SOLVED:: Battery drain; no sleep mode
 

I'm chasing a residual current draw that keeps my X from going into sleep mode. After having pulled ALL the fused from the glove box and the cargo area, I'm now at the high amperage fuses and found one that seems to be the guilty guy, but I can't find the designation of those fuses. The suspect wire goes on the left side, under the rear seat, and toward the front of the car.

Anyone has this info? My X is a 4.8is with the 2 axles air suspension, and I think the fuse block is different than other models.

Thanks.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5...Block72dpi.jpg

Here's a link to the BMW WDS (wiring diagram system)...the high amp fuse box contains fuses F200 - F207. Fuse 200 is the 200a fuse at the very top, then F201-F207 go from bottom (F201) to top (F207): http://www.bmw-planet.com/diagrams/release/en/index.htm

Thanks Qsilver7.
I already tried but with Chrome I can't zoom in, so I don't see anything, and with IE8, the diagram doesn't display. I have the latest version of Java btw.
:dunno:

I'm not sure what you're asking...if you can rephrase it...perhaps I could be more helpful.

You mention you may have found the fuse? or wire? ...which one is it? The very bottom fuse is F201...and the top one is F207. The large 200a fuse is F200.

BTW...be gentle...electronics is not my strong suit...I know just enough not to fry myself...or what I'm working on...which means if I don't know what I'm doing...I step back slowly and walk away. :)

Ah, ah, sorry if I was not clear. I was looking for the meaning of those high amps fuses, but couldn't access DWS from my home computer.
I'm now at work, and I am able to view, zoom, move the diagrams.

I found the fuse references you are pointing me to (F201-F207). I read the diagram and found the meaning of each fuses, so I updated my picture.
When I disconnect the 3rd small wire from the top (Transfer box control unit) the current leak stops. It's the first time I ear that this module causes a problem. I will investigate more tonight.

Thank you.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5...locklabels.jpg

Great...glad you found the info you needed. :) :thumbup:

Just a thought (which you may already concluded or looked into)...since that 3rd wire supports the control module for the transfer box...and since the transfer box is electronically controlled (and below the vehicle)...could there be an electrical short of some kind on the transfer box that is causing the control module an issue?

Good suggestion, my next step will be to examine the box itself under the rear seat, then jack the X and look the the connections. Hopefully it will be simple, e.g. not expensive...

Right now I`ve put back all the fuses (glove box and trunk) exept for that wire. The X goes into sleep mode (20-30mA) but not after 16 minutes, but more like 25-30. Well, I`m borrowing a Fluke meter with MIN/MAX recording capability and a DC current clamp and will work this week end and hopefully will find the cause. Right now I drive my daughter`s 2000 Corolla. It does the job, but, how could I say that... umm, it`s not the same as a X5 :D

After many 16 minute wait to isolate the current draw that kept the X going into sleep mode, I found the problem.

THIS:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5.../Boomerang.jpg


This is a 'Boomerang' (tracking system) that was installed by the PO under the rear seat on the left side. I didn't know that system was there. The problem is the rechargeable battery that is partially shorted. It doesn't go higher than 2.3V so it creates a constant current draw on the 12V system. In my case, they used the transfer case control box 12V supply. I removed the tracking system, and now the X goes to sleep at 30mA after 16 minutes.
I'm lucky it was not a defective module though. So it cost me only my time! :bmw:.

Excellent chase. I bet you just helped a few guys who's cars wont go to sleep.

Wow! Great job tracking that down!

Good job! Must feel great to finally find that, especially finding out it's not some expensive module that is out of stock anyway. :)

turbo is that an aftermarket item or do all x5`s have a tracking system?

It is an aftermarket item, sometimes required by insurance companies on expensive vehicles.

And yes, the chase was long, but it's a good feeling to find something at the end.

how would you know if you had that unit installed ? would you have to look under the seat?

Usually the installer tries to hide the unit. On my ex-E46 Touring, there was one hidden in the cargo area, behind the left access door, and pushed toward the front so it was not visible when you just opened the door. They are installed inside the car, not in the engine bay nor under the vehicle (too harsh conditions). To know if you have one, I think the only way would be to search inside the car, or contact the previous owner(s)... or make friend with a cell phone tower tech and ask him to 'listen' with to your car with his instruments in search of a transmitting signal...

k cool what ever made you look by the back seat or where you just going to check the module out thats there? its awsome that you found your problem.

I looked under the back seat because in the schematic, the 3rd wire was the supply for the transfer box control module, and WDS was showing that this module was under the back seat. I was going to check for corrosion on connectors, damaged wire, but found this unit beside.

I guess you had some luck on your side since they can put these tracking devices anywhere.

Well, yes and no. By pulling the fuses one by one, I isolated wich circuit was draining too much current, so I had to follow the wire and examine around the module on that circuit. But I agree that if you just look for it without having a problematic unit, it may be hard to find.

Turbo bimmer great help, my problem is similar, but car does sleep though,so whilst x5 slept I checked all the fuses in the glovebox all read 0.00 when i set the digital mulitmeter to 10a (sorry i am a novice) and i checked the easily accessible fusebox in the rear compartment, judging by your post do i need to raise the floor matt in the trunk and look for those high amp fuses n test? I am still waiting for a reply from company who installed the gps for previous owner but hid it well......how easy was it to rip out rear seat so i can check if i have anything supspect installed?

That's is why I never buy a car with an aftermarket alarm system or an aftermarket stereo system, or a remote starter. Too many butchers out there that don't know anything about the electronics in an X and only know how to hook up wires to plus and minus.

Upallnight I agree,but I had no idea I had a tracker installed until I started reading that they could cause drain issues and made me wonder about my drain issue, so searched through pile of doc previous owner gave me and yes has a tracker installed by a reputable company-one of the big ones in the uk

Car Tracking, Fleet and Van Tracking Systems and More - TRACKER

Only issue is I dont know where it is...and may have to follow tips in this post to uncover...previous owner doesnt know where it is....sorry i have hijacked post...I am sure the backup battery unit has is dead after 8 years and so is drawing off the battery (although I havent done draw test across battery yet i still want this tracker removed in case)

+1

If I see ANY aftermarket electronics on a vehicle PPI, I walk!

Most large electronic retailers (Best Buy, Circuit City......) have free installation of items purchased. The installers turn and burn the job.

omodos, your X5 may go to sleep, but it may still draw too much current. Mine was going to sleep (shifter light off after 15 minutes), but there was still higher than normal current draw.

To check the fuses, it is better to remove them one by one, and use your OHM scale on your DVM. Unplug your battery first.

For the rear seat, if you insert your fingers at the front of the seat between the seat and floor carpet and pull up, it will unsnap, then you can pull it toward the front to free the brackets at the back.

On my E46 Touring, my gps locater was in the trunk area, hidden behing the CD changer.

Wow, what a journey.

So based on this, it would not be a good idea for me to install my BlackVue Dash cam with Magic Pro box? Normally dashcams only run when the car is on, but the Magic Pro box allows the camera to run while parked as it will monitor your voltage and allow the camera to run the battery down to a preset level (eg 11.5v) and then turn off so that you still have enough power to start the vehicle.

Based on your findings I'm guessing that if the dashcam stayed running while parked, that it would stop the car sleeping. Is that right?

Some people reported that having a current drain was keeping the X5 from going into sleep mode. My experience is that it was going into sleep mode even if I had a current drain. So, maybe it depends on the severity of the current drain.
You could do a test with a DVM in current mode and see if after 15-16 minutes the X5 goes into sleep mode, and what is the current drained by the camera system compared to without the camera. If your camera system sleeps and wake up every 5 seconds to take a picture for example, the drain would be a lot less than if it films continuously to detect movement. Or contact the manufacturer to know the power consumption.

OK thanks,

I checked the specs on the camera - it consumes 0.20A at all times.

I guess so long as that is not enough to prevent the car from sleeping, even if the current does start to draw down on the battery, the MagicPro will catch it before it goes below a voltage too low to restart the car.

Do you think 0.20A would be enough to prevent the car from sleeping? (question directed at anyone who knows)?

smokey53 sorry no idea alas what current wakes or doesn't wake the x5, @turbobimmer thanks for the heads up on removing the rear seat but will also check the cd changer area at the back see if they stuffed the gps there.....how about access to those high rated fuses in rear? are they in the spare wheel area?

first and foremost will put the multimeter at the battery pole and see if there is a current draw over 50ma (think this is regarded as bad) see if battery is acutally draining cos i haven't done that yet, instead I just checked fuses for current flow whilst X seemed to sleep

The big fuses are in the spare well area behind the spare tire (at least on my 4.8is, the 4.4 may be different). It's a blue plastic box. Unsnap the blue cover to have access. Look at the picture on the first page, this is the fuse box.

Turbobimmer thanks, would you suggest I unscrew each wire whilst having the digital multimeter in series on the battery and see if i get a drop in current reading? am just about to pst another post with pics about some wires I found...but unfari to hijach this post

This is what I did, but I disconnected the battery (jumper on DVM) before each wire disconnect-reconnect since I found that it was a bit tight and didn`t want to touch some metal parts with my ratchet.

Turbobimmer Hi, I bit the bullet and spent ahhhm a good 5 hours testing fuses in the X5 whilst having the multimeter wired up in the battery circuit....(took 5 hours cos i kept on accidentally waking X whilst fiddling in glove compartment and having to wait 16 mins for it to sleep over and over and over:yawn:)

found that sleep mode drain was 70ma (0.07amps) I pulled fuse 83 out of the rear(which is the dc socket power rear luggage compartment) and it dropped to 0.05amps although small was a start....put fuse in and was back to 70ma

pulled fuse 43 (fuse 1,43,45 = instrument cluster) again a drop from 0.07 to 0.05

With both the fuses pulled I am looking at a 30ma sleep mode drain which is ok , but I cant really do without the instrument cluster...whats nuts did OBC test no.2 to test cluster and all chec out ok....does anyone have a substantive fuse-circuit diagram for the x5? I need to know more about fuse 43 and where it ties in


what was you drain like caused by the boomerang? wasa it in the 1plus amp range?

omodos, if I remember well, the current draw with the tracking device connected was quite high, like over 100mA.

I find strange that disconnecting the DC socket makes a change (if there is nothing connected to the socket). Unless the circuit is shared with something else.

At 70mA, with a good battery and daily driving the vehicle, I don't think you will have problems.

For the schematics, look on the first page, Qsilver7 is posting a link to the online diagrams. Need Java installed on the computer.

Also, check your BMW Bluetooth module (if you have one). Mine created a current draw, maybe 6-8 months after I repaired the tracking device current draw. I simply removed the module since the quality of the conversation was not very good.

thanks sir, ok the dc socket in the rear wasn't working anyhow so removed the fuse until I rip of panel and see if anything is being fed off it....going to get the battery load tested Friday and then if that checks out it maybe the starter sapping too many amps on each startup! I have found numerous posts on this on x5drivers uk site!

2001 4.4 i dont have this unit

hi there thanks, what unit? you mean the dc socket at rear not beign on 2001 4.4..either way hoping some guru will read my other post on using a clamp meter...general consensus is my sluggish starts maybe caused by excessive amp draw of starter, bearing in mind i have a 50ma sleep mode drain + good battery+good charging system ...cant think of anything else....IF i used the amp clamp correctly then I got in excess of 392amp or over on cranking engine and starting!