Battery Drain with windows down?
01-09-2011, 06:09 PM
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Hi all.
A few days ago, I woke up to see the trunk on my '04 525i had opened automatically overnight. It rained that night, so the carpet in the trunk got wet. A day later, I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). When I started the car the next morning, the battery was completely drained. I tried jump starting it with my neighbors car, but that didn't work. I had to take the battery to a mechanic to charge it fully. The car runs fine now, but I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
A few days ago, I woke up to see the trunk on my '04 525i had opened automatically overnight. It rained that night, so the carpet in the trunk got wet. A day later, I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). When I started the car the next morning, the battery was completely drained. I tried jump starting it with my neighbors car, but that didn't work. I had to take the battery to a mechanic to charge it fully. The car runs fine now, but I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
01-09-2011, 06:29 PM
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Hi all.
A few days ago, I woke up to see the trunk on my '04 525i had opened automatically overnight. It rained that night, so the carpet in the trunk got wet. A day later, I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). When I started the car the next morning, the battery was completely drained. I tried jump starting it with my neighbors car, but that didn't work. I had to take the battery to a mechanic to charge it fully. The car runs fine now, but I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
A few days ago, I woke up to see the trunk on my '04 525i had opened automatically overnight. It rained that night, so the carpet in the trunk got wet. A day later, I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). When I started the car the next morning, the battery was completely drained. I tried jump starting it with my neighbors car, but that didn't work. I had to take the battery to a mechanic to charge it fully. The car runs fine now, but I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
01-09-2011, 08:52 PM
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Investigate under the spare tire stuff ... if the electronics also got wet you may be in for an expensive electronics replacement exercise. This usually happens when some drains or seals don't work properly. But certainly having the trunk open during a rain can be as troubling. BTW, take extra care where you keep your key fob ... what you described happened to me in the first few days I had my e60. Seems the remote trunk and unlock buttons are especially sensitive and a mere touch can open trunk, doors, windows etc.. My advice, after you sort out the wet trunk issue, is to get a key fob cover.
This happened to me today. I was heading out to work in the morning, and found my trunk open. Don't know how it happened, but closed it and drove off. Last night it rained pretty hard in Houston. So while I was on the freeway, all the error messages the OP had, I also had, but the car kept driving fine while the iDrive and windshield wiper went berserk. When I got to work, I opened up the trunk, pulled out the spare tire and saw a pool of water sitting there, with the MPM module soaked in it. I emptied out the water with a towel I had, then left my trunk open to dry out the MPM module while hanging it up with the connector under it to drain out the water that it had collected. After that, I wiped off the module, and relocated it to the left side compartment in the trunk (the opposite side of the battery compartment area), and zip-tied it to a group of wires there, since that area did not get wet when the trunk was open.
But I want to know if leaving the windows half open over night drains the battery. Is there a relay that tells the computer the windows are open constantly (preventing the car from going into sleep mode) after parking the car and locking it, hence draining the battery in the process?
01-09-2011, 09:44 PM
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My Ride: BMW E60
Model Year: 2016
That is so strange, and I have not heard of anyone experiencing this phantom trunk opening deal.
You don't recognize any particular pattern to how this might be happening?
You don't recognize any particular pattern to how this might be happening?
01-10-2011, 05:09 AM
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Hi all.
I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
I lowered all four windows about a third way after parking the car at the end of the day (to let out the wet carpet smell coming from the trunk into the cabin). I was wondering if winding down the windows after the car has been parked and locked, drains the battery.
01-10-2011, 04:38 PM
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Is it possible the motion sensor [part of the alarm system] was "activated" to excess preventing the car from going to "sleep"? I can recall one time I used the key fob to lock the car ... my wife remained inside while I made a quick stop at a convenience store. She was shocked and surprised when the alarm sounded - apparently as a result of her movement inside the car!
As for the mysterious trunk opening, it's happened each time at my apartment, and always when my neighbor's SUV is parked next to mine. I have a hunch that her remote key-fob might be triggering my trunk to open, since most key remotes operate on the 315MHz frequency.
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