After Jumpstart, Onboard CPU & Gauges Dead

[jfox00]

Over the weekend, I parked my 2005 BMW X5 overnight, and when I returned to the car, the battery was dead. I didn't leave the lights on, and I'm not exactly sure why the battery was dead.

After a jump start, the car seemed to be alright (it ran fine, and could be restarted). Except the on-board computer would not work, the gas gauge would not work, and the RPM gauge would not work. The only gauges that do work are the speedometer and the water temp. The on-board computer (display that shows the MPG/timer/distance to empty, etc.) is totally blank, and won't come back on, regardless of what buttons I press.

I haven't tried much besides searching the forums, and I didn't find anything exactly like this. One post suggested disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes (similar problem) but I wanted to reach out to the community first.

Should I just take the car to the dealer? Should I try the battery disconnect method? Other thoughts?

Thanks!