i turned of my 2004 530d today and put down the two front windows a little, i then turned on the radio for a about a minute, when it was interrupted with a message saying "battery charge very low" i was like wtf i just drove 15 miles. it started up perfectly.

anyone got any ideas what this was about?

 

If you never have replaced your battery, it may be due. They are pricey, you'll find lots of info around this site on them. I'd refrain from leaving it somewhere you don't want it to be, or rolling windows ect down until you're certain its not the battery, or it may get stuck where it is, as it is.

 

this is the 3rd battery ive put into it

 

What?? That sounds a little excessive, Are you using BMW batteries? Is your weather extreme cold? Starting car 20 time a day? Sounds like something is causing them to fail prematurely. Or is that just the Diesel usage rate?

 

no im not using BMW batteries just branded batteries of the same amp etc.the first one lasted 4 years the second 1 year and now the 3rd 1 year. i live in Ireland so no extreme weather,and no my car does a 40 mile trip to work and about a 60 mile trip at the weekends,(the way this car should be used) so no short trips.

 

Just a thought...Did you get the dealer to register the battery to the car? If not, it may be killing your new batteries. It's amazing that our $60k cars can detect rain, sun, and tire pressure, but can't recognize or properly charge a new battery!!

Will

 

Get dealer to register with the car that it has a new battery, if not get them to check the IBS lead. This was what was draining my battery. It is the intelligent battery sensor and the car was not going to sleep properly and was causing unnecessary drain on battery.

There is a known moisture problem and the leads get corrdoed or damaged during winter months and if your car is 6 years old or so then its probably going to need replacing. I had mine replaced under warranty.

Do a search on here for IBS lead and see what other people have said and see if symptons are the same. The trouble is you are using non genuine BMW battery as well, which may be part of the problem.

If its not a sealed battery then check the cells for dionised water to see if it needs toppoing up. Most batteries these days are selaed though.

 

I received a low battery indicator as well a few days back but I was too late and it died this morning. After getting it jumped I dropped it off at my local dealership and got quoted $300-350 (for the battery, installation, and registration) depending on what battery the tech decides to use. Autozone had one for $155 (duralast) but my dealer wouldn't install a non bmw battery. I never changed the battery before and was told that they generally last 3-5 years.

2005 545i