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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > Increased battery discharge mystery...



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      11-05-2012, 09:54 PM   #1
bmw246
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Increased battery discharge mystery...

OK, yes i know either the battery needs to be charged or the key, however, i have been driving with the key in the car (yes i have comfort access), had the battery on trickle charger over night twice (once and then again 3 weeks later), had the car at the dealer who told me the battery is fine (last week) said to just lock the car TWICE so that if your key is within 50 ft of the car, it will not "stay on" and "recognize" the key and i still get the dam increased battery discharge!!! WTF 1500 miles, 2011 e93...help???
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      11-05-2012, 09:57 PM   #2
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NOTE: a comfort access key is NOT rechargeable. It uses a standard CR2302 coin cell.
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      11-05-2012, 09:59 PM   #3
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ok, thanks, dealers first fix was, leave the key in the car so it can charge... lol
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      11-05-2012, 10:39 PM   #4
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Wow that's a rookie mistake by the dealer. I just changed both of my fob batteries for comfort access. Took me 30 seconds and cost about $5 for two CR2032 batteries.
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      11-10-2012, 08:50 PM   #5
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ok so anyone else have input on this? this will be the second time i take my car to the dealer for this, my comfort access only works 1/3 of the time since this warning has been going and the increased bat dis warning will not go off. i want this to be the last trip to the dealer...thoughts??
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      11-10-2012, 09:21 PM   #6
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Had the same issue- turned out to be a short in my driver side door handle.
It was swapped under warranty and so far so good.
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      01-28-2013, 12:54 PM   #7
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To the OP - did you get this resolved? What did the dealer do on your second trip? I'm having the same issue with my 2011 335D. My dealer charge the battery about six weeks ago but now the problem has returned. I found that locking the door by pushing the button on the key fob I don't get the battery discharge error. Makes me think it has something to do with comfort access.
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      01-28-2013, 01:02 PM   #8
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Interesting thread guys.

I have a 2011 E93 328i. I too had this problem. Battery was just shy of two years old and I was getting this message: "Increased battery discharge" on my iDrive screen.

The dealer replaced the battery for me under warranty after saying the battery was "toast."

I think these cars have a ton of electronics that are running and drain the batteries quicker than most other cars. Either that or the short trips are killing it. By the way, I'm not using the remote to put the top up/down any more but rather doing it with the engine running.
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      01-28-2013, 06:20 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRJ1970 View Post
Interesting thread guys.

I have a 2011 E93 328i. I too had this problem. Battery was just shy of two years old and I was getting this message: "Increased battery discharge" on my iDrive screen.

The dealer replaced the battery for me under warranty after saying the battery was "toast."

I think these cars have a ton of electronics that are running and drain the batteries quicker than most other cars. Either that or the short trips are killing it. By the way, I'm not using the remote to put the top up/down any more but rather doing it with the engine running.
Generally, from what I've found, "Increase discharge" CC messages are based on the IBS detecting too much draw from the car when it is supposed to be asleep. Battery condition, age, etc... aren't a part of that equation. If the car is supposed to be sleeping at 2mA and it's drawing 10mA (pulling random numbers out of the air) then it will shut circuits down and log the error.

It's always possible that the "system reboot" which took place as a result of pulling the old battery and installing a new one fixed whatever was actually wrong, of course.
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      01-28-2013, 07:07 PM   #10
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FYI

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...hlight=battery

Seems to be a common problem.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...hlight=battery

Even leaving the non comfort access key in the car would be lame as you
are depleting the main battery while the car is awake at a high rate in order
to charge the little battery in the car.

some have measured the awake draw at about .5 amps and the asleep draw at about 10ma .

You can get 5 of those battery's on ebay or amazon for about .20 cents each . It cost me 2 dollars total to get them and get them to my front door.
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      01-29-2013, 01:48 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRJ1970
Interesting thread guys.

I have a 2011 E93 328i. I too had this problem. Battery was just shy of two years old and I was getting this message: "Increased battery discharge" on my iDrive screen.

The dealer replaced the battery for me under warranty after saying the battery was "toast."

I think these cars have a ton of electronics that are running and drain the batteries quicker than most other cars. Either that or the short trips are killing it. By the way, I'm not using the remote to put the top up/down any more but rather doing it with the engine running.
Wow sounds like the same as my situation, except the dealer only charged my battery. Now about two weeks later it's in again. We'll see if they replace it or charge it this time.

Last time they just asked if I park in a garage, YES. Then asked if I lock it in the garage, um NO. Then I was told that I "need" to lock it so that it can sleep.

The more I read about it the more I worry about short trips. So what is exactly "short"? My commute is about 20 min / 8 miles on city streets with maybe 1 mile of freeway. Is this considered a short trip?
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      01-29-2013, 06:48 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_milo View Post
Last time they just asked if I park in a garage, YES. Then asked if I lock it in the garage, um NO. Then I was told that I "need" to lock it so that it can sleep.
Now this is an interesting topic that I've thought about bringing up for discussion before.

The E39s I've had in the family before sleep after 16 minutes in inactivity - it doesn't matter whether they are locked or unlocked, or even if doors are open at the time. All the interior lighting shuts down, the light by the "P" goes out if the car has an AT and all the systems sleep.

My E90 doesn't seem to act this way. I believe I read somewhere that on the E90s the sleep time has been set to 30 minutes. Furthermore, if my E90 is unlocked in the garage and no one is touching it, it seems like every so often (sometimes once every minute or two, sometimes out of the blue after 30-60 minutes of nothing) something will click and it sounds like the fuel pump runs for a second. If it's locked it doesn't do this at all. Unlocked it happens all the time. I haven't confirmed for sure it's the fuel pump, and the click sounds almost like the unlocked doors trying to unlock themselves again. The car never unlocks itself from a locked state - I don't have a malfunctioning remote key or anything like that. It sounds like "flunk-da-whirirrrt".

I was planning on asking around if this is just me. I fail to understand why back in the mid-90s it was all sorted out how to have an untouched car go to sleep but now it has to be locked.

I wonder if there's actually a very common problem that keeps waking the cars up if unlocked. It affects so few people the dealers would rather tell you to lock it than fix the problem on so many cars. My extended warranty is expiring soon and this is something I'm putting on the list for the dealer to take a look at. I would love to discover something with INPA (or similar) first but I can't get any of the MSV80 screens to display in English despite hours of work installing different INPA packages trying to get it to work.
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      01-29-2013, 07:14 AM   #13
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I've actually had the same error a few times when it was like zero degrees in Madison. You being in Chicago, I bet temps may have been similar and maybe had something to do with the cold? I haven't noticed any ill effects and now that it's "warmed" up a little, it has stopped. Also I don't have comfort access.
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      01-29-2013, 10:16 AM   #14
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have this problem on my 2011- dealer said battery is fine but has only been at 35-39% charge since car "doesn't go to sleep". Pain in the ass
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      01-29-2013, 11:36 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TotalPower View Post
have this problem on my 2011- dealer said battery is fine but has only been at 35-39% charge since car "doesn't go to sleep". Pain in the ass
"...doesn't go to sleep...when it's left unlocked"

or

"...doesn't go to sleep." ?

Important difference. If you have INPA, you can pull statistics from the IBS system on state of charge and temperature conditions in which the battery has operated.
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      01-29-2013, 11:54 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_milo View Post
So what is exactly "short"? My commute is about 20 min / 8 miles on city streets with maybe 1 mile of freeway. Is this considered a short trip?
This sounds like a perfect amount of time to run the car to where the battery is charged again. I don't consider this a "short" trip.

I think I killed my battery with the daily trips to Starbucks which is 2 miles away. I'm there, through the drive-thru, back within 10 minutes. I work from home so the car doesn't get much use until the weekends.
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      01-29-2013, 12:05 PM   #17
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You guys aren't alone. My 2013 F10 with comfort access also does this and the car is only 4 months old with 3K miles.

I could charge the battery myself for hours or drive it for long distances the day before and I would still get the message on the idrive the next or the following day.

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      01-29-2013, 05:01 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surly73 View Post
"...doesn't go to sleep...when it's left unlocked"

or

"...doesn't go to sleep." ?

Important difference. If you have INPA, you can pull statistics from the IBS system on state of charge and temperature conditions in which the battery has operated.

I lock my car and it's doesn't go to sleep. or "keeps getting woken up"
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      01-29-2013, 05:17 PM   #19
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Typically this is a result of a parasitic draw and could be related to something internal in the vehicle but not often. We have seen this several times before and it turns out to be an accessory plugged into a power port (cigarette lighter, etc).

I don't know how many times we've seen it:

GPS Plugged in
Satellite Radio adapter plugged in
Phone or car charger plugged in

Sometimes they are left on, thinking the car will shut off power to them automatically, but this isn't always the case. I'm not sure if its part of the software that if there is a consistent power draw that the car will continue to provide power, but it will. Interestingly, these things are always "on" but will continue to have a parasitic power draw that the MINI or BMW will continue to feed.

The only other time I've seen this happen was when a customer smashed their light switch in and it was stuck in an interior light "on" mode, every other time it has been an accessory or device.
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      01-29-2013, 06:26 PM   #20
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I don't think it's an accessory but would be very glad *if* that was the case.

I was very bummed out to find that all my accessory outlets power down when I turn my car off. Other models may be different but on my 2011 E93 they turn off which is a bit of a bummer since I used to leave my phone or iPod in my Audi to charge it but can't do the same with the BMW.

Even doing "bad" things like this my Audi's battery lasted 7 years whereas the BMW is having trouble before 2 years.
Granted the old Audi and the new BMW are completely different beasts in terms of electronics.

As far as locking the car, I was really bummed to hear this might or would be required. I have never really locked my convertibles because the cost of a (soft) top was always more than the belongings inside. The hardtop changes that a bit but I sill find it annoying to "have to" lock my car when it's in my garage. I have heard the car wake up several times but I think it was always unlocked and I walked into the garage with the key in my pocket. Walking near the car seemed to trigger the car to wake up. Don't know if the same would happen if it was locked.

On the same lines, I wonder how close is too close for the key. I hang my key about 4 feet from the garage wall and it's another 8-10 feet to my car from that wall. Now I wonder if just having my key so close to the car all night might be causing issues. This really sucks since Comfort Access was *supposed* to make life easier.

Last edited by mr_milo; 01-29-2013 at 06:36 PM..
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      01-30-2013, 12:33 AM   #21
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I was told that the key fob needed to be 12-15 feet away or the car, if left unlocked, would be trying to "talk" to it, therefore draining the battery. Had the issue a lot w an X6 before they admitted the battery wouldn't hold charge regardless and replaced the battery under warranty.
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      01-30-2013, 07:11 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TotalPower View Post
I lock my car and it's doesn't go to sleep. or "keeps getting woken up"
Well, then, the dealer who said that should fix it instead of just tell you that's the way it is.... Weird.
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