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Locked out of the car :(

Discuss the problems with your X5 (E53).
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coops
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by coops » Tue Nov 30, 2021 10:21 pm

Noticed a battery drain recently. Had the car locked since Saturday, opened it this morning and all fine. When to open it this evening and nothing - absolutely dead.

And of course the key doesn’t work in the barrel.

So took the kidneys out and opened the bonnet. Connected some jumpers from another car but still nothing! Dead.

Any ideas?

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Alan Gunn
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by Alan Gunn » Wed Dec 01, 2021 6:20 am

Strange the jump leads should have worked.
Bad connection with them maybe it's happened to me connecting my jump pack when my battery was failing.

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Locked out of the car :(

Post by coops » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:27 am

AA came out and connected a jumper pack which got the electrics working to unlock the car. They said the battery is dead - had 3-4 volts. It’s a an 18 month old Bosch so will try to get it swapped.

Going to check for battery drain at the weekend. Add that to the blower fan not working!

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Alan Gunn
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by Alan Gunn » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:34 am

I don't think batteries are the same as they used to be don't know why.
I have had Varta for 40+ years never had a problem they lasted years.
Bought one not long ago and it was faulty from day one but i tries all sorts before i gave up and decided it was the battery.
So not that sure it is worth paying the extra now might just get whatever brand with long g/tee and save some money not that i will be buying many more at my age lol.

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Locked out of the car :(

Post by coops » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:58 am

Haha cheers - luckily the one in it has a 5 year warranty so should be ok.

I need to check for drain. I’ve seen the FSR being a culprit and given the fan doesn’t work it’s the first place to start.

Any other key areas? I’ve done a search but couldn’t see much apart from the FSR and car phone?

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lezmtaylor
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by lezmtaylor » Wed Dec 01, 2021 10:46 am

Nowadays they do a fancy digital battery check not a drop test, not convinced by the digital meter test, as my last battery was shown as ok by digital, but failed drop test.
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by Leslie » Wed Dec 01, 2021 3:06 pm

Fsr sounds like the culprit if the fan isn't working :thumbsup: the key should work in the barrel unless it's been changed but will likely be stiff to turn as you are moving the motor and never been used for a long time.

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Locked out of the car :(

Post by coops » Wed Dec 01, 2021 3:28 pm

Cheers. AA man was back out this morning. Battery seems ok but something had drained it to the point where jumping it from my wife’s golf didn’t work. AA van jumping it worked fine.

With the FSR unplugged it was drawing around 0.4 amps after a few minutes. So something is still drawing power but not much.

The barrel just turns without effort from 12 o’clock to 3 and back over to 9. Tried all 3 keys plus the 2 plastic ones

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X5Sport
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by X5Sport » Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:58 pm

You have to wait 16 minutes before the car goes to sleep. If the tell-tale LED at the ‘P’ position stays on then something is keeping the car awake. Sadly pulling fuses, or getting a diagnostic check, is often the only way to find the issue.

Check the Nav unit is stopping spinning its disc and all the door locks and interior lights are working (boot lights going out etc).

It should draw under 100mA when asleep - most of which is the alarm system.
:ant: Never anthropomorphise computers. They hate that.

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Locked out of the car :(

Post by coops » Wed Dec 01, 2021 6:03 pm

It’s a manual so no red dot!

Time to pull fuses I reckon

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Alan Gunn
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Locked out of the car :(

Post by Alan Gunn » Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:26 am

It still takes 16 minutes for the car to sleep.
You will have to lock the car but what i did once as i needed the boot open to check for a rain was to close the boot lock latch with a screwdriver so the car would sleep.
There must be another way but that was my way lol.

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Alan Gunn
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Post by Alan Gunn » Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:35 am

lezmtaylor wrote: Wed Dec 01, 2021 10:46 am Nowadays they do a fancy digital battery check not a drop test, not convinced by the digital meter test, as my last battery was shown as ok by digital, but failed drop test.
Lez
They don't work very well at all.
The Varta i said about was tested with one and passed but would be flat 2 or 3 hours after taking it of charge.
I took it to Tayna who i had not had any dealings with before.
Told them i bought online and needed a report on it as seller bat.m/store needed it before they would take it back.
Tayna drop tested it but also put a digital meter on to watch the exact voltage in so many seconds.
As i needed a report they kept the battery a few days to charge/test but lent me a battery while they did the tests.
Bought several from them now for my and family cars never a problem.

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