. If you could snake a jumper cable from under the engine bay to the + stud on the firewall, you could energize the system to open it with your remote key. Also, if the hot wire was accessible anywhere under the car from the battery to the firewall stud, you could push a nail or other sharp object into the wire for an alternate jump point. Let me know if this works. Good luck!

[scottnow]

This is a VERY disappointing engineering fault by BMW. No fail-safe for a dead battery and often broken manual door locking mechanism. Has anybody had any luck with somehow opening the rear latch??? AAA or roadside?? I am about ready to throw my damn X5 away!

[Tomaz]

Or, would it work if you removed the license plate light and rear hatch switch piece and found the wires coming from the hatch switch and energized the latch switch externally?

Sorry your so upset, but you were on borrowed time with a 5 year old battery in a cold climate. Don't throw the car away yet, you just experienced two problems is all,; 1. batteries die in time. 2, random failure of a mechanical lock, probably from lack of use. Hang in there.

[Thunder22]

I've PM'd you how to attempt to do it. I don't want to post it here as a "how to get the hood open" manual for would be thieves.