Long battery drain and charge now zero crank
 

I left my 2002 X5 4.4 for 11 months with the battery connected. Completely drained. Charged the battery. Only gets to 12.4 V. All the electrics work (lights etc.) but zero crank. Tried jumpstarting and zero crank. INPA returns "no response from" with any modules. I am located just outside the Gila National Forest in NM on a friends property (in my 1974 rebuilt Airstream) so getting into Silver City for a battery test may be difficult. I disconnected the battery for 1 hour. I charged first from the under hood posts and then the battery terminals directly. Does a complete long term drain screw with some of the modules? If the battery is not getting a full charge will this screw with the starter, even though I tried to jump start? I have a voltage tester. Help!

Do you have power at the jumper terminal (and ground at the engine) while attempting to crank? Is there any clicking or light dimming or such when you try to crank? Are you confident your INPA is getting the proper connection?

Hi Thanks, Yes power/voltage everywhere. No clicking. No light dimming including when the driving lights (high beams) are on when cranking. Cranking is dead! INPA is functioning (both black dots on). I can also read some of the X5 responses to INPA such as engine speed (0) etc. INPA is connecting.

Not saying for sure, but I think you probably triple the chances of loosing the EWS synch by charging the dead battery in the car. You shouldn't be loosing connection to the modules though as you need that connection to resynch.

I have never done anything with the EWS so I will others chime in on some of that.

12.4V indicates a bad cell. Not enough amps to power major equipment. I would assume the battery is toast.
Check fuse 11.
Can you reach the EWS module? You can test for power at this location. The two large wires are crank power. Disregard the fuse. The fuse is a bypass for EWS. EWS has to be coded out so it will crank. I did the mod to my mine temporarily. An ECM with EWS deleted allows the bypass for cranking.

Can you supply power long enough to synchronize a key to EWS? It might work to crank it. Are key batteries okay?

Hi X5chemist
I replaced the battery. No crank. I checked fuse 11. All good. I assume the EWS module is behind the pedal assembly and attached to the sidewall next to the gas pedal…correct? I will try your work around. I have one chip key and I spare key. The chip key unlocks the doors etc.

EWS is located on the left kick panel upper area. It's a white little box.

The temporary EWS bypass on mine was easy. I ordered a DME with EWS coded out. A fuse is inserted into the two large wire connections. With this mod though, any key or tool that turns the key cylinder will crank it.

If the EWS module lost synchronization with the DME (due to battery drain) then it would still crank, it just would not allow for any fuel so you crank forever but never start. I don't think it's that.



What do you read as far as codes? I think INPA would tell you if you lost EWS sync.



My guess it it's rather the ignition switch in the key cylinder. If you don't even hear a click when turning the key, then the solenoid is not even engaging, which rules out the starter. If you replaced the battery with a brand new or known-good one, then that rules out the battery. And the fact that you have no crank rules out EWS (or at least, means that EWS isn't your only problem, it certainly still could have happened).

You put a new battery in? Like brand new?

No start
 

I have virtually the same thing going on now. I left my car up at our land in the woods for a couple months. When I tried to start it last week battery was dead. I charged up the battery and tried to starlit. It only turned over for 1-2 seconds then nothing at all. Starter wouldnt turn over at all after that. So I put a different battery that is good into it and same thing happened. Something else that was odd is the display screen said
CODE:
and the trip mileage and other numbers on display went to 00000
I agree with a previous post that it may not be EWS because the has happened to me in the past and the starter would turn over but not start. I didn't have my Foxwell with me so I couldn't scan it. I will be bringing it up with me next time I head up to our land and see what it said.
But I was wondering if anyone has ever encountered this.
I now have decided that I will be just leaving the Foxwell in the damn car from now on.