GregBrand

Switching to the AGM battery has erradicated my dead battery problem. It is a "bandaid" fix but it results in my never having a dead battery again. It does not fix the underlying module cycling on and off draining the battery. But its design, capacity, and reserve are such that it "survives" the drain and then recharges adequately so the car starts. Rudy's narrative is the most comprehensive and accurate I've seen on the issue. Every post I have seen here and on other sites indicates no one has experienced a dead battery with the AGM battery.

sc88

I'm going to add my 2 cents.

I owned a 2008 E60 535i. Now when we took delivery it was hooked up to a battery tender but I didn't pay attention to it. After a month we started getting the "Increased Battery Discharge" warning through the iDrive. What annoyed me the most was the fact that the time and date was always being reset. The car was brought back 4 times and here is what they did:

1) Change main cable from battery to the car, 2 weeks
2) Change Shift module (not entering sleep mode), 3 weeks
3) Change CCC module (not entering sleep mode), 4 weeks
4) New battery, 2 days

Needless to say, after a day or two the error would always come back. It became a game between my wife and I on what loaner we'd get. First time they mentioned it was because the car was not being driven enough. That was BS, because we'd drive that between home and our business everyday which was a 50 mile trek. Most of the time we were waiting for parts. The CCC module had to come from Germany and it was during Christmas so it may have gotten delayed.

I think there is more to this than BMW is letting on. Unfortunately, where I live does not have a lemon law so I gave up and traded her in. I was sad to see her go, but now I'm a proud owner of an X5 35d. No problems yet (knock on wood).

Rudy

Correct, it's called "We built such a complex automobile that our technicians can't figure out what component is causing the problem so we need to pass the buck so we don't look bad"...

Mbmw540i

I just wanted to provide an update. My dealership finally found the problem! I left the V1 disconnected for a few weeks and the problem came back, so I sent the car back to the dealership, this time they couldn't blame the V1. And, as suspected, even with the V1 disconnected, they found a draw every hour or so for a few minutes. Turns out it was the computer that controls the dash, instrument cluster, etc. Once replaced the problem is gone. Thanks everyone for your input.

Gene

once again, another example of the problem not being an unfavorable driving profile.but actually a faulty OEM component not shutting down properly...thanx for the update, hope things stay resolved

jgbmw

How does an E60 sitting on a dealer lot for 2 weeks+, without being started, start? That doesn't make sense that you need to start your car each week.

KREED_550i

I'm sure they don't always tell you when they have to jump the car. I was having the High battery drain issue and my SA volunteered that the car had to be jumped. They found my problem was with the Comfort Access and ordered new door handles since they were sticking. I told them to check the module that monitors the door handles and they said it was find. Now problems since.

Rudy

Exactly. I'm willing to be that 95% of these "low battery" issues are related to a component either not shutting down properly or something waking the car up repeatedly. Somehow, BMW needs to add some better logging to allow techs to instantly see what's asleep and what's awake (and when everything occurs to the second) so they can pinpoint the problem and stop blaming people for not starting the car once in a while.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...if your car is working properly, you should be able to park it (untouched) for WEEKS and it should still start right up if the battery isn't shot. (Notice I didn't say if the battery is new... )

Argent60

In the past 14 years, my daily driving routine hasn't changed at all. In that time, I've own 9 different vehicles (some, two at a time). They've all been driven the same. Battery drain has only been a problem for my '08 E60.
What really irritates me is a coworker(who's not a BS'er at all) told me that this past winter, she didn't drive her freakin' Toyota Camry(that was parked outside) for 8 weeks, and it started right up. (I never told her my battery problems), now I'm glad I didn't.

Gilgorm

Argent60, I agree with you. This is the first car I've owned with a battery drain problem. My current 2002 MB C230 sport coupe sits for weeks at a time, has only 24,000 mi since new and this past winter sat outside buried in snow from December 1 to April 1 and started the first time. Its had one battery in 8 years (currently 3 years old).
My 535i starts OK but the green light?? on the battery is black and the battery is only a year old. Car only has 12,000 mi.
Car had problems with Comfort Access main module and electronic shifter module a year ago that were replaced. I hate having to hold my breath every time I go to start it up. I even bought my first battery charger with 100A start mode just in case.