Mikef348

Hello all, I have just joined up having searched the web to resolve the above issue.
I truly hope that someone may be able to advise on a course of action.
I have had the car for over 18 month, and within a week had a PCT tow bar fitted by a reputable fitter. (That's for info).
6 months or so ago, I went to start the car as per normal and it was completely dead! I couldn't get it to start, so called the RAC the very helpful chap got it started and after 20 mins or so, checked the battery for recharge and the amps once the car had ' gone to sleep' he advised that the expected .3 or .4 amps was read on on his meter and the battery had recharged to nearly 12 volts. His tested stated that the battery was ' in good condition'.

He left unable to advise what the problem was. This has repeated on 2 further occasions with 2 call outs and the same results.

A couple of things that I have noted which may or may not be relevant.
1. My cd interchanger is stuck following inserting cd's and I can't eject the cassette, also the dash CD player doesn't work, when selecting cd own the i drive a message ' loading cd' appears and does not change.

2. My SOS facility massages that there is a fault.

3. Recently sitting in the car for over 10mins or so with the ignition etc off, the sat nav cd starting whirring!

4. I regularly lose the 'time' clock over night and sometimes I lose the trip milage and average mpg and mph reading zero. This can happen if I leave the key in the ignition for a hour or two.

5 My pdc has stopped functioning.

So this is quite long but not sure what is or not relevant, I have an RAC warranty but they can't say if the fault is covered until they know what the fault is, I have spoken to a reputable BMW specialist who has as expected struggled to advise on this ' intermittent ' fault.

I just don't know when it may happen again!

Many thanks in anticipation.

Mike

525iEnjoy

Have alternator tested

paulccliu

I have same situation as yours. But after checked by dealer, they changed the alternator and so far so good. Another issue to check if there is water leakage in the trunk. Check if there is water underneath the spare wheel well. water inside or humid condition cause malfunction of the module, check this immediately if water inside cause it may damage the expensive module. I myself wrap a big plastic bag around the foam together with all the modules to prevent any possible water leakage into the expensive modules.

clippedwings

I had a similar issue a couple of years back. My guess was the battery was being drained by something not turing off as the battery itself was fine like yours. The main dealer had several attempts at tracing it after BMW assist people can to jump start it and eventually traced it to a faulty drives door window switch panel. They replaced that and it's been fine since then.

If you can get it to someone that can test what's going on when the car is supposedly asleep you might find you have a similar problem

Might not be of course but hope this helps a little.

Mikef348

Hi guys, sorry for my delay in responding.
Well finally the RAC came out for the 3rd time and advised that a cell had gone in the battery and we replaced it. But that was the result not the cause. I took the car to a bmw specialist and the were over 50 electrical faults. The mains ones were:
A broken down harness to one of the front parking sensors causing intermittent sensors issues, the second and main one was that there appears to be a broken wire in the tail gate section and shorting out. The specialist diagnostics reported the car was 'awoken' some 20 times a night over a few weeks.
This was evident by a reverse light out dispute changing the bulb on a number of occasions, finally no power to it.
Another was that cd inter changer, it hadn't worked for a while, so I just got on without it, but apparently it keeps sending signals to the cars brain that there's a fault.

I also noticed, once being parked for 10 minutes or so waiting for someone with the ignition. Off, the sat nav disk wirring away on its own...

Time to sell me thinks.
Cheers

LandRange

Same issue here also! my 530d from 12/04 have had the batterydrainproblem for a few weeks now. I`ve been checking with an ampmeter and found that it drains up to 8 amp. Found it to be on fuse F57 and that fuse is for Micro power control unit, and I belive its lokated under the sparewheel? I`ve also had problems with water coming in to the area under the battery from the sunroof-drainhose. Could this water also have got into the area under the sparewheel? I`ll check it out today. Getting tired of this now!
But I also have probelms with the remote-key to the centrallocking. Are the cables to this in the upper tailgate, on the rigth or left side?

kalinkamaen

Hello LandRange.

Please explain what problem you have with your remote key. I also had problems with this, and this could also be because of moisture in the diversity antenna box. Could also be brokken cables. Could you describe whats the problem please. You did not mention this on Norweigan foum.

Her is an DIY for tailgate wires E61.

http://www.google.no/url?sa=t&rct=j&...47380653,d.bGE

Here is a diy to check your diversity antenna.

It's really easy to do this.

Open the rear window (only the window, not the entire trunk)
You see 4 plastic covers on the inside at the top of the window, remove them with a small screwdriver or a knife
Now you see underneed each cover a torx screw, remove all 4 of them
Now you can slide the spoiler downwards and it will come off. Be carefull not to harm the flatcables attached to it.
Underneath the spoiler you will see a black plastic box where the flatcables run into, this is the housing of the antenna amplifier
Open this housing by pulling the top lid off
Now you can remove the flatcables from the antenna amplifier, remove the other wires and water hose from the spoiler and put the spoiler aside
The white plastic box is the antenna amplifier. It's bolted to the car with 2 screws in the middle, remove them and remove the box

Now you can open the box and check for corrosion.

Should be 10 minutes or less work. Good luck!

Check if there is water inside, or if the print card is corroded

LandRange

Hello again Kalinkamaen!
Never had any message on display about batteryproblems or keyremoteprbl.
Radio works fine, all the rear ligths works fine, heated rearscreen works fine, but no action with the remotekey to centrallocking, on either key! Could be the moist on the div.antenna, or cables. After I cleaned the div.antenna inside, still no life. So first I should check the cables again, on the rigth side, and if their fine then it must be a broken div.antenna! cost about nok 2000,-

amoras10

Hi,

i had all symptoms you metioned, the only solution is put new battery and very important step is to re-register new battery with INPA, all errors gone then all was working without any drain.

Standard batteries is weaker then AGM battery, so choose is yours.

cadillacjukebox

Well, good afternoon. I have recently purchased a 2004 530d Touring (so E61), and am currently working my through the long list of issues encountered thus far.

As a lover of Land Rovers, I am happily accustomed to lots of problems, but equally well acquainted with the value of Google and forums such as this in resolving problems without the need to visit a stealer.

So far we have found and resolved:

1. rear wiring loom - replaced and re-soldered to fix rear heated screen, remote key fob operation (thick wire to diversity antenna was cut), and the rear seat dvd operation
2. cracked torque convertor - replaced along with gearbox oil and filter etc
3. non-working rear wiper - replaced entire unit (rear glass window opened though)
4. boot opening mechanism, struts and mounts for boot cover - so now the boots opens and closes without hideous grinding noise, and no resistence
5. non-BMW battery replaced and coded, new IBS sensor fitted
6. side repeaters updated to led and high brake light replaced.

but still getting the High Rate of Battery Discharge message (sigh).

I have read that a window microswitch is a common fault, and obviously I will get this checked out, but I have sat nav and cd changer too - so there are so many possibilities, I wondered if there was a fool-proof (and I really am a fool) way of diagnosing what is draining / not going to sleep?

Answers on a postcard to...

CadillacJukebox.