E53 Battery drain

[X5-D-Sport]

I got mine from e-bay. ensure you get the correct one for your vehicle model - there are lots of variants.

The None OEM units will be fine... Mine cost me £18... and it's been working perfectly for 2 years now... and my blowers are running ALWAYS.

look on you-tube for guidance on where the part lives & how to swap it out...
It should be a 15 minute easy fix...

NOTE.. the connector comes of easily & the part removes & refits easily too... if it does not, then you are not pushing on the correct release clips or locating the refitted part correctly.

It usually lives up under the right side of the center console (facelift D-Sport), half way up the bulk head area on the side of the blower box.
The Right side gearbox tunnel trim will need to come off & the RH dash under-tray.... (model dependent)

It will probably take you longer to find the part than swapping it.
But once you've done it, you will laugh at the fuss to find it, compared to the ease of swapping it.

Grant B

[DARTH510]

Okay,  I will swap it out. Already seen plenty of types on ebay. Mines a 05 facelift model, will look at which one i need

[X5-D-Sport]

Hope it cures the problem for you... the odds are that it will.

let us know how you get on

[DARTH510]

Final stage resistor/hedgehog arrived in post today , got it fitted in about 20 minutes, battery so flat i have left the wife's car connected up with jump leads, will leave it half an hour and try to start. The part no on my fsr was 2942000002, couldn't find any for sale? So got the one recommend for it....fingers crossed

[DARTH510]

The part number  of my replacement far was 64116923204. After 15 minutes on the jump leads she fired up,went for a 30 minute drive, heater and fan worked  fine, had to stop for fuel, it started back up no problems,  went for a further 45 minutes and went home. After 16 minutes it went into sleep mode. So will see if all good ttomorrow evening.

[X5Sport]

It's going to need more than that.  These big batteries take hours to charge up, even on a 10A charger.

Assuming all is well after changing the FSR, if you can get it on an overnight charge your battery will thank you.

A teensy note of caution is that modern batteries do not like going flat and it shortens the service life.

[DARTH510]

Okay,  will see if I can source a charger, only have an ooptimal for the R1 and that won't be powerful enough. The Mrs has had to pop out so told her to take my x5, just noticed as she drove round the corner and braked,  the centre/high level brake light did not illuminate? But passes check control test! Hope not related

[X5Sport]

The Optima might have a bit of a 'challenge' with the X5 battery!

High level brake light is an LED strip and I think also driven from the light control module.  Has your other lighting issue now gone away?

Part number (red filter) 63258362039, or (white - well clear really - filter) 63256923970.  Neither are cheap if failed.

[DARTH510]

Red herring I thiink, just called her and my daughter checked it and said working....I will keep an eye on

[DARTH510]

Drove the car on 3 hour journey and it behaved well, left it for 2 days an battery drained to a point where it wouldn't start.  My daughter then came home and said the left hand low beam headlight is on again! More investigation needed i think

[X5-D-Sport]

Have you swapped out the hedgehog yet ?

What are the running & idle battery voltages ?

[DARTH510]

Yes, I swapped the hedgehog over at the start of the week, seemed to behave as was staring everyday, going to sleep at exactly the 16 minute point. Went shopping in it Friday evening,  went to start it Saturday evening but not enough juice in the battery. Later on Saturday night the left hand head light illuminated?

I have got a battery charger plugged into it at the moment,  noticed the "p" on gear console lit whilst charging? 

My is multimeter broken so have ordered a replacement.

[X5Sport]

The 'P' should go out even when charging - assuming you are doing it from under the bonnet?

If it is staying awake then something is keeping it that way.  Finding it is a ball ache job as you have to find what circuit(s) involved and pull fuses until it stops.

If you can get the fault codes log read that might help narrow things down for you.

[DARTH510]

After charging for a few hours,  jumped it and went for a drive. It went into sleep mode  after 16 minutes and started ok this morning, but I know it will drain. I plugged a code reader in(My C110) and only had the usual glow plug codes.

Multimeter will be here Wednesday,  so will hook that between the battery earth and begin pulling fuses if it's drawing  current.

Do check  for current draw when in sleep mode or just with keys out, no lights on etc?

[Alan Gunn]

When i checked mine i left the car to sleep.
I left the boot open but locked the catch with a screwdriver if you know what i mean and then dead locked the car so the alarm was off as well.