X5 won't start...battery might have died overnight

[nra0707]

Tried to unlock my X this morning and nothing...had to manually unlock it. Then tried to start the car and nothing. not even a click. I see the airbag light turn on in the instrument panel, but nothing else. Having it towed later today to the dealer.

[X5devon]

it sounds like the battery, at least your dealer will sort it, the X5 can be a real pain when the battery gives up.

[nra0707]

Not sure if these items are the culprits, but I have an ipod charger that continually charges the ipod even when car is off. I can't imagine that it would draw that much power out of the battery in one night. Car worked yesterday. The second thing is my rear PDC setup. I'm retrofitting PDC into my 04 X5 and have the rear sensors all connected, but not the front...yet.

Question about jumpstarting. Can you do it via the terminal in engine bay, or does it require opening up the entire trunk floor (total pain in the a$$ and would like to avoid this)?

[Tomaz]

Use the terminals in the engine bay to jump start. It may take several minutes to charge the battery so be patient. It is probably time for a new battery anyway. Its 4 years old? I just replaced the battery in my 04 M3.

[nra0707]

Thanks. I have a '04 4.4i. The warranty ends in June, so maybe this is a good thing that I get it replaced now.

[Tomaz]

Originally Posted by nra0707

Thanks. I have a '04 4.4i. The warranty ends in June, so maybe this is a good thing that I get it replaced now.

Good idea! Say the battery died on you, and you don't want to leave your wife (if you have one) stranded on a dark night, and they will definitely give you a new battery.

While your at it, check the CV boots, power steering hose, water pump, control arm bushings, and any other known failure possibility while BMW is picking up the bill.

[nra0707]

So, the AAA tow truck driver came by, put on his jumper box to the terminals, and voila...it hesitated and then started. I still took it to the dealer, but they said it was low, but not low enough to replace (typical dealer answer). They are going to trickle charge it overnight. Splitting time between my Z3 and X5 must be taking its toll on the batteries. My X5 was only driven 400miles since February as told to me by the service tech based on my last visit.

I'm going in for my scheduled Inspection I service in July before my warranty expires (discovered today that it runs out in Aug instead of June...yipee an extra two months!) so they said they will check on CV boot, water pump, brakes, etc when i bring it in then.

[nra0707]

Battery died again today. Heard the alarm siren go off this morning and then it shut off on its own. I can't figure out what's causing it to drain so quickly. Alternator maybe?

On a related note, How can you open the other doors and trunk without power?

[Tomaz]

Your dealer should be able to measure the drain on the battery with the vehicle off and the alternator capacity. If your alternator is OK, and there is no abnormal drain, you need a new battery. A 4 year old battery is certainly a candidate for replacement. Your dealer is not treating you properly to not replace a battery under warranty. You can open the drivers door with a key. To open the rear hatch from the inside, lift the small black tab indented into the hatch trim and give it a tug.

[nra0707]

Thanks. Agreed. The dealer was looking for a quick way out by just trickle charging overnight. I'm just concerned that there's too much current draw by something in the car that will be troublesome to diagnose.