Solution for the X5 low backup batt/dead batt msg error!

[23Enigma]

I've had my X5 for almost 2 years and I started getting intermittent low backup battery/dead backup battery windows about a year ago.


I tried fresh CR2032 batts, which stopped the erroneous warnings for a short time, but eventually I was getting low batt/dead batt backup windows every single time I would power up the unit. Very irritating.

I read through the forums here last month, hoping for a solution, and found various ideas; none of which made my little red warning window stop appearing every time I turned on my X5. Since I use my X5 throughout the day for many, many reasons this was really turning into a source of frustration.....


So I realized that I had a little keychain flashlight here that ran on CR2016 3V batts. These batts are exactly HALF the thickness of the CR2032 batts that X5 uses for it's backup batt.
So, I put TWO of these little CR2016s in the chamber for the backup battery. They were a little loose in the slot, so I took them out and put a tiny piece of tape on the side to hold them together without interfering with the connection to the contacts in the X5 battery socket. Thus, my X5 now had TWO CR2016 3volt batts in its backup battery chamber.

The low battery msg went away on start up, and the meter now reads 100% for the backup batts.

I've had it set up this way for a week. The X5 has not exploded due to the extra voltage from the new backup batts, and my low backup battery windows have vanished completely. It reads 100% all the time now.

My troubles have ended.... Or so it would seem.

I thought I'd better share this little story since it seems that a lot of people were getting plenty pissed-off over this same problem. My solution is working for me, your mileage may vary.

Good luck, and feel free to ask questions if you don't understand what I've done. It's really quite simple.

[Howard2k]

Ouch - not sure that's the recommended fix :)

[propwash]

You are right about the battery size. 2032 means the battery is 20 mm in diameter and 3.2 mm thick. The 2016's that you used in your fix are 20 mm in diameter and 1.6 mm thick, exactly half as thick as the originals. I initailly thought that I wouldn't want to try to double the voltage, which is what you are doing using two of these stacked together. You have put them in series, which will double the voltage from 3 volts to 6 volts. Normally, I don't think it's a good idea to double the voltage on anything. However, most DC electrical circuits are pretty forgiving. One way of looking at it is to say that you have doubled the voltage. Another way would be to say that you have increased the voltage by 3 volts, which doesn't sound as bad. I once had a calculator that used 4 AA batteries, which makes it run on 6 volts. The power supply that came with it, from the same manufacturer, said that its output was 6 volts DC. However, a voltmenter showed that it was putting out between 8.5 and 9 volts. I have been using that calculator for more than 30 years, and it's still going strong. I'm not advocating that you use the wrong voltage in your backup battery, but there's a good chance that it probably won't do any harm. Good luck.

[axzilla]

sounds like you were getting old cr2032 batteries that have exceeded their shelf life the store needs a fresh stock that you got them from or you needed to bend your battery contacts to make a tighter connection or contacts need cleaning