Very strange

:iagree:

Just remember "A happy Wife makes for a happy Life".

Update on my parasitic battery drain:
After two bimmer mechanics couldn't pinpoint the problem (the second was 90% sure it's the instrument cluster), I've had the X5 sitting in my garage for about three weeks with the 5-amp Fuse 75 pulled (MID, Nav, On-board Monitor, Sound System) and it's started/run just fine after one-, two-, three-, and four-day "sleep" intervals -- so I think I'm onto something. I went back to the MID because of the intermittent "ramp-up" sound I'd hear when in the garage and the car was supposedly asleep. It's like the MID starts its initialize process randomly, without the door(s) or anything being opened.

So, I'm assuming I need to swap-out the radio/sound system unit (if I want my music back!). Anyone got a good source for used/pre-owned bimmer sound systems? Thanks.

That's one of the reasons I went aftermarket for the sound system. When you turn the key off the radio turns off and it STAYS off.

Thanks -- I'll check out your thread about it.

Okay, I'm inclined to believe something like the MID is randomly kicking on (hence the random electronic sound in the dash when car is asleep) because with fuse 75 pulled, the car has been starting fine. No apparent battery drain over long non-run periods (up to 4-day sit times tested so far). Today, I put the multi-meter back on the battery, and with fuse 75 out, the reading dropped to .02 amps once the car went to sleep. With fuse 75 in, the lowest it dropped was .14 amps once asleep -- so that indicates a .12 amp draw.

Question is, if I purchase a pre-owned radio/receiver and swap it out, will it solve the problem? I'm finding them on eBay for about $180. The pixels on my display are shot, so that would also be an improvement.

Anyone care to weigh-in further w/words o' wisdom?

Thanks for playing along! This has been more of a PITA than I bargained for....

The MID unit on the dash is just a display - no audio etc. inside it at all. You still need to isolate the fault to the actual radio (either inside the Business/Professional CD player or in the trunk - depends on your model) or the actual MID unit before replacing anything.

You might want to leave Fuse 75 in place and start unplugging the various modules listed here (while monitoring the sleep current): -

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...5-fuse/hWIC4cC

Good Luck!

Wife's copy of x5 had parasitic drain turned out to be the FSU. Very easy to replace. Lucky for me I stumbled into that possibility early on into the diagnostics; the fan worked at all speeds so it didn't jump out as a gimme, but with 120k miles on the clock, i poked my head in and could tell from the design it was original (fat cone fins vs thin cylinders). replaced and all was well again. Not sure if the FSU is on that particular fuse; 7.5A is too little to run the blower, but if it's the control-side of the unit that could make sense.

Her car has the 'rest' mode that will allow the fan to run when the car is off (even without the key i think), so it would be an easy thing to have a defect and drain power.

Thank you for that. Trouble is, I don't know where to begin to start unplugging the various modules! Can you please point me in the right direction? Thanks.

Sure can try but let us know what exact stereo/Nav etc. config you have. You mentioned having a MID, so there is no Nav? CD player above the MID? Amps in trunk well on the left or next to the battery under the spare?

Once we know what you have, we can point you in the right direction. ;)