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  #1  
Old 01-07-2012, 02:52 PM
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Usual Woes from a UK Member

Hi All,

First post here but have been reading as a gues for years and using the seasrch function to diagnose the usual problems with the E53 that I bought the wife a couple of years ago.

We've recently been plagued with the draining battery problems and with the cold snap it's got way worse.

The Battery itself holds charges fine and on the test gear it's been on reports all cells as healthy. Leave the car for 48 hours (sometimes less) and the battery is dead. I wonder if there is a parasitic drain on it (common problem) and will start to diagnose with the usual ammeter when the car has gone into sleep mode.

Also I have a check brake light and check tail light message on the DIS when stopping and after chaking can see the brake light bulb on the left hand side is indeed not lit. I replaced the bulb today and it's still not working. Could it be the connector where the bulb sits? I tried to remove the right hand side connector to swap them over but simply could not get in because the DSP subwoofer sits so close that for my large hands it's a nightmare to get at and put enough leverage onto to remove it.

Could it be this connection problem that is draining the battery?

I heard that the final stage resistor can need changing but I have no problems with the fans or AC at all.

Another question regarding these bulbs is when I put the sidelights or main lights on I see the right hand bulb at the bottom is lit less but when I hit the brake pedal it lights even more, is this the same bulb but lit to a higher level but not a dual filament bulb?

Thanks in Advance for giving me any advice on these two niggling problems and hope my local garage can fix these issues without it costing me an arm and a leg.
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  #2  
Old 01-07-2012, 04:55 PM
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If you have an e53 the rear light contact/circuit burns out overtime. It is a known defect of the design. Just a thought? Maybe just pull the whole unit out and have a good look. If it is its probably worth getting after market as overtime the OEM will just burn out again. Oh there is also a fix with a service bulletin. Just use the search function once again.
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Old 01-07-2012, 09:55 PM
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Do this http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ion-fix-5.html Posts 39 and onwards is all you need.

It may even be your battery drain!

I had the same 'brake/tail light' warning on the dash as well as the new bulbs not working. Sanded the contact area with emery paper, filled the small burn-hole up with some solder, cleaned it up a bit with the emery again. All told its a simple 20 minute job and is as GOOD AS NEW when finished! I did that nearly 3 years ago, no problems since.

Let us know how you get on

Last edited by Isambard; 01-07-2012 at 10:02 PM.
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Old 01-08-2012, 04:46 AM
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Thanks Isambard!!!

I did read the whole .pdf that someone wrote up on removing the contact board and am going to do the removal, repair and refitting this afternoon.

If this fixes my battery woes I will be as happy as Larry!!!!!

Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again all.
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Old 01-08-2012, 08:36 AM
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OK

I just repaired the tail light/brake light assembly and the brake and tail light now works fine. Very happy with the fact that I didn't need to solder anything just removed the corrosion and cleaned the area with a screwdriver head.

Whilst I was doing the work and the X5 had been in sleep mode the Sat Nav Unit jumped into life which amazed me and I wonder if this is the reason for the battery drain? I have removed the fuses 72 and 73 so that the unit is not in use anymore as I don't use it.

I had to jump the car this morning to take it to my parents where I did the work, turned the engine off and after 20 minutes tried to crank it and dead. The battery was reading 9.77V at this point and I have connected a trickle charger to the battery and it is currently charging and the measurement is now 12.5V. I will leave it a bit longer and then disconnect the charger and see if it holds that charge throughout hourly intervals. I cannot unfortunately measure the current draw over the battery as my DMM does not have proper clamps and I don't really want to disconnect the battery at any point.

Thanks once again, I feel that I am now getting somewhere with the electrical gremlins in this POS!!!!
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Old 01-08-2012, 11:41 AM
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[QUOTE=Isambard;859603]Do this http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ion-fix-5.html Posts 39 and onwards is all you need.


I had the same 'brake/tail light' warning on the dash as well as the new bulbs not working. Sanded the contact area with emery paper, filled the small burn-hole up with some solder, cleaned it up a bit with the emery again. All told its a simple 20 minute job and is as GOOD AS NEW when finished! I did that nearly 3 years ago, no problems since.


Don't even bother smoothing the lump of solder with emery. Leaving the bulge there puts more tension on the contact leg of the socket.
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Old 01-08-2012, 01:18 PM
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[QUOTE=bnw;859658]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Isambard View Post

Don't even bother smoothing the lump of solder with emery. Leaving the bulge there puts more tension on the contact leg of the socket.
I didnt 'smooth' it. I 'cleaned it up a bit' meaning I got rid of the point the solder left.

Glad to hear you sorted it Contigo, good luck with your fuse-pulling exercise!
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Old 01-08-2012, 01:55 PM
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The Battery is still being drained at a ridiculous rate, I charged it for three hours and it was showing a nice 12.7V and it cranked fine. I then left it without any charger and half an hour later it was showing 12V. Then it had dropped half an hour later to 11.6V. By the time i'd gone into the front to pull the number 7 fuse from glove box I saw that the charge had dropped to 10V. Unfotunately my DMM does not have the ability to measure current drop (mA) so I cannot test the usual sleep mode ampage (40mA after the 16 minute period) but I do know that the battery is either faulty and is simply dropping charge or there really is something drawing so much current that it's killing the battery within an hour of full charge.

I have two olther questions for you all.

1) When I lock the car I ALWAYS lock it once and then again to disarm the alarm as we live in an area where the alarm would wake everyone up if it ever went off and I know BMW electrics so it's best we don't have it on. However, I have since read on other threads that for some reason this places more strain on the battery? Is this the case? Or did I misinterpret the information?

2) There is an aftermarket Trafficmaster Live system fitted to the vehicle and it not in use and it doesn't seem to work, does anyone have one and know how to eliminate this from the equation? Fuse number?


I am tempted to go and buy a Bosch S5 battery tomorrow to eliminate the battery from the equation as I really need this sorting ASAP.
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Old 01-08-2012, 09:22 PM
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I was actually going to suggest you try another battery (if you can get hold of one) as it may be a simple case of it just being knackered and obviously unable to hold charge. What year is your car? Is the battery the original one? It could just be at the end of its life.

If its not the battery, well, I don't know anything about no.1 but my suggestion for no.2 would be to get in touch with the previous owner (if it was them that had it fitted) or the person/company that fitted it, OR the manufacturer themselves and ask them the question. They must have a website with a tech-support number or something..?

Ps, I don't know if you know or not but when you re-connect the battery your money lights will be on. Don't panic just drive the car down the road and back and they will go out.
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Old 01-09-2012, 04:27 AM
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Yes I have seen the money lights

BTW the 2) Trafficmaster is part of the UK Comms pack (SAT Nav, TV, Phone and TM) and apparently it's the source of battery drain according to M5 Board. I will eliminate this by remving the TM module from the boot of the vehicle.

I am off to get a new battery this morning and take it to my local specialist for them to then check the sleep drain.

Thanks again.
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