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      02-23-2015, 01:47 PM   #1
JSY
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Glove Compartment Fuse Box

Has anyone tried accessing the fuse box in the glove compartment of (at least) the 2015 X3? I believe on my former 2012 X3, it was a drop down shelf in the compartment (or was in my 2009 X3). Regardless, the fuse box is so recessed that I am wondering how people access it.

You take the small cover off the rear panel of the compartment, and the box is recessed behind some wires. My hand barely fits through that opening and I'd be afraid of dropping a fuse in there and not knowing where it would go. Anyway, I was looking at this in anticipation of tapping into the box for power for a dash cam.

I read that there were some tweezers in the rear fuse box, so perhaps that would be how you'd access the front fuse box but still, there's so much in the way. I didn't get a chance to find the rear box, but I assume it's behind the passenger side well in the rear compartment.

Of course it can't be simple.
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      02-28-2015, 08:25 AM   #2
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Sorry, I don't have an answer. But I do have the same question as you, as Im trying to hardwire a Mobius dash cam. If you figure anything out, like which fuse, and whether it switches off automatically, please post it here....
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      03-01-2015, 10:59 AM   #3
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I share your concern. I just can't believe that they located it so far back, and with such a small access hole, it's nearly impossible to read the numbers much less reach in to remove a fuse. It looks to me like the only practical way to access it would be by removing the glove compartment which is utterly ridiculous if you just need to change a fuse.
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      03-01-2015, 11:55 PM   #4
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I remember my tech doing something like this to get to it. Pretty simple. He also mentioned that you'd need a clip from the rear trunk fuse box (right side panel) to help pop fuses out.
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      03-03-2015, 02:41 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdmass View Post
I share your concern. I just can't believe that they located it so far back, and with such a small access hole, it's nearly impossible to read the numbers much less reach in to remove a fuse. It looks to me like the only practical way to access it would be by removing the glove compartment which is utterly ridiculous if you just need to change a fuse.
I just hot wired a 2 channel dash cam to my wife LCI Xdrive 28d. It took about 2 hours . In order to hot wire to the fuse box, You must remove the glove box and the cover plate below the glove box. Prepare a torx screw driver or torx bit to unscrew the screws. Then you can pull out the glove box completely to expose the fuse box. It also helps to run the power wire thru to A pillar.
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      03-03-2015, 02:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jims1001 View Post
I just hot wired a 2 channel dash cam to my wife LCI Xdrive 28d. It took about 2 hours . In order to hot wire to the fuse box, You must remove the glove box and the cover plate below the glove box. Prepare a torx screw driver or torx bit to unscrew the screws. Then you can pull out the glove box completely to expose the fuse box. It also helps to run the power wire thru to A pillar.
This is what it seemed like to me because I don't know how else my hands would fit through that hole. You way you describe it sounds simple. Is it? Are the screws to the glove box and cover plate easy to locate?

The more I think of it - the more I think the hole is less intended to access the glove box, but rather the cabling. However, the iDrive manual does indeed say that the fuse box is accessed through that hole.

Seems very silly to put a hole there to access the fuse box when you can't really without childs hands.
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      03-03-2015, 02:27 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tekgk View Post
I remember my tech doing something like this to get to it. Pretty simple. He also mentioned that you'd need a clip from the rear trunk fuse box (right side panel) to help pop fuses out.
I believe that is how it was with my 2009 or 2012 X3, but now it appears to be accessed through a tiny hole in the back of the glove compartment.




Last edited by JSY; 03-03-2015 at 02:51 PM.. Reason: Added photos.
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      03-03-2015, 06:04 PM   #8
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2011 x3 fuse inside glove box hard to reach

Reply to JSY:
Your pictures are perfect. There is easy way to reach the fuse behind the glove box.


I have to update my iDrive. It has to be done via Center Armrest. My armrest doesn't have power. USB is not working. Since there is no power, I suspect a burned fuse.

1) Which fuse controls the Armrest and where it is located?

2) I checked the Fuses in the trunk (right side), all the fuses are OK. I want to test the fuses behind the glove box which I cannot reach. please help.

Thanks in advance.
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      03-04-2015, 02:50 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tekgk View Post
I remember my tech doing something like this to get to it. Pretty simple. He also mentioned that you'd need a clip from the rear trunk fuse box (right side panel) to help pop fuses out.
Your video is for pre-LCI models. There no longer are white clips to release and the fuse box no longer drops down from the top.
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      03-11-2015, 03:01 PM   #10
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1) Which fuse controls the Armrest and where it is located?
>>>Fuse numbers are 1, 54, 65, 143, 144, 171, 176


2) I checked the Fuses in the trunk (right side), all the fuses are OK. I want to test the fuses behind the glove box which I cannot reach. please help.

>>> I took out the 3 screws under the side glove box to reach the fuse behind the glove box. Still (back) pain.

I found a burned fuse 15amp. replaced it. Now the Power adapter and AUX are working. But USB is not working.

To find out is there a voltage coming from the USB port, I tore the usb cable. Found 4 color wires. Tested the Red and Black with multi-meter, I see the USB cable is produces -5v(yeah negative 5v). Glove compartment USB produces +5v.

Still Armrest USB is not working. AUX is working.

Last edited by hdotcom; 03-30-2015 at 10:18 PM..
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      03-15-2015, 10:37 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jims1001 View Post
I just hot wired a 2 channel dash cam to my wife LCI Xdrive 28d. It took about 2 hours . In order to hot wire to the fuse box, You must remove the glove box and the cover plate below the glove box. Prepare a torx screw driver or torx bit to unscrew the screws. Then you can pull out the glove box completely to expose the fuse box. It also helps to run the power wire thru to A pillar.
Can you tell me where the screws are to remove the glove box? I think I've found the ones for the cover plate below, but I can't seem to figure out how the glove box would be removed. However, I did only look quickly, so perhaps I just didn't notice....
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      04-24-2015, 10:13 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hdotcom View Post
1) Which fuse controls the Armrest and where it is located?
>>>Fuse numbers are 1, 54, 65, 143, 144, 171, 176


2) I checked the Fuses in the trunk (right side), all the fuses are OK. I want to test the fuses behind the glove box which I cannot reach. please help.

>>> I took out the 3 screws under the side glove box to reach the fuse behind the glove box. Still (back) pain.

I found a burned fuse 15amp. replaced it. Now the Power adapter and AUX are working. But USB is not working.

To find out is there a voltage coming from the USB port, I tore the usb cable. Found 4 color wires. Tested the Red and Black with multi-meter, I see the USB cable is produces -5v(yeah negative 5v). Glove compartment USB produces +5v.

Still Armrest USB is not working. AUX is working.

Well, it's over a month later and I still haven't resolved this. I've decided that I want to simply install a car lighter power outlet directly to the fuse box to use in lieu of the existing ones. I took the bottom of the glove compartment off and it was still so difficult reaching the fuse box, I decided to try connecting to the truck fuse box. Now, the problem is finding a fuse that is powered only when the ignition is on. The only ones that I was able to find were the two fuses that are labeled for the engine. I decided to use fuse 131.

Well, it seemed like it was going to work, but for some reason it is not. I am getting power to the line but when I connect the car lighter outlet to the fuse, it does not power up for some strange reason. In fact, I checked the current of the fuse with the port connected, and the current drops dramatically even if I have nothing connected to the port. I decided to give it a rest for fear of damaging something. I've checked ground, etc. and everything seems to be okay.

I guess my question now is what fuse to use? Has anyone successfully done this - either connecting an extra car power port or accessory directly to the fuse box and if so, which fuse did you use? Other than the ones designated for the engine - I can't find any other fuse that is on only when the ignition is on.

In all of this, I somehow blew out the fuse for the front cup holder car lighter port (which seems to also power the one for the rear passengers lighter port since that doesn't work either). The armrest ports are all unaffected though.

Who thought it would be so hard to connect something to the fuse box?! Or maybe I'm a dunce!!!
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      04-26-2015, 10:47 PM   #13
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Okay, for anyone that is interested or looks this up in the future - maybe this will help. I've finally got what I wanted. I scrapped the idea of plugging into fuse 131 in the trunk.

First I replaced the burnt fuse (fuse 54) - this fuse is for the car lighter port in the cup holders AND the rear passenger lighter port. I decided to look for the fuse for the center lighter port. Found it, it is fuse 65.

I chose this one because I know that port turns off about 10 minutes or so after the ignition is turned off. I believe all the other ports are constantly powered.

I tapped into fuse 65 - and connected a 2 lighter port adapter to it and found ground. Fuse 65 is reachable from the bottom after you take the 3 torx screws off and remove the bottom panel under the glove compartment.

I plugged in my dash cam and the ports are in the glove compartment. It's actually quite clean. All the wires are behind the fuse box hole in the glove compartment.

It works great so far. Power turns on as soon as you unlock the doors. (and the dash cam comes on) Power will turn off about 10-15 minutes after you turn your car off.

Anyway, hope this is helpful to anyone who might find this information useful. If anything goes wrong, I'll update this, but it's basically just about what I wanted.

I don't know why I had problems when I wired it to the fuses for the engine in the rear but in any case, I figured I'd stay away from those fuses.

The diagram for fuses that BMW leaves you encourage you to bring your car in to the shop to replace just a blown fuse. I think it's poorly designed - those pictures and icons are sometimes hard to decipher.
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      08-03-2015, 07:59 AM   #14
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Thanks for the insight in this thread, I too had no power to my accessory sockets so I removed the panel under the glove box and the glove box itself which didn't take long and soon found Fuse 54 blown. Also found that the glove box has a interior light, which now works once I had fitted a new bulb.
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