Electrical problems
 

My wife has a 2001 3.0 X5 with about 87,000 miles. The other day things started to go crazy with the electrical system. The radio stopped working and some of the lighted buttons also stopped working, the seat belt light stays on now even when seat belts are buckled, the air bag light stays on, brake light stays on, air bag light stays on, seat belt light stays on, A/C work intermitantly, and now sometimes the interior dome light will not shut off. Just today a (Trans. Failsafe Program) message flashed on the dashboard.

Someone told me the battery maybe low so I load tested it and it is still putting out about 11.5 volts.

Anyone else have this same problem? What was the cause and was the dealer able to fix it?

It is highly possible that you are having some charging issue. I have a 740iL with 300,000 + miles and several months ago all my dash lights stayed lit (all the indicator lights that light when you start the car) while I was driving until I finally got the Trans Program error. After I shut the car off in attempts to reset the error, to my suprise my car would not start due to batteries dead. After getting the car jump started, I drove the car home and parked it. what I did not realize it that I cut the power to my other two batteries and the lights all went out, but later after I thought my problem was resolved and turned back on the breaker to the other two batteries I got the same problem. I only just realized the problem was in the charging because I ended up removing all the stereo equipment and batteries, and in attempts to charge the two removed batteries, I recieved errors from my charger. And now the car does not have those errors anymore.

Rob, thanks for the help but I load tested the battery and charging system and both were OK. I looked on another web site and found someone with the same problem. The solved it by changing the ignition switch.

Took the X5 into service today and sure enough it was the ignition switch. Problem resolved.

Thanks