BMW battery drain

2001 BMW X5
117,000 MILES • 6 CYL • AWD • AUTOMATIC
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MIGHTY MKE
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2001 BMW X-5 3.0i, 117,000 miles. Check engine light has been on for months. No adverse issues. A couple weeks ago light next to shifter **** stayed on when car shut off over a couple days. Battery then depleted. Charger applied overnight. Upon starting, ABS and brake light on right of instrument cluster stays on. Some problem in system?. New battery a couple years ago. Goes through shifting just fine. Anticipate will drain battery continually....
Is there a simple solution, such as disconnecting battery to reset? Or.....
Dec 5, 2010 at 11:14 PM
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RASMATAZ
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Check engine light on

Have the computer scanned for code/s-you have a problem within the engine management system that caused the CEL to turn on-This is your starting point of diagnosis,finding out what's going on.
Dec 5, 2010 at 11:15 PM
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DOCHAGERTY
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If the light next to the shifter is not going out after about 16 minutes, the problem may well be in the general module. The DSC issue may be the DSC module has failed internally, both of these issues are not at all uncommon for the model in question. And I agree with Rasmataz, have the car scanned(preferably with the proprietary BMW scanning equipment, it is comprehensive) to uncover the root cause. Let us know what you find.
Dec 6, 2010 at 1:04 AM
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RASMATAZ
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Go to the nearest Autozone and have the computer scan for free99 and get back with the codes and give it to Dr. Hagerty its his line of work when it comes to the Beamers-TY for using 2carpros
Dec 6, 2010 at 4:14 AM
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RKOELLNER
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Did you happen to solve this problem? I have a similar one:

My 2001 BMW X5 has all kinds of false warning lights on the dash. At the same time, the transmission went into emergency mode where you have no control, the ABS Brakes, Anti Slip and brake lights all came on. It appears that I am have a freakish voltage or battery problem. When I shut the car down , it acts like it can’t start and the battery is drained..Click, click, click is all you hear when you attempt to start it.
I purchase a new battery today, it worked for 10 minutes and the process started over.
I hear it can be a voltage regulator or alternator problem.
If I understand correctly, the car needs a voltage regulator along with the battery to stabilize the voltage. When the voltage is fluctuating, many of the sensors fail to work properly.

This is all of course just speculation. Any ideas or help would be great!
Rob
[email protected]

Jan 3, 2011 at 2:37 AM
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DOCHAGERTY
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Sounds like you might have an alternator not working here. Modern BMW cars are extremely dependent on a stable power supply, when that stability is lost, all kinds of mischief can occur. Check the battery voltage after charging the battery and bringing it back to 100% of its charge, then check the voltage, it should 14 volts, if not then there is a charging system issue and the alternator may be at risk.
Jan 11, 2011 at 12:34 AM