Fuse 44 blows - no start

[Olzer]

Hi

My E38 developed a strange problem:

-Fuse 44 (5A, Immobilizing Device, Lightmodule,Speed Control) blows

-No crank

-Brake light illuminate when ignition is turned on

A new Fuse fixes this issue for one to five starts, after that the fuse blows again. There are no error codes.
Before I jump into a complex diagnose procedure, has anyone experienced this problem and could point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

[CPHES]

The brake lights turn on as soon as the ignition is taking power? you have a short in the system someplace - or an issue in the LCM.

[Olzer]

Only when the fuse is shot- If I put in a new fuse, brake lights operate without a problem, I can drive around as long as I want. Sometimes the car restarts without problems and the brakelights still operate normal. After a few starts, once I shut the engine off and start again, the starter would not even click and the brake lights are on. New fuse and everything works again for a short while...

[iamhives]

I recently fixed my brake lights always being on when the car was running. It was the ignition switch. It causes miscellaneous strange electrical problems and is a common failure. While I've not heard symptoms exactly like yours it might be something to try. There are instructions out there on how to remove and clean it if you dont want to waste money on a part that may not 100% be the fix. I tried cleaning the contacts and it worked for a while until i ended up replacing the part (FCP Euro) to fix it for good.

[Olzer]

A friend just borrowed me a known good ignition switch from his car, unfortunately the problem persists...
Would it be possible for the brake light switch to have an internal short, causing the fuse to blow and the lights to flash?