2001 X5 Won't start off own Battery - Help!!!

[vandenham]

I have been struggling with my battery going dead in the morning the same as you. Fortunately I have found my problem with a relatively simple test on the fuses.

I removed each fuse (one at a time) and put my multimeter between the contacts to see what the current draw was on each fuse. This test was done with the key out of the ignition, but the door open as it was the only way I could get at the fuses in the glove box. I also tested the fuses in the rear with the hatch open. Most of the fuses were showing a draw of under 100 m amps, but three were significantly larger indicating a large battery drain.

The three fuses were:

• #27 - interior lights. These were on during the testing so that seemed okay.
• #43 - instrument cluster. Not sure about this one.
• #60 - window lift rear. This fuse includes the rear hatch release. It should not show a large current draw.

In my case, the rear hatch release was the cause. I had fixed it a week ago and the license plate lights and hatch switch were working properly, but there must be a short somewhere inside the mechanism.

I have removed the rear hatch release mechanism and the battery drain problem has gone away. The X5 has been starting well for the last couple of days. I re-checked the draw on fuse #60 and it has dropped to under 100 m amps.

If you try this approach for your problem, watch out for fuse #14. When I removed it, the car alarm went off.

Good luck with finding your battery drain.