hjcsdca

I ran into the same issue when the car was parked in the cold or overnight. The car's currently at the dealership, they said it was a faulty alternator causing spikes that created the active steering errors. Will see if everything's fixed tomorrow.

calpalmer

My one instance of a low battery condition causing an AS failure and the alert message at startup cleared itself. I drove for a few minutes with the AS/PS obviously not working and the alert displayed. The alert then cleared as I was driving the steering returned to normal. That happened just once, and was the result of listening to the radio quite a while with the motor off (had to keep recycling through start/stop listen as the ACC power shuts off after maybe 15-20 minutes).
Cal

calpalmer

My one instance of a low battery condition causing an AS failure and the alert message at startup cleared itself. I drove for a few minutes with the AS/PS obviously not working and the alert displayed. The alert then cleared as I was driving the steering returned to normal. That happened just once, and was the result of listening to the radio quite a while with the motor off (had to keep recycling through start/stop listen as the ACC power shuts off after maybe 15-20 minutes). I interpreted the behavior to be one of conserving battery charge for the critical functions (by switching off the AS) until the alternator had restored the battery storage levels to safe reserve.
Cal

Aviator

Damn, I'm worried now after reading this. I have a garage, but it's not heated. And up here in Montana it obviously can get really cold. I leave the car inside the garage on cold nasty wintery days. Should I start the car every couple days when I have it in there? Is there any recall for this problem?

silvergray5456spd

i started my car and let it idle for 10 min or so. the message went away so no worries!

sixcard

Lots of appreciated replies , thanks ? but:

How can low fluid shut down my clock? Or zero my accrued MPG? On every occasion this scenario had caused me to reset many I Drive functions.

My question was has anyone related this issue to cold weather. hjcsdca (from sunny California!!) did. I think LaJolla is sunny, unless it?s on fire.

My original problem was over a year ago. I have the same battery now as I had then.

I do have a problem with 1600?s response. The AS is one of my favorite features on my E60. Mrs. sixcard?s E90 steers like a freaking tricycle in the mud. This is no more than a minor annoyance and, if nothing else, a good excuse to head down to my dealer and look at all the cars I might have bought. This issue is far outweighed by all the good things I like about my E60.

It still is under warranty and the warranty will cover it. I suspect I may or may not see it again. I know my SA reads E60.net ? he will be expecting me. And no doubt he will update my software.

calpalmer

An inexpensive charger (I like the Battery Tender) will tide you through the several-day periods in the winter. I think these e60's have so much going on electronically that a single battery is at its margin. In fact I think I've read that some 2009 or 10 models are to be supplied with 2 batteries. Just put a trickle charger on the car if you're planning to leave it several days.

Cal

1600

Sixcard, I do not understand your problem with my response to your issues. The device may have wonderful intentions. It just does not perform as intended.

calpalmer

Now here's an update for you concerning what I've come to think of as Marginal Battery Storage capacity -- as noted above a short spell of playing tunes with the motor off was enough to put my battery in a low charge state leading to AS failure for a little while. Today, I left the car at the airport at about 6am, and returned to it at about 3:30pm. As I approached the car I noticed I had left the lights on..... ut oh!! Car unlocked fine via CA, and when I pressed the Start button, there was no hesitation -- started right up!

Now I would have guessed I'd be deader than a door nail. Mysterious.

Cal

sixcard

Consider the logic.

Many of the replies suggested a battery problem. If the battery is shot we blame the AS system???

Several suggested the fluid level. I think that would be the owner?s responsibility and not necessarily the AS system.

And consider that of the 17,000, or so, miles on the clock the AS system has done a good job for 16,990, or so. That?s 99.94% OK. And the other 0.06% of the time I got some extra arm/shoulder exercise.

Point is, I don?t know the cause of the problem and I won?t jump to one without more info and logic.

I do know that about eleven months ago the same symptoms were corrected after an upgrade of the computer system. That was about when the weather turned colder here in north Georgia last year.

That steers me toward some electronic I?s or O?s that are going astray.