2004 X5 Fire!?

[TheKingSim0n]

Okay, seriously what is it with these random X5s catching fire on their own!???

I live in Brooklyn, New York and parked in front of a local mom and pop body shop i see an 04 X5 3.0 black, on fire. I asked the fire department how did it end up on fire and he also said it looks like it set itself on fire some how.

So here I am sitting back and reading all these threads about how X5s are catching fire and im just so in shock at how real and how dangerous this truly is...

Is there anyway to prevent this from happening? Anyway to protect your X from this? ....

[wilchi]

wilchi 2006x3
I would suggest a battery disconnect but that causes all kinds of other problems due to the keep alive circuts that are needed on these types of machines.
The ecm and other systems that need power in order to keep things runnin smoothly.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by TheKingSim0n

Is there anyway to prevent this from happening? Anyway to protect your X from this? ....

1) Check your fuses and make sure they are all the recommended amp rating.
2) Don't install aftermarket electronic items

Item (2) can be safe, but if you want to reduce chances of an electrical problem, keep it stock.

[killcrap]

just call bmw they'll write you a check

[Quicksilver]

+1......

Originally Posted by JCL

1) Check your fuses and make sure they are all the recommended amp rating.
2) Don't install aftermarket electronic items

Item (2) can be safe, but if you want to reduce chances of an electrical problem, keep it stock.

[Halston Pitman]

Honestly the '2nd' item on the list is really not a large concern. Installing a quality fused aftermarket piece whether it is an amp, and iPod kit or a phone charger is safe and is not a fire hazard.

We had a customer with a DICE and XM Direct and his X5 was involved in an accident. After the shop fixed the car nothing worked. Found out the battery cable was replaced from the rear to the front. Low and behold when that battery cable was sliced it obviously shorted a lot of items out. Both the fuse for the DICE and the XM both popped as they should. New fuses and back up and running.

I had an amp do the whole sudden fire thing and while there was a little smoke both amp fuses poppped and all was well. That is what fuses are. The most important thing is proper amperage rating. If you pop a 5amp fuse and put in a 10amp you may melt the wire and actually cause a fire...

[Weasel]

It seems with most vehicle makes that have electrical fire issues (just google search car fire and you won't see one more than another, they are all just as vulnerable) are likely caused by the electronics that produce heat as a byproduct. Such as a failing/failed FSR right by the glovebox or the AUX fan in front the radiator/condensor/ etc.

Probably the most common cause of fire I've personally seen in the last 5 years or so at the dealer has been the headlights. What happened in these cases are the customers had a headlight go out and had the guy behind the counter at autozone put it in for them, and it wasn't properly installed and melted the plastic to combustion.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Halston Pitman

Honestly the '2nd' item on the list is really not a large concern. Installing a quality fused aftermarket piece whether it is an amp, and iPod kit or a phone charger is safe and is not a fire hazard.

I am less concerned with a quality fused aftermarket item (which, as I noted above, can be perfectly safe) and more concerned with the installation itself. Even a quality fused item, poorly installed, can create a hazard. It depends entirely on where the power is drawn from, the connectors, the gauge of the wires used, how the wires are run and whether they can chafe, etc.

In the shop, investigating an electrical problem, if there were aftermarket items installed, then probably 9 times out of 10 it was the aftermarket items and their installation that caused the problem, not the stock vehicle components.