Increased battery discharge/Clock resetting

I've just bought a BMW 530i 2006 used with 17,000 miles. When I turn on the car I get a message: "Increased battery discharge" and also my clock gets RESET all THE TIME
I turn off the lights and everything before I turn off the car - so that's not a problem.

What can I do here? Should I set up an appointment with a BMW center or is there a way to fix this problem? Help

Just making sure, but I assume you do not leave anything plugged into any of the outlets (Nav, Ipod, etc.)? If anything, it looks like you're still under the factory warranty so try taking it in. Just make sure the car consistently replicates the problem or that you can at least replicate it in front of them.

I had the same problem and solve it myself using some common sense and searching this forums and e60.net. I did bring it in to the dealer and they said I need to drive 30 miles day to fully charge the battery and also told me to purchase a BMW battery tender to charge it every other day if I don't drive it daily. I told them i would get an electrical car instead if I need to plug into the outlet every other day.

Here is what I did and now the car sit in the garage for over 2 weeks and the battery doesn't discharge or the need to reset the clock every other day when i first got the car.

Charge the car's battery either using a battery charger or take a long trip to fully charge the battery.

The Key is to remember to lock the car using the alarm system/the remote key. This sound stupid because I don't lock my car since it's in the locked garage but this is the culprit for draining the battery since car doesn't want to go into sleep mode. I had no problem on any other cars i owned since they always parked inside our garage.

Try to store you comfort access key(if applicable to you) as far as possible because it's transmitting a signal and it will drain the battery if it's within range.

This works for me and hope it works for you too. I had plenty of headache after purchasing a 70k car and the idea of a battery keep dying after a week and need a jump to start the car. it was embarrissing

Good luck

You're right. My key was close to my car. Last night I put it further away and this morning I didn't get the message So basically I have to store the key as further away from the car... Pretty weird...would getting a new key help out or there is no way to actually fix this problem? Thanks for the help and the seat belt DOES turn off after annoying the hell out of you

How far should the key be away from the car? My garage is about 10 feet from my kitchen. Curious if it'll be transmitting and draining the battery?

(Note: My car hasn't been delivered yet. Hence the "pre-BMW" posts.)

2006 BMW 750Li Power Drain Issues and Comfort Access
I recently had a dead battery in my 2006 750, replaced it, and within hours the brand new battery was completely dead. BMW has since diagnosed the problem as an issue with my Comfort Access, and they have replaced the "handles". Yet, within a day or so the vehicle had noticeable power issues again. I received a P Brake Fault, and a Power Window Fault. Moreover, the car starts very hard - several slow cranks before firing ... I feel as though the problem has been improved, but still exists and I am a day or so away from a completely dead battery.

I have seen many threads on this site addressing this issue, but I have not seen a post that addresses this problem conclusively. BMW quickly diagnosed that the car was not "hibernating" properly and determine to replace the handles ... but that has not fully solved the problem.

Other suggestions I have seen on the web include, replacing the Comfort access module, upgrading the vehicle software, replacing the master computer replacing the IBS (intelligent battery sensor), and replacing the foot well control module ... has anyone had more or less success with these or any other suggestions?

Additional info related to my problem ... the car takes 17 minutes to "fully" sleep after locking (with CA or FOB). I can observe this since the light on the seat base adjustment inside the car remains lit for 17 minutes. Additionally, I hear noise coming from the trunk for several minutes - Navigation DVD? 16 minutes after the car is locked, the sound returns, and the start button illuminates .. and then everything shuts off after a little more a minute (17 minutes total from lock to sleep). I feel the real drain is coming from the unit in the trunk, but I think that is the cause of the drain, not the problem with the car entering hibernation.

Lastly, I just purchased a new Blackberry Curve that is bluetooth connected. I never put the FOB in the dash (does is really need to be charged that way?), and I never press the start button twice to kill the motor - but, I always lock the car with the CA handles on the car. Should I use a different routine to stop the motor and lock the car? I feel as though I am using the CA as billed, but for some reason I am experiencing these problems. I tend to think there is a new electronic malfunction somewhere (it worked well for several years), but it could always be improper use on my part - please, let me know if you recognize "user fault" in my routine.

Thanks for your time.

I had this issue, but it took the car sitting in the garage unstarted for about 2 weeks for the "wierdness" to start. And short trips to the grocery store won't help charge the battery back to full charge. I invested $40 in a Battery Tender Plus (as much as I hate having to charge the battery on a $60K car ) If the car is going to sit undriven for more than afew days, I plug it in. The battery tender will keep any auto battery in peak charge condition without overcharging/damaging it (as a typical auto battery charger will) if left plugged in indefinitely.

Originally Posted by 750Li2006

Other suggestions I have seen on the web include, replacing the Comfort access module, upgrading the vehicle software, replacing the master computer replacing the IBS (intelligent battery sensor), and replacing the foot well control module ... has anyone had more or less success with these or any other suggestions?

I had this problem with my '08 535i. When starting first thing in the morning I would get an 'Active Steering Initializing' notice and the clock would need to be reset. The car always started and after a few minutes the active steering would start working. I keep my car unlocked at night in a locked garage and leave the comfort access key in the car.

The dealer was told by BMW that the software needed an upgrade. This was done a month ago and so far I've had no more problems.

Same problem had battery charged last week along with software upgrade and no problems so far.

Service department told me about putting more miles on car. I have a short commute to work. I found that funny never did in my previous BMW's and never had a problem with battery drain.

I will try the lock car at all times as previous poster suggested for sleep mode.

Originally Posted by fujim3

The Key is to remember to lock the car using the alarm system/the remote key. This sound stupid because I don't lock my car since it's in the locked garage but this is the culprit for draining the battery since car doesn't want to go into sleep mode.

You do NOT need to lock the doors to enter sleep mode. There are numerous posts about this issue on this forum and it has been documented that the car SHOULD go into sleep mode after about 20 minutes of inactivity REGARDLESS of whether the car is locked or not.

We have a 2008 535xi wagon and have had problems with the charging system since day 1. BMW has replaced 2 batteries, an alternator and done numerous software updates, etc. never able to fix the problem for good. Now I'm being told we have to charge it every night. We've owned 2 other BMW wagons, plus a couple of 325's and have never had the trouble. We drive the car every day and have 20,000 miles on it. It's ridiculous they tell you to charge it every night and we are not accepting this answer and are taking it further, demanding they fix it permanently or replace the car. We don't live in 1910! We have a Porsche that sits for a week at a time before being driven and it never has a problem. We have a Chev 08 Truck that sits for several weeks at a time with no problem. So, why would a car that is driven every day have a problem???

Originally Posted by lrv

It's ridiculous they tell you to charge it every night and we are not accepting this answer and are taking it further, demanding they fix it permanently or replace the car. ..... So, why would a car that is driven every day have a problem???

See attached TSB.

BMW has told me their final answer is that my car needs a charger. They insist I don't drive it enough miles to keep battery charged and that I don't drive at 55+mph, when in fact I do, as we live in the country and use I-5 to get anywhere, so it's driven at 70mph most days at least 10 miles, with stops inbetween. We had a 2006 wagon, which BMW said would have to have been driven the same way, yet, I drove the same way then as now and never a problem with the battery. I asked the dealership if they put their loaner cars on trickle chargers and they don't - which, then leads me to believe they are jerking me around. If I can drive a 2006 3series loaner with 33,000 miles on it, then why does my 2008 with 20,000 miles have a problem?

BMW is very protective of their data and won't let me talk to higher ups, nor will they let me talk to their diagnostic people. Very frustrating and unsure of how to proceed.

Originally Posted by lrv

BMW has told me their final answer is that my car needs a charger. They insist I don't drive it enough miles to keep battery charged and that I don't drive at 55+mph, when in fact I do, as we live in the country and use I-5 to get anywhere, so it's driven at 70mph most days at least 10 miles, with stops inbetween. We had a 2006 wagon, which BMW said would have to have been driven the same way, yet, I drove the same way then as now and never a problem with the battery. I asked the dealership if they put their loaner cars on trickle chargers and they don't - which, then leads me to believe they are jerking me around. If I can drive a 2006 3series loaner with 33,000 miles on it, then why does my 2008 with 20,000 miles have a problem?

BMW is very protective of their data and won't let me talk to higher ups, nor will they let me talk to their diagnostic people. Very frustrating and unsure of how to proceed.

Irv:
They are blowing smoke up your skirt. I'm on my 5th BMW and no battery problems of any kind. Sometimes my cars sit for one or two weeks without driving and no battery problems. They cannot stop you from talking with "higher-ups." Call BMW USA and explain your complaint. Back it up with a written description to them with return receipt requested. Initiate a "Buy Back" lawsuit with your friendly lawyer and see how fast they respond. Or simply find another dealer. The one you are going to is blowing smoke.

We are getting all diagnostic info from both dealerships where we've had work done and are going to get an opinion from a private BMW mechanic and then take it to a lawyer. BMW is putting in yet another battery (the 3rd!) and attaching a charger - they say we have to charge it once a week and all our problems will be gone. Yet, no one can tell us how much we are supposed to drive. BMW NA said 10 miles straight without stopping at 55+mph, but later in the convo with them the guy denied ever saying that when I asked for clarification on how many miles to drive. The dealer said, no, you don't have to drive 55+mph - you could drive 5 mph, but he didn't know how far you'd have to go. The other service guy at the other dealer that has done the majority of the work on my car said that if I was driving less than 800 miles in a month, they might recommend a charger, but that they never recommended that for me because I drive an average of 1400 miles a month. So, no one really knows and that's why I think BMW is hiding a problem with their cars. This '08 model was an early production, manufactured in March '07.

3 batteries, 1 alternator and several software upgrades for one problem in 14 months. I'd call that messed up.

This is our 5th BMW and until now, never a charging problem.

I have been concerned that my '08 535i has not been going into sleep mode, thereby causing battery drain. I connected a USB stick with an LED that remains "on" whenever there is power to the device (the LED blinks when data is being read/written).

I closed the car and locked it. The LED remained on for about 15 minutes and then turned OFF. I repeated the experiment, closing the door but this time not locking the vehicle. The LED initially remained on, but when I came back to check (more than 15 minutes this time), the LED on the USB stick was again "off".

So while I can't be sure the vehicle is going into sleep mode properly, it would appear that at least some electrical systems are turning off after some period of time.

BTW, my car has just over 7000 miles and is 1 year old this week so I don't drive the car a lot. I only had the clock reset issue once in January after it sat unused for several weeks, but I have since resumed driving it more and I did use a battery tender to slowly condition the battery back to full charge when I was not driving it daily.

I have not had any further issues.

Thanks - isn't that funny, you hardly drive your car and it never has the problem. I am going to ask the dealer if I traded in the vehicle to them, they had it on their lot, someone came to buy it, what would they tell them - that it has a battery charger for it? Or, would they tell the person they have to drive the car a lot, but can't tell them how far? How in the world would they sell that car in the future, if they can't even tell me how much I have to drive.

This is why I know there is a cover up of some kind because I know there are people all over the country who have this exact car and I'm sure they don't all have chargers. 20,000 miles in 14 months is pretty high miles considering the average is about 12,000 in a year. There is no reason for me to have a charger.

I also know that my car is hibernating - they did a test and it showed that it was - so that's not the issue, either.

I had the same problem twice on my 2008 535xi Wagon, coupled with 4x4 failure warning message (I can't recall exactly what the 4x4 message was.)

Both instances the temperature was roughly -20C. In both instances the car started right up without so much as a sputter, so the dead battery excuse is bogus.

I complained and was advised that the issue was related to a wheel sensor. They replaced the sensor and I have not had another instance of the issue. I also have not experienced -20C days since this time either.

Originally Posted by lrv

Thanks - isn't that funny, you hardly drive your car and it never has the problem. I am going to ask the dealer if I traded in the vehicle to them, they had it on their lot, someone came to buy it, what would they tell them - that it has a battery charger for it? Or, would they tell the person they have to drive the car a lot, but can't tell them how far? How in the world would they sell that car in the future, if they can't even tell me how much I have to drive.

This is why I know there is a cover up of some kind because I know there are people all over the country who have this exact car and I'm sure they don't all have chargers. 20,000 miles in 14 months is pretty high miles considering the average is about 12,000 in a year. There is no reason for me to have a charger.

I also know that my car is hibernating - they did a test and it showed that it was - so that's not the issue, either.

My SA said that I take too many short trips, so the battery does not have enough time to recharge. I have been making the same commute for nearly ten years and this is my third car during that time and neither of the other two had this problem. They told me that I should buy a trickle charger, but I refused. They changed the battery once, but I kinda think that it will happen again. BMW needs to fix this problem and stop blaming the driving patterns of it's customers.

I just had my wife's '08 535xi in for service for the same issue during the past 2 days. They tested the battery drain overnight and said there was no problems. Gave me the same BS they said to my wife the first time about using a battery tender and the need to drive more. I also told him that her car reset all of her personalized settings again, the day after the car was on a battery tender for three weeks when we were on vacation.

They also said that this car has a lot of electrical features that we might not be used to. I told him we also have a Mercedes S600 that has many more features than does her BMW, and my Corvette ZO6 has all of the same features, including the comfort access. The other cars do not have these problems, and are driven less than her BMW.

My wife loves her car, but I told her tonight that I'm keeping the records, and if we need to take it in again with no results, then I'll have to go after BMW for a replacement.

I also love how the BMW service rep acts like he's never heard of the issue before. Total BS. I told him I've read the same issues from at least 50+ people on this forum, and I'm amazed he is just learning about it, especially since he is giving the same BS responses that everyone else has been getting from their dealerships!

Originally Posted by beden1

Gave me the same BS they said to my wife the first time about using a battery tender and the need to drive more.!

You are so right...that is total B.S. These cars are over-engineered to the point that places excessive drains on the batteries when the car is at rest. BMW needs to address THAT issue and quit blaming the owner for his driving habits. No other car I have ever owned has exhibited this problem. If they insist on using a battery tender, build one into the car and we can all plug our cars in every night......yah, there's a solution!

I had this same problem when I brought home my new 550i. The dealer replaced that battery and the problem was fixed!

I had similar problems and had the battery replaced. Still had the same problems and eventually dealership thought to check the alternator, which turned out to be the problem and all of the screwy problems went away.

I am assuming that someone has already checked yours?

Well, in the weeks since I wrote about our car, we have found out our car doesn't qualify for the lemon law in Oregon because of the time frame/miles. BMW insists it's my driving pattern that's the problem. However, when they kept it for a week without driving it, there were no problems with the battery - but then again, it's a new battery. I am POSITIVE BMW knows there's a problem with their 2008's and you all need to be complaining again and again until there is a fix for it. We have 20,000 miles on our 2008 and it is total BS that they should tell us we aren't driving it enough and by the way, we still cannot find out what ENOUGH is - no one will tell us and I'm sure that's because we are driving it enough already!

They need to pony up and treat their customers right.

Originally Posted by garbage987

I had the same problem twice on my 2008 535xi Wagon, coupled with 4x4 failure warning message (I can't recall exactly what the 4x4 message was.)

Both instances the temperature was roughly -20C. In both instances the car started right up without so much as a sputter, so the dead battery excuse is bogus.

I complained and was advised that the issue was related to a wheel sensor. They replaced the sensor and I have not had another instance of the issue. I also have not experienced -20C days since this time either.

This is the exact car we are having troubles with and have had 3 batteries and a new alternator since Dec. 07, right after we got it. They refuse to fix the problem and insist it is driving habits. We've had it fail in cold weather (Feb. skiing) and hot (July). They made us put a battery charger in the car and said our warranty could be void if we didn't charge it up once a week. 20,000 miles on the car. Ridiculous. They know they have a problem and more people need to speak up.