Jucas Blue

So here is what's been happening with my E60. It's an '08 535xi CPO. From day 1 when I got the car Jan'11, the car has had minor electrical issues. For instance, the radio would be turned off when the car is started in the morning, the clock is slowing down, etc. Then about 2 months ago, the "Increased Battery Discharge" warning would come on and time / date, miles driven, etc. are all reset. And Comfort Access is not working. Took it to the dealer who determined that IBS is faulty. Initially they said nothing was wrong and then the second time they admitted that the IBS needs to be replaced. So now after the IBS is changed out, for the first time I noticed that when I open the driver's door, the angel eyes and parking lights turn on. That never happened before. But after about 2 - 3 days, they no longer come on when I open the door and now the clock is slowing down again. Does this mean that something else is going on? Maybe battery is dying? Any suggestions?

BlaSTiWi

If something draining the battery have the dealer check the comfort access module or maybe alternator problem?

T1000BP

When your battery drops under a certain charge the angel eyes and tails will not light up when you unlock the car. Mine does thr same thing. But my battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. I plug her in once a week to a trickle to top her off and she lights up fine when unlocking and the clock doesnt slow down. After a few days the charge drops and she'll still start but the eyes don't light up and the clock starts to slow down. I gotta change the battery before it drops below freezing temps here!

TheRab

I would shoot straight for a new (well atleast try out) a new battery. I find that on mine, my friends, and parents bm'rs that weird finicky things happen when there's a old battery. It seems like its the easiest fix aside from dealing with the dealers

nomis_nehc

Yah, definitely sounding like a battery issue. How old is it? If it's CPO, get them to replace it.

Gilgorm

My car had the same problems when I first got it in July 09. Dealer replaced Comfort Access module (main unit, althogh individual handles can also go) and Electronic gear shifter. Both items had power drains and weren't going to sleep. But, problem continued until an after-market Boomerang (Lo-Jack) system was completely removed. Previous owner had failed to notify anyone about system so car was constantly trying to "phone home" and drained battery. Recharged battery lasted until this past April when I had it replaced one week before the OEM warranty ran out.
You'll probably need a new battery once you find the drain problem.
BTW, I don't drive car much so I don't use 'Auto" headlight switch in order to eliminate the welcome lights coming on and further draining battery. Switch to "Auto" after startup.

V70Cat

Does CPO cover the battery?

Jucas Blue

Like everybody who has commented, I suspect a battery going bad. I asked the SA if they would swap out the battery. The SA chuckled sheepishly and said that BMW makes it very difficult to swap out the battery under factory warranty. He even had another SA confirm that. Apparently they have to prove a bunch of things before a new battery is approved. Then he added that he thought that was "stupid" of BMW, seeming to indicate that it makes his job more difficult.

What I'm wondering is how much is the cost of changing out the IBS vs. a new battery? Shouldn't it be about the same? They even had to ship the IBS from Germany because none were available in the States and I had to make 2 trips to the dealer. I'm getting quite annoyed at all this. I'm almost at the point of just paying for a new battery and getting this over with. What tops everything is that the factory warranty has since expired. I did buy the extended maintenance plan, but I believe I read in the fine print that batteries are not covered. So looks like my wallet will be made $400 to $500 lighter in the not too distant future. Even though I love the way this car drives, I'm seriously considering trading it in as I'm afraid of what other expenses are in store as the car ages. Sorry for the ranting...

pukka

Factory warranty doesn't cover the battery, so I highly doubt the CPO warranty will.

OP: You got BS'ed by the dealer. The first thing that should have been replaced was the battery. You car was already 3 years old. Its pretty obvious from the symptoms that you had a weak battery and it no longer held a charge.

I recently noticed that on my car, the Comfort Access hardly worked on the doors and the clock reset after parking for only 30 minutes. Replaced the battery and all has been fine since.

Jucas Blue

I meant original maintenance plan and extended maintenance plan. According to many on this board they have successfully received a new battery on the original maintenance plan.