ottawarealtor

Took the car into the dealer after getting "increased battery discharge and AWD and DSC not functioning" warnings frequently.The most annoying was the heater fan non operational in sub zero weather this last week.I think the battery was shutting down all non essential parts of the car to conserve the battery power.
SA called this afternoon and said they want to replace the battery(installed new less then a year ago by them) and to sell me a trickle charger for 75 with 99 for installation
I told them they had to find a better solution as I did not think it was my fault the battery was dieing so quickly on a car that is driven every day,albeit for short stop and go city driving.When I told them I would be coming back in the future for another replacement battery,he agreed and said he would speak to BMW Canada.
So my question is, are these cars such electricity pigs that the batteries do this unless you are hiway driving for an hour every day?
Is a trickle charger the route to go? Is it reasonable for me to get them to pay for it because of this design flaw with I assume the alternator?
Any thoughts appreciated.
Jeff

pcy

don't waste your time trying to argue with BMW on this topic.
Buy a battery charger and charge it frequently.

Hitesh

Ensure you do not have anything plugged in overnight; eg cell phone, Garmin navi and the like. Some of these gizmos will drain the battery rapidly especially if the car is not driven much like you indicate. Yes, these cars do need a long drive every so often to ensure full battery charge. BTW, I changed the battery on my 07 530 last year myself (a friend bought one from BMW dealer in NJ, less than $200 out the door and delivered it to me for free in Pickering), instal is no big deal and fyi, I bought a trickle charger at Endras BMW here for $50+tax last year too. Bear in mind there are many who have posted that a battery MUST be registered and only the dealer can do that, else your battery life is compromised and/or your display will show a variety of error messages. I did not register my battery and touch wood, did not have any errors on display.

seanjordan

I have never had an issue with the battery. I have had my car for over 7 years and it still has the original battery. It gets driven about three times a week and never have had an issue. I have had the starter changed though because of it not cranking and then they tried telling me it was the battery. I told them that is wasnt and made them change the starter and what do you know it worked. The thing is when it comes down to the battery and electrical function of the E60s there are so many things that can cause the problems from sensors to cables to electrical parts including the battery even software upgrade. If they have tested the battery and the charge is good then have them test the system from cable up. I am sure there is something else wrong. If you let them make you install the trickle charger you will be stuck with that being the fix instead of fixing what is actually wrong. You are going in the right direction by letting them know that this is the second time and making them figure it out. Just be firm because the problem was suppose to fixed the first time but its not. Have them keep it for a few days and make them put you in a loaner if you are under warranty or not. Because if the battery was not the problem the first time why did they have you pay for another one and it wasnt needed. I hope this helped. Let us know the outcome.

pukka

Did the dealer register the first new battery when it was installed?

ottawarealtor

The battery was replaced exactly a year ago and was registered by the dealer.

ottawarealtor

Thanks,I intend to be firm,this is completely unacceptable in my mind.

ottawarealtor

Thanks for the info.I have nothing plugged in that might be draining it unnecessarily Btw, heard good things about Endras .

ottawarealtor

Update.The SA called this morning and they are installing the deepest charging battery BMW sells, which is the one that is in the X5.There is 4 hours of programming that is involved that they are picking up, and they are also covering half the cost of the "super" battery which is not covered under warranty.I agreed to pay the other half just to get this resolved.They told me of the last 87 trips I have made with the car,most were under 5kms,so I thought it was reasonable.Thanks for everyones comments
Jeff

hadokenuh

^^ This.

For us, it seems like the Bluetooth is the culprit. For some reason, if we enable Bluetooth on the car and the phone, we'll get the clock reset more frequently. We just don't use the Bluetooth any more to avoid dealing with the dealership.