X5 e53 battery drain???
 

X5 e53 3.0d 2005 :

Hi all been a long time silent visitor to xoutpost.com and learned so much from you guys- glad I finally signed up and joined the conversation:

I have an intermittent battery drain, had it since buying the car in 2012. Symptoms identical for 3 batteries so definitely not battery issue. Unlocked cluster test 9 and with engine on I have consistent alternator reading of 14.1 lights/heater/radio off and 13.8 with lights/heater/radio on so alternator seems to be performing properly.

The car is usually ok if left for 24 hours and shows no evidence of a drain. For instance, I just put a brand new bosch s5 a13 019 battery on which read 12.66 volts on multimeter prior to installing. Car started perfectly and after a brief drive to the supermarket and back (about 8 miles in total) - left car standing without alarm enabled and the fsr removed for precaution- then checked 24 hrs later with multimeter. Battery showed 12.66v.indicating no drain. However, this has been the case on tests with previous battery so I didn't drive car for another 24 hrs and checked multimeter which read 12.54v. A 0.12 drop.

In summary: seems to be no drain if left standing for 24 hrs then the following 24 hrs if not driven the drain happens. The multimeter shows a drop of.0.12 volts and this was the case with the previous battery which was failing after 3 years.

As a precaution I unplugged the Fsu before leaving the car standing for these tests even though it shows no symptoms of failure.

No after market mods other than the head unit but the exact symptoms where present before I changed this. The new head unit is a hualigen e53 specific model and tbf has performed perfectly for 3 years. The Sat nav and cd changer where unplugged and taken out but the original non dsp amp remains as before. The drain was present before this work was done.

I also recently found an aftermarket trailer module wired in left by previous owner and thought I'd found the culprit yet this was fully removed but symptoms have remained the same.

No telephone in car but removed tcu fuse as well as heated rear seat and rear seat adjustment fuses to be sure as the car has neither of these features.

Any ideas guys?

Many thanks!!

Suggest you do a battery drain test. After about 16 minutes it should go into sleep mode. At that point its should show about .038 amps.

Sorry should have said I did this test with multimeter-battery went to sleep after 16 mins and showed 0.02 consistently on multimeter. Left multimeter wired up for hours to neg and didn't see any spikes or anything suspicious so car is going to sleep. Thanks for posting

For hours, as into that second 24 hours?

Good point and no... Hooked up initially for about 10 hours yet the car during that time was sleeping and seemingly behaving normally. Something is waking and draining after 24 hours and I wondered if this might be a symptom people have encountered thus narrowing the suspects list. Going to pull the webasto plug and fuse, radio fuses, aux fan fuse, rear wiper fuse and hopefully boot lid soft close fuse if I can find it and see if there is still a drain after 48 hours

Ps just looked at your mods pdf - wow... fancy swapping cars???!!!

Still like it as much as the day I bought it off the dealer floor. Have changed some of 2017 priorities. In the middle of installing aftermarket head unit. Decided the Seicane 9 inch offering was the better choice over the Dynavin N6. And, the 4.10 diffs are still setting in the garage to do. I redid the engine bay. I was going dip more components in carbon fiber but decided to go a whole different direction. When I get the Seicane done, I will be posting pictures of both and add to my album. Next time I drive to UK, I'll drop by and give you a ride.

Wish you were my neighbour!! Looking at a head unit update myself but want to sort drain first. Got jl audio speakers and amp to install to so might be in need of some advice! Welcome in UK anytime!

With help I muddle through audio work but I know just enough to tackle it and sometimes during the install thinking it was a mistake. There is a current thread about aftermarket audio install that is my help source. I am also emailing Seicane but since they are in China I don't get an answer until the next day. Other than wrapping the hood I've done all the work myself. It would be great if a gearhead lived next door. The house next door was recently sold and one of those interested owned a drag strip. President of a chain of nurseries ended up being the buyer. Happened that that is where I buy all my plants so it wasn't a total loss.

Mate had similar issue not really got down to the bottom of it yet, amp draw is now 0.05amps when asleep, webasto is disconnected, cd changer too, the rear dc socket also(this was the only thing that caused a noticeable amp drain drop once fuse removed) but there was no way to sit over the X5 and see how the draw would change over space of 24 hours ...any tips much appreciated...could it be a case that the drain is initiated out of the blue while the care is at rest?

Wife's x5 had a parasitic drain ended up being the "hedge hog" FSU blower resistor pack. Possibly the first repair I did on her car. It was intermittent. Just occasional dead battery. Figured out the problem using xoutpost of course. I think there is a fuse you can pull to eliminate the circuit to make the determination.

My DMM will record peak current over up to 24 hours see if yours will. Did you disconnect the battery neg terminal to run the current through DMM or have a DC clamp meter?


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Just saw this - thanks for replying my meter was on neg and it's only a basic one so no peak reading. No clamp either. Did your fsr drain the battery completely or gradually over a few days? Thnx

Needed to jump start the car after a day or two. I can't remember what I did to track down the culprit but I think u used the fuse plug ammeter. (you pull out a fuse, plug this in place and put the pulled fuse in the ammeter). Go one by one and find which circuit is pulling high draw.


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Hi, I have another thread but saw this one and it got me thinking. My running voltage using test 09 is varying from 12.3-12.6 on a 2005 e53 4.4i v8. Is this normal for these old cars? I thought it was supposed to be 13.8V. I will get a test done on the battery but could be a drain. My heating is not working but might not be related.

What is the problem you are having that caused you to check running voltage?

I would do some troubleshooting before replacing anything.

Depending on the age of the battery you might want to get it load tested. Most auto parts stores will do a load test for free.

If alternator is OK the running voltage should max out at about 13.6-13.8 but can be lower depending on load. I would test the running voltage at the battery charge posts under the hood or the at the battery with a multimeter. Test with engine running with nothing that draws voltage off and again with everything on.

You can also check for a parasitic drain on the battery with a multimeter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdIK...?v=zdIKNnwEjIs

Basic test and diagnostics

When your car battery goes dead overnight, usually either the battery is at the end of its life span, or you left something on, such as a light. Occasionally something is drawing power that's not of your doing. This is a parasitic draw, and it can cause the same result as leaving the headlights on: a dead battery in the morning.

1. Remove the negative side battery cable from the negative battery terminal.
2. Connect the black wire to the com input on the multimeter and the red wire to the 10A or 20A input on the multimeter. The meter needs to be able to read at least a 2 or 3 amps for this test to work. Connecting the red wire to the mA input on the multimeter won't work and could damage the meter.
3. Attach a multimeter (set the dial on the multimeter to measure Amps as per multimeter instructions) between the negative cable and the negative battery post. Wait a few seconds to several minutes for the car to go into sleep mode - i.e. when you make the contact with the ammeter, the cars computer systems "wake up". After a bit of time they will go back to "sleep".
4. If the ammeter is reading over 25-50 milliamps, something is using too much battery power.
5. Go to the fuse panel(s) and remove fuses, one at a time. Pull the main fuses (higher amp ratings) last. Perform the same steps for relays found in the fuse panel. Sometimes relay contacts can fail to release causing a drain. Be sure to observe the ammeter after pulling each fuse or relay.
6. Watch for the ammeter to drop to acceptable drain. The fuse that reduces the drain is the draw. Consult the owners' manual or service manual to find what circuits are on that fuse.
7. Check each device (circuit) on that fuse. Stop each lamp, heater, etc. to find the drain.
8. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to test your repair. The ammeter will tell you the exact numbers.

Part 2
 

Battery state of charge info

and more
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh....php?p=5747151

Great stuff, generic instructions for almost any car.

What are the best ways to do all the above on an E53 while dealing with the battery in the trunk and the sleep mode? Will the rear hatch being open prevent sleep mode? How to turn off courtesy lights, alarm?, etc.?

Alarm off, doors and hatch closed, lying on the folded down rear seats, reaching down into the battery area, ... ? Or something else?

I expect there are some clever things to make this easier than it seems.

Use hidden menu to read real time voltage when driving. I forget which sub menu. Volts should never be below 13


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Hidden BC menu #9 - and it usually reads about 0.3-0.5v lower than the actual battery voltage.

Because it's reading the resistance losses from any draw coming from the battery.


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Listed below are the best posts that will help you find systems that are still drawing amps and voltage AFTER the key is off.

BMW Vehicle Parasitic Draw Testing
When your car battery goes dead overnight, usually either the battery is at the end of its life span, or you left something on, such as a light. Occasionally something is drawing power that's not of your doing. This is a parasitic draw, and it can cause the same result as leaving the headlights on: a dead battery in the morning.

1. Remove the negative side battery cable from the negative battery terminal.
2. Connect the black wire to the com input on the multimeter and the red wire to the 10A or 20A input on the multimeter. The meter needs to be able to read at least a 2 or 3 amps for this test to work. Connecting the red wire to the mA input on the multimeter won't work and could damage the meter.
3. Attach a multimeter (set the dial on the multimeter to measure Amps as per multimeter’s instructions) between the negative cable and the negative battery post. Wait a few seconds to several minutes for the car to go into sleep mode - i.e. when you make the contact with the ammeter, the cars computer systems "wake up". After a bit of time they will go back to "sleep".
4. If the ammeter is reading over 25-50 milliamps, something is using too much battery power.
5. Go to the fuse panel(s) and remove fuses, one at a time. Pull the main fuses (higher amp ratings) last. Perform the same steps for relays found in the fuse panel. Sometimes relay contacts can fail to release causing a drain. Be sure to observe the ammeter after pulling each fuse or relay.
6. Watch for the ammeter to drop to acceptable drain. The fuse that reduces the drain is the draw. Consult the owners' manual or service manual to find what circuits are on that fuse.
7. Check each device (circuit) on that fuse. Stop each lamp, heater, etc. to find the drain.
8. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to test your repair. The ammeter will tell you the exact numbers.


BMW Battery Draw Testing
If your Shifter light is on, the car is definitely staying awake.
Your Battery will go down within days. If the light is not on you can have a parasitic draw, while the car is in sleep mode. The only difference, is the second draw is from a module which can’t wake the system (not mission critical), and it will take a lot longer to discharge the battery.

Shifter light NOT on: (battery fully charged)
Find the ground cable on the battery, but do not disconnect. (the cable end connected to the body not the battery, is easier to handle.)
Connect the Positive lead from the “Fluke” to the body of the car (good ground)
Connect the Negative lead to the (brown) ground cable (you can puncture it)
Make sure it’s easy to disconnect the (brown) cable from the body, but don’t
take it off yet.
Open the glove box and remove and disable the switch so the light will not turn on, locate the fuse box.
Start the car and run at idle, turn EVERYTHING on, and activate all the components (sunroof, windows, a/c, lights …..) run 5 min.
turn the car off and remove the key. Open all doors and trunk, and with a screw driver, close the door locks so the system thinks all doors and the trunk is closed.
Now lock the vehicle with the remote.
The “Fluke” must be set up to “A” not “mA” otherwise you will blow the
fuse in the meter. Remove the nut from the ground cable and remove the cable from the stud. You meter will indicate around (300mA).
Let the car go to sleep. (16 min) minimum, if this is not happening start over.
After the sleep mode is on the draw should not be more then 50mA, if it’s more go to the glove box and start puling fuses one by one and check the draw after each one, but do NOT re-install the fuse. Pull the fuse and leave it out.
There are some fuses under the right cover in the trunk. If you pull a fuse and car wakes up start over (next time ignore this fuse). If you pull a fuse and the draw drops to around 50mA, read the label on the fuse, you will know which circuit is faulty.

I have a tool that plugs into a fuse position. It also holds the fuse you just pulled out and will measure the current that is going through that particular fuse. It was under $20 from harbor freight and one of the best tools.


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have a part no or picture of that little gem? Can't find it on their website

Great posts. Yes, would love to know who makes that tool. Maybe you can post an image?

X5 e53 battery drain???
 

https://www.harborfreight.com/30-amp...ter-67724.html

It's unclear if this model is for normal or mini fuses but I'm pretty sure it's the exact one I bought a set it's full size fuse. There is a short wire going between the part that gets plugged in and the display

Thanks!

Did you work out what was causing your drain?
Bought mine 5 months back. Replaced battery after the 5th jumpstart been fine for months. Now twice in a week battery too week to remote unlock the car.
The only thing that has been different for me was finally managed to pair the phone to the car

Unplug your TCU and see if that stops the drain. It's a common cause of parasitic drain.

Most common the FSU aka FSR. They can pull power 24/7 even when not malfunctioning otherwise


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well update, not the TCU, pulled the fuse on it, 3-4days no driving, battery voltage down to 9.45v will look into the FSR :(

AS this drags on, I am betting on a aftermarket radio part "upgrade fail. If not, a 15 year old radio/phone/amp failure.

sorry if this dragged on, this seemed to be the only thread that has been active in the last couple of months. But no aftermarket bodged installs, all OE kit, tv, phone, cd, nav all functioning normally. pulled out FSR to double check model numbers, put back in, did a parasitic drawer once current stabilised after computer shut down drawing 0.02 which seems negligible to me, nothing changed pulling fuses and relays. Don't worry I won't let it drag on, ill look for answer elsewhere.

You are on the right path.
Question: Try turning on all the power drain (radio, heaters, blowers, etc) then let it shut down as one or two may stay on once in a while.

On a second thought, Pull the auto alarm fuses and see what happens.

What about the power drawn by the light sensor in the grid by the TPS, DSC, etc. switches? Does it sample light in the cabin constantly:dunno: but if so could it produce enough of a drain to cause these faults and keep the system from sleeping?

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20mA is not going to drain a battery you are describing classic example of self drain. Especially if a battery was ever left for a period of time at a state of deicharge, it will set up a condition where it is shorted out inside between the plates and will drain all by itself.

You can confirm by charging the battery leave it disconnected then measure the voltage after a day or three.

Parasitic draw sometimes
 

Has anyone found fixes to there parasitic draws? Mine to does not happen all the time after car is asleep. It's driving me Fargon crazy!

The two most common causes are the telematic unit (bluetooth) and the FSR. The fix for the telematic is to unplug it. The FSR is to replace it. Not sure about the others.

I got you.
 

Thanks. It's such an annoying Gremlin. I'm on my third new battery in two months. Thank Walmart for their free 3 year exchange policy. My first parasitic draw problem came from water in the trunk. I found the problem in the rear pano-roof drains, and I zip tied the hoses by the two drains. Unfortunately my ibus, and Amp were under water. The short also took out my LCM. A sign of the ibus broken is turn signals or lights work outside and not on the instrument cluster. Other signs of LCM problems I believe is hazards, high beams, door locks, and turn signals. My high beams had stopped working. Make sure you get the right LCM, theres one with Halogen and one without. Buying the right one and it supercedes your old one is fine, that's what I did. Look at RealOem.com, for reference. Make sure you put in your production month. You need a $80 programmer so a dot doesn't show by your tripodometer. I do not know if it would set off a TMU at inspection. I did not want to take a chance. There are YouTube vids on it. It has taught me a lot about troubleshooting and building my confidence.. This last draw is a real Beach! I suggest anyone reading this with similar problems to get a amp clamp with readout on bottom as well for parasitic draw diagnosing and a decent $150ish smart x5 e53 reader. They say 16 minutes for our truck to fall asleep, but I suggest 30. If you see water on the back right there will be water on the back left as well. I hope I helped at least one person from getting ripped off from a stealership or repair shop. My first parasitic draw I had 10 years ago, a shop charged me an arm and a leg to diagnose a bad stock radio head.

If it's not going to sleep in exactly 16mins then something is keeping it awake.

Mine goes to sleep exactly on the 16min mark but still has around an 80mA (0.08A) draw.

Not enough to kill a battery in less than about 10-15 days but a pain all the same.

Pulled most common fuses and nothing seemed to reduce it. Still looking.... when I get enthused that is! :rolleyes:

Mine was the starter, massive amp draw on starting, yes it would start car, but amps drained were not being replenished by driving hence the need for having to hook x5 up to a trickle charger 2 or 3 days a week!

Apparently was a known issue with the starter....wish i knew sooner, touch wood new starter has solved this massive pain, hope you get to bottom of yours....

Several years ago I installed a quick release 'switch' in the rear to cut off the power from the battery. I did it for other reasons but it has served me well as a way to procrastinate tackling electrical issues until I can work myself up to going through the troubleshooting. I don't know anyone that says they have an electrical problem that says great, this will be fun.

No luck on which fuse has voltage drop? I finally fixed my no sleep, F11, and F60 amp draws. A used GMIII module fix it. Plus interior lights started working again.