High rate of discharge Warning - E60 550i

[Zig]

Hi Guys,

I need advice on this "high rate of discharge" problem for my 2006 550i. The car has only done 135 000 km. I've already replaced a new battery under warranty and I keep on getting this warning. The car charges 100% (it was tested by the battery installer) but for some reason the battery keeps discharging when the car is stationary. If it stands for say 3-4 days the rate of discharge is so high that when I start the car I have to set the time again. Also you can hear the starter motor not cranking the way it should.
Anyone else experience this warning?

What could be the problem, and more importantly - where can I take the car so that it can be dealt with competently?

Reason for asking is that I've noticed surprisingly that I'm not getting the kind of service I expected from a German manufacturer. When I drove my Alfa, I expected the worst and usually got it.

Thanks,
Zig

 

[Jandre]

tracker fitted?

 

[ClassicB]

Do you have a tracker in your car? If you do that could be the culprit.

 

[gconry18]

Does your car have a tracking system installed?

My girlfriend was having a problem where her tracking system was completely draining the main battery every 2-3 days.

 

[fhmbmj]

does the car perhaps have a tracker? Some of the tracking units are charged from you car battery.When trackers battery is dead it will contiue to draw current and drain your car battery. I had that issuewith my car and bmw could not diagnose it. One of the techs at Jhb bmw told me to check the tracker to have it serviced

 

[SP33DYV]

Exactly what I was going to ask. If you have a tracking device with a backup battery, you probably need to replace that backup battery as well. The tracking device is constantly trying to charge the backup battery.

 

[calypso]

tracker fitted?

Or perhaps how many trackers?

I once saw the dealer take 3 out of one car.

 

[Zig]

So the consensus is that a tracker can cause this?
I don't know if it has one.
Where would I see such a unit installed?

 

[splintheter]

Having just read the thread from top to bottom, may I say: Is there a tracker fitted? :biglol::biglol::biglol:

 

[graan13]

Tend to agree with all the tracker comments. Also be aware that on the e60's there was a recall for faulty battery wiring in the boot that can also cause similar symptoms to the point of being a fire hazard! May also be worthwhile having that recall notice checked against your vin number. Be sure, the stupid dealers often don't even check recalls/vins and as I found out with airbag recalls on my e46, they weren't even aware of the recall!!! yet when they went into their system they can see the "campaign" as they refer to a recall.........
Just a thought as well..... had a VW Caravelle that suddenly started a similar thing, went back to VW 4 times, each time replace battery, stripped inside roof aircon as "that" was the problem, 2 days later same thing..... dead as a dodo... went back again, then it was the tracker fault, had tracker there to check, no problem.... long story short, sold the car via ex-bro in laws dealership, sold very first day on the lot, could not start it again, he got the VW dealer principal on site and he said "has the car been checked for a faulty relay recall".... I said I would presume they checked that - turns out they didn't!!! replaced a R80.00 relay, new battery again and the chap that had bought the car never had an issue again!!!

 

[andrewbuch]

My dads E60 did this for the 2 years he had it, Motorplan replaced battery twice, but they never managed to get it fixed.

 

[splintheter]

My dads E60 did this for the 2 years he had it, Motorplan replaced battery twice, but they never managed to get it fixed.

Bro, how do you manage to get such bad fuel consumption from a 130i corsa ?? :flyfun: Thats what I get from my M3

Sorry for the thread hi-jack...

Back to the high battery discharge.. :sorry:

 

[andrewbuch]

My dads E60 did this for the 2 years he had it, Motorplan replaced battery twice, but they never managed to get it fixed.

Bro, how do you manage to get such bad fuel consumption from a 130i corsa ?? :flyfun: Thats what I get from my M3

Sorry for the thread hi-jack...

Back to the high battery discharge.. :sorry:

I wish I knew. Its the wifes car. And it has a drinking problem

 

[charlvdw]

Replaced my battery over December, which sorted the warning on mine.

 

[Zig]

Tend to agree with all the tracker comments. Also be aware that on the e60's there was a recall for faulty battery wiring in the boot that can also cause similar symptoms to the point of being a fire hazard! May also be worthwhile having that recall notice checked against your vin number. Be sure, the stupid dealers often don't even check recalls/vins and as I found out with airbag recalls on my e46, they weren't even aware of the recall!!! yet when they went into their system they can see the "campaign" as they refer to a recall.........


Are you guys sure it could be a tracker? Not sure if everybody agrees on this one!! :rollsmile:

Graan, thanks for the info. I'm definitely going to check the VIN against the recall. When the battery installer checked the battery he said that the battery temperature was above normal according to the diagnostics test, which is why they changed the battery thinking it was faulty. Two days after that I had the same warning appear again.

Where in the car can I look to see if I've got a tracker fitted?

Thanks in advance for all the help people :thumbs:

 

[andrewbuch]

Where in the car can I look to see if I've got a tracker fitted?

Different installers fit them in different places. And they don't usually show you when they install them.

My sister had some issues on an Audi she bought. When she went to have her tracker installed, the found another one already. then after hers was installed and the other removed she still had some issues, Audi found 2 more in other locations.

 

[Rory]

Is there perhaps a tracker fitted?

My service history shows a battery recall fix. It's some tiny thing...

 

[graan13]

Tend to agree with all the tracker comments. Also be aware that on the e60's there was a recall for faulty battery wiring in the boot that can also cause similar symptoms to the point of being a fire hazard! May also be worthwhile having that recall notice checked against your vin number. Be sure, the stupid dealers often don't even check recalls/vins and as I found out with airbag recalls on my e46, they weren't even aware of the recall!!! yet when they went into their system they can see the "campaign" as they refer to a recall.........


Are you guys sure it could be a tracker? Not sure if everybody agrees on this one!! :rollsmile:

Graan, thanks for the info. I'm definitely going to check the VIN against the recall. When the battery installer checked the battery he said that the battery temperature was above normal according to the diagnostics test, which is why they changed the battery thinking it was faulty. Two days after that I had the same warning appear again.

Where in the car can I look to see if I've got a tracker fitted?

Thanks in advance for all the help people :thumbs:

Like I say, just make sure that which ever dealer you go to understands that there was a recall (I remember getting a notice for my e60 about a year after I no longer had it, so it would be around a year back now). Ask them to make doubly sure that they check against the vin and whether it fell into the category of vins recalled. they are quick to tell you there was no such recall or they don't know about it etc etc. They should be able to give you a print out whereby it states "no campaign against vin". It just a thought as I remember that it was something to do with the wiring/connection in the boot and the batteries get hot/drain/catch fire in extreme cases. Hope that you get sorted!
As far as the location of trackers - I can tell you that they are often under the rear seats.... I've had 3 cars with tracking systems and they have been there but that's pure coincidence me thinks... they could be anywhere to be honest.

GL... :thumbs:

 

[zaleonardz]

If its not the tracker.....

Then you need to do a current draw on each circuit to determine your issue.

Issue is your car is not going into sleep mode, due to either a faulty module, or a faulty input on a module.

If you have comfort access on the car, it could literally be a door handle... I am not even kidding.

put a current monitor on the car, wait for the car to go into sleep after 10 minutes, if your current draw does not drop, it means your car is not sleeping.

Then check which circuit with the most current draw, and there is your problem...

 

[nino_f1]

As said above would be my advice too.
And most certainly is very likely. A module is draining the battery.
However many times you replace the battery it won't solve the problem.

The recall is just to inspect and if necessary replace the 'cable connector' only due to the quality of the original plastic connector having an unlikely possibility of melting.