[R34L15T]

Just returned back from holiday where i parked the X5 in mid stay for 10 days.

Turned the car on and it’s given me both the above malfunctions for some reason. I have left it before for 2 weeks and have never returned to such errors.

After driving for about 5 minutes and restarting the car the Pedestrian Protection System is now not an active error. However Driver Restraint error still there for no apparent reason.

Any ideas will be great before i start digging deep into pocket for mechanics 😅

[weinerbarn]

Put it on a charger and make sure the battery is fully charged.

[R34L15T]

I went over to a local mechanic - they cleared all faults and now it's disappeared.

I have a feeling it's to do with the battery as the OTA update isn't pushing through either as I cannot get the car to update to the latest software.

I've got a Blackvue dashcam which was on parking mode, however, I've had the dashcam since nearly owning the car and it never caused this issue when I went away last time - maybe the battery is deteriorating?

[jad03060]

I'm guessing that the diesel's alternator runs the same as in the petrol versions. BMW does not charge the 12vdc batteries up to full, the alternator is on an electric clutch similar to that of a typical a/c compressor. The computer tries to keep the battery level at least 70%. A diesel needs more power to start than an ICE, so that figure might differ, but probably just has a larger capacity battery than the petrol versions. If you're on your original battery, it probably is getting weak. All sorts of weird things happen in a BMW when the 12vdc battery starts to go. Generally solved by a new battery.

[R34L15T]

Is the 12vdc battery located in the back boot?

[jad03060]

Originally Posted by R34L15T

Is the 12vdc battery located in the back boot?

Yes, it's fairly easy to access...I think it's 7 push=pin fasteners need to be removed after lifting the cover and clearing whatever might be in the way, then when you lift the panel, the battery is obvious.

But, to recharge it, use the terminals under the bonnet.

If you do replace the battery, for best operation, you should program the X5 (same with all BMWs) with the size, type, and date you replaced the battery. If you use the same size and type, all that needs to be updated is the date. It uses all of that information to adjust the charging voltages and methods and to adjust itself for the age of the battery. You need a suitable scan tool or programming software to do this. It only takes a few minutes.

The battery is heavy and it's awkward to lean over to lift it out and the new one back in, but it's not really that hard or much work assuming you can lift the thing without hurting yourself.