I have a 2004 BMW X5, i was driving up a hill when the trans failsafe prog light came on, it has done this before & I was told pull over turn engine off, wait 5min at it will go, which it did. Though yesterday when it came on & I turned the engine off & turned it back on, trans failsafe prog came on straight away & is still locked in what seems 3rd gear!! Can anyone help???

I would get it serviced at a BMW dealership before it costs you a fortune.

can you please send more information year model make and engine type.
common issue on that type of car is the kick back sensor for changes and could be a case of transmission service could be in order

Have to have the transmission problem diagnosed

Best not to use it or you may ruin the trans in as little
a ten miles & may have already, using it in failsafe

Fail Safe is there to protect the trans, but only if you stop
using it almost when the light comes on.

It will cut injector pulse,ignition spark & such, to let you
know your have a problem & lock the trans in a specific
gear,BUT folks still continue to cycle the ignition key &
drive on, to the tune of $5.000 leaving their bank account

read the code to see what caused the failsafe to engage.

from your brief description i would say your alternator has failed, which means the car can no longer recharge the battery or supply battery to the car itself.

You just go to the link I attached I'm sure you will get the solution of your problem
2004 bmw x5

Change MAF sensor.

I have had to have my BMW X5 2004 transmission rebuilt TWICE in the last 2 years. First, @80K, it just stopped, though engine rev'd. When the trans place opened it up, they said the trans oil was burned, so they rebuilt it for $2,500. I had problems over the year and then it went again during the warranty and they repaired it, free. Lasted 14K Miles. I got ALOT of Trans Failsafe Prog lights. When I turned off the car, it reset, but ultimately came back on, and forewarned an impending trans failure. When the trans went the 2nd time, I bought a USED 40K trans from LKQ (I was lucky to find one with low mileage) for $2K and had the trans place put it in. NO PROBLEMS now. I got this advice from a BMW dealer parts guy out in PA - NO ONE can really rebuild BMW Trans well. Either go for a remanufactured one, or a low mileage used one. Getting them rebuilt at the local trans place will only give you heart aches and you'll end up doing the job again. ALSO: DO NOT WAIT FOR the BMW recommended 100K miles to replace the trans fluid. I suggest 60K. That's the #1 cause of trans failure. I'm out $6K on trannys now, but I'm about to take legal action. One more thing - I used K-Solv in my radiator, and the Trans guy told me that it clogged up the trans cooler. He took off the cooler lines and put a video tube camera up there, and yes, it showed cloggage. Jury is out on who's the real culprit here. Bottom line: Trans Program Failure is a pre-cursor to transmission failure. Get ready... Don't let a local shop rebuild it! Start shopping for a low mileage used one!

Hi; If I get the 'Trans Failsafe Prog" message twice within about 2 hours, The SES light will go on automatically. Since I do not seem to have any real transmission problems, this SES message clears itself in about 24 hours. The "Trans Failsafe Prog" messageseems to be used to indicate other transmission problems as well, like loss of transmission fluid, so be careful. I have a 2002 X5. Cheers. Omer

You have an alternator or battery concerne,low voltage caused all the other problems,Start with a battery,then have alternator tested.The failsafes are designed to keep from burning up solenoids and other electronic components.