XSeries-forum

[quote=""n1k85""]Sureley you'd be instantly better off just buying a new battery?

At least then even with a drain, you will probably still have enough juice to start the car and charge it up again? (when you do finally get it started)

I've only had my X a couple of months and it had the original battery fitted. I was having a problem with the fuel gauge giving an incorrect reading, and because of that I ran out of fuel on a few occasions in the first 2 weeks I had it. This wasn't a major problem since I was already armed with a full can of Diesel in the boot each time, but even when I got the can out and filled the tank, the fuel takes a while to get through the fuel injection system and just turning the car over for 20 seconds or so without it firing up would nail my battery and it would just die!

This was really frustrating because what would start off as Running out of Fuel, then evolved into a flat battery each time, and I had to call out my brother with a set of jump leads!

Even on one occasion I had the radio on for about 15 minutes while I was doing something in the car, and even that was enough to drain it! A few days later and my girlfriend sat in the passenger side with the engine off and adjusted the electric seat to see how it worked, and low and behold, I tried to start the car straight after, and just got click,click,click....

I decided that the original 7 year old battery had to go, so I bought a Bosch S5 Silver battery from Halfords, and I've not had a single issue since. It starts first time every time. We had the stereo on for over an hour while we changed the brake pads, and the other day I realised I'd left the interior lights on overnight and it still started on the button immediately. With my old battery it would be time to get the jump leads out!

You might even find that a new battery sorts out your problem! I have read a few times (and it was certainly the case on my E46) that a duff battery can cause all sorts of random electrical gremlins!

If you're still on your original battery I'd certainly get it changed! it was a PITA for me to just get the jump leads out, so I can't imagine how pissed you are if you have to keep taking the battery out to charge it all the time!! [/quote]

thx for that, that's so much similar to my experence, although the thing is i dont have a fuel gauge issue, so unless i work on teh car for more than 1/2 hr or so either with radio on (fires a amp+sub as well) or keep interior lights on, car starts ok. but i'm sure my batt is in no great shape either in a queue of things to do on my X, cos it works its sort of down the priority list though..

The last time I tried leads I used a Discovery and the leads were on for at least 20 mins.

[quote=""Lee_thefirst""]The last time I tried leads I used a Discovery and the leads were on for at least 20 mins.[/quote]

It doesn't matter how long ur leads have been on, as soon as u connect the leads is enough. Ur not trying to charge ur batt through the leads and then start ur car from ur own batt.

Ur trying to draw current parellel to ur batt from the other car when u crank. So what u need is a decent batt on the other side (disco is good), thick pair of leads to draw a massive current to crank ur v6, sufficient current on the other side so accelerate the disco while crankin ur car.

[quote="Lee_thefirst"]
The last time I tried leads I used a Discovery and the leads were on for at least 20 mins.
[/quote]
apologies for dragging up an old thread, but thought i would try this before starting a new one.

also i have an l322 range rover 4.4 so a bit of an imposter as well, but wondered if this was ever resolved as i have the exact same problem on my range where once the battery is disconnected i have to get the immobiliser reprogrammed by a main dealer and as it shares the same electrics as the x5 i wondered if anyone could help please :-[

[quote="jaynana"]
[quote="Lee_thefirst"]Thanks for the above comments....

I had a new Bosch battery 3 months ago and a new key from BMW 6 months ago. When the battery is drained I always try jump leads for a great length of time but it never fires up and I only ever remove the battery when all else fails.[/quote]

when you jump start i'm assuming that you accelerate the other cars engine so that a sufficient current comes to your car, while cranking your engine? also i hope its not a super micro car with a 30VA sort of teeny weeny battery.

the V6 takes a decent amount of power to  crank!
[/quote]

theres no v6    are you using shite jump leads, you need some decent quality thick jump leads to crank the x5 over, also reving the other car up for a few minutes with the leads connected should fire her up.  you also as jay says need a comparable car really, no point trying to jump the x5 off a corsa

As shad says.

I use a set of heavy 800A leads.  X5 used to start our 330Cd first time every time.  Your LR is going to need 500+ plus starting current so 100A cables will not help.

Richard

hi, thanks for the replies, i may has mislead you there a bit, i can crank the car no problem on its own battery and have tried jumping using heavy duty cables as well as an extra boost but the problem is the immobiliser losing its programming so no amount of power will start it.

the only way around it is to get the immobiliser and engine ECU's re synced, which is a bit of a pain as it either has to go to a main dealer on a lorry or convince them to come out with a laptop and reprogram which takes about 30 seconds..

Seems to a very well known issue that is particular to LR.  Not generally known with BMW though.

Seen a reference on a LR forum about pressing the 'lock' button 4 times to re synch the key.  Other that that it seems to be a callout job.

Have you tried the BMW 'reset' with the LR?  Charge the battery, disconnect it for at least 20 minutes and the reconnect it again?  It often solves problems on the X5 (and other models) so it might work on the LR too.

Richard

thanks for the reply Richard, if i have to disconnect the battery again, i'll try both of those. its a weird problem as the car will unlock and lock with the key, crank normally, everything really apart from the starting bit.
it could be water ingress into the immobiliser ecu or as its under the central cup holder area, a spilled drink in the workings as it was with my hi / lo ratio switch

thanks for your help

The only time our X5 did this it was because the fuel pump relay had failed.  Everything else worked but the engine just would not fire.

No idea where it might be on the LR, but on the X5 it was on the back of the front fuse box above the glovebox.  It's the far left forward relay and costs £10.

Piccie from X5 wiring.

Relay type.  Part 1.

Richard

Thanks Richard, when it did it the first time i replaced that fuel relay but it didnt start, its definitely immobilised as i have an all comms diagnostic tool which shows the fault, cant remember the exact code description, the power to the ignition is also cut.

the guy from LR came out last time with his laptop, plugged it in, read the code from the immobiliser, deleted it, re entered it and it started first turn. its the sync code between the immobiliser and engine ECU.

i have found quite a few examples of this over the net and on one thread the guy did the same as me, all the others didnt come back to the thread to say how it was resolved....

thanks again though, as far as i know the x5 and l322 4.4's are almost identical