2008 X5 4.8 High Battery Drain

Originally Posted by donce32

Got same issue yesterday. Dealer told me I should drive more often. Really?

I parked my X5 for 3 months and then drove it. Didn't have an issue with battery drain.

That sounds like the typical BS. Tell them you cannot drive more before the battery keeps dying on you and you have to get another person to jump start your car.

Originally Posted by donce32

Got same issue yesterday. Dealer told me I should drive more often. Really?

Really? How would we know? you were the one talking to the dealer.

In all seriousness, sometimes it seems people post jsut to complain and share...you give so little info, how can we help?

if you've read this thread you can see there are various ways to diagnose the charging syste...HAVE these been done to your car? Has the dealer downloaded your 'drive time/distance histogram', and that is what he has based the recommendation on?

More info will help

I have a 2011 X5M. Have had a "severe battery drain" issue since the vehicle was new. Been back to the dealer four or five times already for the issue...and it's going back again shortly (I have an appointment on the calendar)...for the same issue...AGAIN. Dealer replaced batteries, sensors, battery cables. Dealer ran and re ran test after test. The last time it was in, the dealer had the car for almost two full weeks with a BMW national tech rep out to look at the car. The problem came back within two weeks. Since the last time the car was in, about 4000 miles ago, I've had the problem in excess of 30 times (that's when I stopped counting...I supposed I've chosen to ignore the warning lights for a while...I just didn't have the time to deal with this any more). I will be asking BMW to take the car back this time. I've about had enough. Quite frankly, other than this ridiculous problem...it seems to be a terrific vehicle. The problem is that I'm concerned about going anywhere far from civilization because of this problem. The car hasn't died on me yet...but I can only imagine that happening once I take my kids skiing for the weekend.

In reviewing my service records, it appears that, after performing "test plan" the testing showed "consumer loads too high". This was during the second visit to the deal at about 2000 miles. All other test performed to spec during that visit. Dealer replaced IBS sensor. This didn't work. In later visits to the dealer, battery cables and batteries were also replaced. All efforts to date have failed to solve the problem.

Any thoughts?

Hi Sethrad,
Ask them to check out the alternator. I got the error message twice and replace alternator 2 weeks ago, so far so good.

Originally Posted by Sethrad

I have a 2011 X5M. Have had a "severe battery drain" issue since the vehicle was new. Been back to the dealer four or five times already for the issue...and it's going back again shortly (I have an appointment on the calendar)...for the same issue...AGAIN. Dealer replaced batteries, sensors, battery cables. Dealer ran and re ran test after test. The last time it was in, the dealer had the car for almost two full weeks with a BMW national tech rep out to look at the car. The problem came back within two weeks. Since the last time the car was in, about 4000 miles ago, I've had the problem in excess of 30 times (that's when I stopped counting...I supposed I've chosen to ignore the warning lights for a while...I just didn't have the time to deal with this any more). I will be asking BMW to take the car back this time. I've about had enough. Quite frankly, other than this ridiculous problem...it seems to be a terrific vehicle. The problem is that I'm concerned about going anywhere far from civilization because of this problem. The car hasn't died on me yet...but I can only imagine that happening once I take my kids skiing for the weekend.

In reviewing my service records, it appears that, after performing "test plan" the testing showed "consumer loads too high". This was during the second visit to the deal at about 2000 miles. All other test performed to spec during that visit. Dealer replaced IBS sensor. This didn't work. In later visits to the dealer, battery cables and batteries were also replaced. All efforts to date have failed to solve the problem.

Any thoughts?

Lemon it...you will get back 118,000/120.000 percent (98.3%) of your initial purchase price- plus tax, plus title/license fees. California? Yup.

If you are over 30 days, and can establish the car has a problem that began at mile 2000, this is how they will work it.

Order a 2012...if you start now with the lemon it will take abort 3 months

A

Originally Posted by ard

Really? How would we know? you were the one talking to the dealer.

In all seriousness, sometimes it seems people post jsut to complain and share...you give so little info, how can we help?

if you've read this thread you can see there are various ways to diagnose the charging syste...HAVE these been done to your car? Has the dealer downloaded your 'drive time/distance histogram', and that is what he has based the recommendation on?

More info will help

Dealer had my car for over a week now. Car got towed in. They can't figure out what the issue is. It starts, all codes are clean. They called me yesterday and said they would have to "write a letter" to BMW to have their tech come and look at it since they've exhausted every option. Wouldn't give the car back to me, since they believe it is unsafe. Now what?

Originally Posted by donce32

Dealer had my car for over a week now. Car got towed in. They can't figure out what the issue is. It starts, all codes are clean. They called me yesterday and said they would have to "write a letter" to BMW to have their tech come and look at it since they've exhausted every option. Wouldn't give the car back to me, since they believe it is unsafe. Now what?

It's your vehicle and they have no right to retain it regardless if they believe it safe or not.

^^True. You can insist, and if I was the dealer I'd let you have the car ONLY after you sign a release. Kinda like dealing with nutjobs that check out of the hospital AMA (against medical advice)

Guys,
I have not heard anyone mentioned about checking the alternator. Mine replaced with new/same alternator for 3.5 weeks (battery replaced 4.5 weeks ago), and so far so good.

Looking at something else, I found this:

The implementation of the Remote Door Unlock service is carried out via the (MOST)
WUP signal. The signal is used to wake up the vehicle. The (TCU) reacts to a call from the
provider, performed in the customer order. The (TCU) sends a signal via the (MOST)
WUP line to the Car Access System (CAS3). The (CAS3) then wakes up the vehicle.

Lots of things can lead to cars waking up and draining batteries without the owner doing anything....just saying...not that this IS the case, but these cars are NOT like the old days where you can disconnect stuff to track down parasitic drains...

Originally Posted by ard

Looking at something else, I found this:



Lots of things can lead to cars waking up and draining batteries without the owner doing anything....just saying...not that this IS the case, but these cars are NOT like the old days where you can disconnect stuff to track down parasitic drains...

That would explain why I don't have any battery drain issues seeing I do not have BMW Assist.

So I picked up my car today since dealer couldn't find anything wrong. I made it 3 miles from the dealership and every light came on: transmission malfunction, 4x4, steering, abs, airbag and it died.
Had to tow it back - and finally they found a code - its alternator. Hopefully it'll be ok tomorrow.

Went out of town for a month, came back and when started engine, a symbol of a car on a lift showed up on the dashboard between the two gauges. I went to Idrive Vehicle Info to see a message "High Battery Drain". I drive around for a little, thinking the battery needs to recharged after not being used for a month. After a few days message goes away. A week later, I am in the car waiting for a friend with the engine off, but music playing, all of the sudden windshield wipers turn on, every light starts to flicker, climate control goes dim, and car dies. Have it jump started, which required the AAA truck to run his engine for 10 minutes to provide enough juice to turn over the engine. Once X5 started, got several error message, self-leveling malfunction, sunroof anti-trap malfunction, 4X4 Malfunction, Check Engine Light, Headlight Lamp, and High Battery Drain. The messages go away and come back intermittently.

....and so, your plan is?????

(I'll comment that, having replaced a nav computer following an E-glitch ($2600, under warranty) I WILL NOT screw around with voltage issues on a BMW. Once weird things start, I fix it.)

I don't know, any suggestions, I take it to BMW once a month as it is for them to fix things, I guess I could take it to them again and see what they say, but the laundry list of things to fix is long enough this time already. Sub-woofer blown, iPod hook up broken, CD changer broken, etc. Its still under warranty too.

Interestingly, the threshold for a lemon claim is fairly low in many states...but owners just cannot string together the effort to deal with it.

Originally Posted by donce32

So I picked up my car today since dealer couldn't find anything wrong. I made it 3 miles from the dealership and every light came on: transmission malfunction, 4x4, steering, abs, airbag and it died.
Had to tow it back - and finally they found a code - its alternator. Hopefully it'll be ok tomorrow.

Dealers seem all too quick to reach a diagnosis of "Unfavorable driving conditions" and stop there.

Originally Posted by sunny5280

Dealers seem all too quick to reach a diagnosis of "Unfavorable driving conditions" and stop there.

They will do that, its annoying. Whats worse is trying to get them to take me serious for my issues, I'm 20 years old, so they treat me like sh*t and always end up taking my car for long joy rides and using 1/3 tank of fuel and come back with the explanation we can't find anything wrong, must be a one time occurrence.

Since new, I have had 3 new batteries in my wife's X5, and have had it jumped or towed 4 times (miles 30k currently). I took it in for service today for the first time since the warranty expired, and they indicated the X5 computer is showing a high battery drain.

Servicing dealer claims it is because some components are staying on after car is switched off (which I have been telling them for 2 years). Additionally, the service advisor said that BMW's are notorious for batteries dying if you don't drive them (I first heard this idiocy 1 week after purchase, when I called the manufacturer and they told me the same thing).

The fix: $205 to reprogram/uppdate the "computer" so everything shuts off.

I hope this helps others (and fixes this X5).

Additionally, trim pieces are falling off the car inside and out, numerous rattles, and the fact that the brake pedal went to the floor on a 2000 mile trip, this has left me very sour on my BMW experience .

Originally Posted by markbmwx

The fix: $205 to reprogram/uppdate the "computer" so everything shuts off.
.

They would have done this s/w update long back to resolve this issue.

Agree. You should not pay for this issue as it was clearly identified and documented prior to the warranty expiring.

Yeah, call BMW North America, they will probably handle it if everything is documented that nothing was resolved while the car was under warranty, but the fix was simple and should have been done. Try the service advisor once more, but they might be rude unfortunately.

Was getting that warning intermittently as well. I have the Nav/Voice/Bluetooth everything x5. Would usually see it after a long drive with wipers/lights on.

Sometimes the alarm system would give me a reading of battery voltage interrupt and would activate flashers and the clown nose would flash like crazy.

Perhaps the alternator is not designed to give enough power to use all options all the time. Others have said it is the start-up sequences between trips.

A friend told me to turn the headlamp switch to "off' and to eject the dvds/cds before putting the x5 to bed every night... Haven't seen the High battery drain warning ever since. Never had to change the battery. Going on 120K miles now

there is a PUMA case which has lead to the creation of a SIB for High Battery Drain. Here is the thread which I started which has the detail of the fix.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=602562&highlight=