Possible Dead battery
 

Our 01 X5 is having some starting problems. I thought that the battery is starting to go out. Its 5 years old and that's usually when the battery starts to go out. I took out the spare to check the battery and the bluish green light is still showing. White color meaning time to change and red meaning totally dead. With the color still being green I wonder if it could be the starter instead or the light is just not working right on the battery. About every 5th time you try and start the X it just clicks and you wait a few seconds and then restart and it is fine. If its just the battery I can change it myself but if its the starter I would probably have the dealer do it. What do you guys think? After calling the dealer they told me that it could be the starter and to bring it in. The only problem is the earliest they could take the X is 12 days from now. Is there any way to check to find out if its just the battery?

My X also makes this. It try to start, it clicks but no engine start. Then I immediatly try again and it starts perfectly normal. It only happends maybe twice a month so it´s not comun. Curious to hear what others have to say.

J.Seven

Yes, likely your battery is dying. Confirm it with a digital multimeter, but a fully charged battery should be putting out well over 13 volts whereas your OEM battery is probably putting out less that 11 volts (which means it's time for a replacement).

Don't let the BMW battery color indicator fool you - mine was bright green while putting out an unusable 10.7 volts. I recommend the Optima line if you're looking for a replacement.

Good luck!

I have a similar problem (or maybe exactly the same)
You say that you starter just "clicks", mine actually activates and turns for a sub second and then stops, next try it starts just fine.
I ususally wait until the steering wheel has come fully up again before the second try, so that will be a couple of seconds too.
Sounds like the same problem, too much power for the battery to handle at that moment. Maybe the high amp stress from the first try gives it some more juice for the next, and thats why the second works.
Seen someting similar on my old -59 Ford Skyliner with a worn battery.
Time for a new battery?
2002 X5 4.4 with only 28 k miles on it.

I'm prettey sure its the battery. It never did this before so I wouldn't say it is normal. I'll have to get an amp meter to check it.

Agree with WolfX5 on this. Just replaced my battery on an '02 4.4i. Indicator light was still green. Replaced with a BMW battery from dealer, but there are alternatives out there from Exide and Optum that I've read are good.

Find a Batteries Plus in your area and get a "Werker" Brand OEM replacement and install it yourself. Battery will probably cost you less than $100.

http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/3/2/Battery2.JPG
http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/3/2/Battery1.JPG

Isn't this amazing?!! I think BMW AG puts a timer or something similar into its stuff so everybody would have same problems at the same time - today my '02 4.6is with 96K started clicking and would not start.

I know that this is the battery - when my E34 530 did the same thing, the battery was the culprit, once replaced, the problem was gone.

My E39 528i did the absolutely the same thing when its battery was going...

My X5 was clicking and would not start - I called the AAA but then, after a little while, I cranked the key and - voila, it started. The Fluke digital voltmeter showed 11.4V, probably not enough to steadily crank the engine that has the start-assist.

I drove the car for a little while on the highway in hopes to charge the battery, that did not help much, so I thought that the alternator is not working. Then I noticed that lights would get slightly brighter with the revs and the Fluke confirmed 14.7V while engine was running. Alternator is fine.

These batteries seem to be sensitive to weather and the environment - the other batteries in my other bimmers would go dead once temperature would dip below comfortable level of 50 F or so... It is a little bit chili in North East now (Ernesto effect?) but it is not cold, for we are still in August... :). Hence, my theory about the hidden, secret timers inside parts...lol...

All I need now is to identify a correct size/model of an aftermarket battery and go and get it. This thread has the pictures of the aftermarket battery - can SuperGreg let us know the model/size of the WERKER or the OPTIMA batteries, please?

I can look up the specs. on mine, but mine is for a 3.0i. I know that the 4.6 takes a different battery. All you have to do is call a Batteries Plus in your area. I only found one in your area, it is in Rockville. Good luck!

I have a 4.4i 2003 with crans amps of 720C. Is it any harm if I get 4.6 2003 with 800c? Also, what is the life time on these batery? How can I tell it is going to die soon?
thanks in advance.

Not sure about your first Q. Mine is a 65 month battery. I believe it is full replacement for the first 18 months, and pro-rated after that. This one is a SLI94R-LI. I paid $89.88 for it on 11/10/05. The only way to know if it's going to die, is when it dies. I have no idea how one can predict when it will go.

The sure way to kill a battery very quickly is long period of no use in a poor state of charge.
If you're going and vacation for a few weeks and the X5 will be parked up at home, connect a battery trickle charger/conditioner to it.
I would also suggest getting a piece of card with "Charger connected" and tape it to your steering wheel.
It will avoid you reversing out of the garage with the charger still attached.
Ask me how I know this???~~~~!!

Once, I have parked my car at airport lot and went to Las Vegas for 10 days. When I came back, the E39 528i was dead. No charger to plug in at the public lot, I will consider next time unplugging the battery and manually locking the car.
With X5, I have no valid explanation for dead battery, other than age.

Long time ago, when my E34's battery went dead, I could not find an aftermarket battery (even in NYC) and had to go with factory replacement. It worked for years just fine and then I sold the car. The E39 has killed a couple of aftermarket batteries already but I blame it on my extended travels. The E53 has been used normally (my wife is normally driving thecar), and the dying battery was a surprise...

Life without these kind of adventures is just a boring thing, right?!!

X5 battery
 

The X went into the shop today. The service manager at East Bay helped us out by letting my wife bring in the X today instead of next week. She couldn't keep driving the X waiting to get stuck again. The service rep seems to think its the starter and I think its just the battery. We'll see later today. My wife and I have a friendly bet going. She went with the starter and I still think its the battery.

Well,
if you let the friendly "stealer" decide for you, and you are paying out of warranty, it will be starter first and then, if the problem persist, the battery. If, on the other hand, the BMW NA is covering this under warranty, then reverse the order...:)
Nothing against dealers, they run business, and they do a fine job at that. It is just sometimes they rely on the "machine" to tell them what is wrong and not on their personal knowledge from the past experience (new hire?). But again, that incompetency can apply to any business - Cingular, Blue Cross, McDonalds, Government... Ooops, did I say "government"? That is Chinese government, not US...:) Ours is perfect...

If the engine is making clicking noise, without actually cranking the engine, the radio kinda works, the interior lights kinda work, then it is the battery that does not have enough "guts" to start the whole engine management system (try to use a Honda Civic to jump start your bimmer. You will spend several hours with no result as Honda does not have enough in the battery and alternator combined to start a bimmer.. Ask me how I know..:)).
If, on the other hand, the engine actually turns but would not catch on to revolutions (remeber old "flooded" carburetors?), then there is enough juice to fire up the system but some of the systems would not catch on.

For example, on my E39 I have a "sticking" ICV (idle control valve), so sometime the car would not stay idling after a start after dead battery. To remedy that, either replace the ICV (really good solution) or rev the engine into the red line and that helps the ICV to get "un-stuck" (the problem is still there, just postponed until next manifestation in 6-8 month).

Or the starting problem is in the main or secondary fuel pump... or any other gremlin, including the starter itself...

When the battery is fresh but was just discharged (long inactivity), it will recharge and run as if nothing happened. If the battery has already sulfated and either lost the edge on its own or was somehow discharged, then it will not recharge to the normal capacity over the threshhold of cranking the engine, as the charging threshhold is lower now due to age and conditon of the battery and it is below the minimum starting threshhold... Whatever I just blubbered now, I hope it makes sense... lol...:):)

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure its the battery too, but the auto parts stores around here didn't have the right battery in stock and they can't get it until next week. After labor day. I can't wait that long so I agreed to have it go to the dealer. Whatever the outcome my wife needs her X back and ready to go.

everything you wanted to know about batteries but never asked:

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/index.htm

This page also can link you to pages that will tell which battery would fit which vehicle: it did mention size 49-1... I'll go around the local shops and check to see if they have the size. Sometimes, the venting tube is located 3-4 inches away from the original location but it can be rectified by a longer rubber tube.... The min CCA (that's the cranking power) for 2002 should be not less than 700 and I've seen on the newer 4.8is the CCA at 900...

Check this out
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...bcat=Batteries

Just picked up an Interstate battery, in size 49 (MTR 93?) and 800 CCA - factory calls for 720 CCA, so I am about 11-12% over that. The battery fit just right, but the vent on the factory battery is located on the short side of the battery and on the new it is on the long side. It took me about an hour and a half to get the thing replaced and I still need to get a rubber hose that will go from the battery vent hole to the outside vent hole.

Nevertheless, got in the car, cranked the key - the engine starts as it should. I had to reset the clock and the date, the radio channels seem to be OK. I think that I will be getting a trickle charger or something to that effect, as I am going to be shipping my car by sea vessel and I can see my new battery going dead again... :)

Check this one also for carpark charging.........

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...=82&fg=26&hl=2

Just to let you guys know. It was the battery and my consolation was that I won the bet with my wife. I could have saved $130 if I just changed it myself and even more if I had time to find a replacement battery that wasn't from the dealer. Oh well at least her car is up and running and no worries about getting stuck someplace.

I just found something similar on the net - I am sure there are plenty of similar products on the net:
http://www.baproducts.com/asccustomp...ProductID=2542

I think, this is a very feasible route to go - to have something in the car that would keep the car's battery trickle charged at most of the times, even at places where there is no mains power. It probably will not work for extended period of parking in a parking garage but it is a small trade-off.

I will consider getting an aftermarket unit (BMW original is listed at $300!!), while some aftermarket are about $40. My thought is, to place that unit on the sunroof's internal cover, that shade that you would pull manually to cover the glass portion of the sunroof. First, I'll need to get the solar unit, then I will measure the output under direct sunlight, under the windshield and under the sunroof's glass. If the output is sufficient to trickle charge the battery, I will need to come with a way of connecting the output of the solar panel into always hot wire without killing anything else in the car. This way, you would always have a good (hopefully) battery (while the shade is closed!!). If it works, it can into the X5World and BMWtips webpages (E53, E36 and E39 have same type sunroof, E34 has a solid metal sunroof)

Any thoughts? Any reasons why this idea would not work? I'd be curious to hear the opinions.

BTW, the newer speedometer clusters allow for access to the TEST sequence that would allow for system voltage information on the screen, as well as digital tach and digital speedometer in km/h. I am able to access that info in my E39 but can not unlock the gateway in the E53. Does anyone know the unlocking sequence for the cluster? I have '02 4.6is.

P.S. Ebayer, you should hold onto your dealer, seems to be a competent one and honest - I am glad for you! :)

Alternator fails
 

X5 2001 4.4
Just had the tranny replaced and 3 weeks later, the alternator dies. Took 1 day - red battery light came on - car was dead by end of day. Couldnt run - no power going to car from alternator

I had it towed to the dealer.

I hear it's $1000 to fix????

Any thoughts?

new battery, dead after 4 days!
 

I've been having dead battery problems since I got my 02, 4.6 about 5 months ago. Battery kept going dead after a few days of not driving. Replaced it and the same thing happened over Thanksgiving Holiday. Any suggestions beside the trickle charger?

X5 dead battery
 

In your case it sounds like you have a short - if the alternator wasnt working, the battery light would signal on the dash (red bat light)

You may have to chase down an electical short
Do you have an after mkt amp or nav system or car phone?

Thanks for the reply. Everything is OEM. It would be a nightmare to chase down an electrical short. I took the dead battery back to Autozone (Duralast DL-49) and they actually gave me a new one...very cool of them. I hope it was just a bad battery.