Both my mechanic and I are stumped. My E60 (525i US, 12/2005) threw these lights on the dash, and we lost all internal switch controls (except for the headlights). Car starts and engine runs, but the instrument panel keeps all lights on and no data (mileage, RPM, etc.).

We swapped out the Body Control Module, just to see if that might be a fail point, but the symptoms remain.

Preceding this, I received a battery discharge notification. It was following a cold snap, so I first swapped the battery, but the error remained. Before I could swap the alternator (within in two days of the battery swap), this began.

 

Did your mechanic read the BMW DTC codes?

 

Fautly instrument cluster could very well be the culprit. These are known to go bad cause the car NOT to go into sleep mode cause battery drain. Remove the fuse of the instrument cluster and check the behaviour whether or not the car goes to sleep.