RADOM ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, PLEASE HELP!!!

[troylair]

OK, SO HERE IT GOES. i have the 2000 bmw x5 4.4 liter with 211K miles. All of a sudden recently, this is what is happening electrically to my car:

1. at radom times, not all the time not everyday, but here and there with no specific routine the controls on the steering wheel, the radio/cd player, the heated seats, brake lights and horn all stop working.
2. When one does not work, none of the above work.
3. then, one day i start the car up and they all work fine. as if there has never been an issue.

4. i realize it sounds like a short. but if i have checked the fuses and they are ok, then hunting down the actual short location is going to be hard, yes? also, is there a direct correlation between the things not working as in they are all linked somehow.
5. i pulled the wiring diagram and its too complicated for me to find what i am looking for secondary to the many sheets and looking at it online.

does anyone have anything that can help me get resolution to this matter quick and cheaply? please. thank you.

[Big "J"]

Odd that its all of the sudden however, I've had similar issues with my radio, a/c and door locks shutting off or not working all the time when my alternator was going out. No battery light or anything else to warn me other than those electrical gremlins showing up when they want.
I've also seen posts here of similar issues where the module (instrument cluster, LCM, etc) related to those specific parts was on the fritz and needed to be recoded or replaced.

Have your alternator checked for proper voltage output for starters. I'm sure fellow X5r's will chime in and offer additional help.

Good Luck!

[troylair]

[StephenVA]

+1 on checking the charing system to ensure, enough amps and voltage is available to the vehicle's systems. This is a known issue especially with batteries dying, sucking up all the available output from the alternator. 4way flasher light indicator stays on regardless of flashing or not. dome light does not work or is dim, etc.
Have the starting & charging systems checked to confirm how many amps output, how many volts at battery NOT running, how many volts at 2,000 RPM, etc, etc. Load test battery to confirm status and state of charge.

[THE VEIN]

Bmw's are known for electrical problems

[TerminatorX5]

you need to approach this methodically...

1. check the battery, see how old it is , and if had been drained down and then recharged - once drained, these batteries do not hold charge as they should

2. check the alternator's output, see if the alt has low or high output, or the output jumps up and down - once voltage regulator is gone, it will wreck a havoc on the system

the problem sounds like a chaffed wire that shorts somewhere, or as if an electronic component in some peripheral board is going south and shorts...

3. check known locations for bend wires - the trunk lid with two boots - pull the boots and inspect the wires... I had a short in rear wiper motor that killed the adaptive headlight movement...

4. check wires under rear seat - pull the seat up and look in the area of the door jambs, there spots where wire bundles traverse over a sharp metal edge.

5. check fuse in the glove compartment, especially the ones for the front wiper, the rain and/or light sensors - use a meter to check fuses - if you have patience, check every fuse with a meter

to save money, you have to do this chase of the short yourself, otherwise, you will be paying hours and hours of labor to somebody to do these relative simple things...

if you can, try to catch the moment where the problem manifests itself - maybe you would be able to correlate the external event with the problem...

tell us what you find...

[tomcat]

I had the same issue a couple years ago and changing the ignition switch fixed it.

Scott