BMW is a great car brand, but it can also be a bit finicky. One of the most common problems with these cars is that they tend to have issues with their batteries.
If you are experiencing problems with your battery, this article will help you diagnose what’s going on and get it fixed!
BMW “Battery Discharging While Stopped” Meaning
BMW Battery Discharging While Stopped is a common problem that can be caused by many factors. It means the battery is not holding a charge and is being discharged by the car’s electrical system.
The battery may not be charging properly because of an electrical issue or because it has reached the end of its life cycle and needs to be replaced.
Why Does The BMW Battery Keep Discharging While Stopped?
The BMW battery is a lead-acid battery that is comprised of six 6-volt cells. The cells are made up of positive plates and negative plates that are separated by a porous separator material.
As you may already know, this type of battery has been used for almost 100 years because it’s cheap to produce, reliable in most weather conditions, and relatively easy to maintain.
However, there are several things that can cause the BMW battery to discharge while sitting still:
- The alternator voltage regulator isn’t working properly (or at all)
- The engine cooling fan is not functioning properly
- There’s an electrical short somewhere on your car (on or off)
Related: BMW Start-Stop System Issues Fixed
If you have a BMW and your battery is being drained while the car is parked, it’s likely that the battery needs to be replaced. That being said, there are several things you can do to help prolong the life of your battery. These include:
- Driving regularly and not allowing the car to sit idle for extended periods at a time
- Connecting an external charger when possible
How Do You Fix a BMW Battery that is Discharging?
If the battery is still discharging while you’re driving, start with a visual inspection. Check all of the connections on the battery and make sure they are clean, tight, and free from corrosion.
Make sure that your alternator belt isn’t loose or worn out, which could cause a power drain on your battery. If you’ve been having issues with an alternator or voltage regulator then this may be the source of your problem as well.
Finally, check under the hood for any signs of trouble with your starter motor—if it’s working but not engaging properly then that could be causing problems too!
If there are no obvious signs of problems after checking everything visually then you can move on to more complex diagnostic tests such as checking for proper voltage levels at various points throughout the car
(for example starter/alternator output wires) using a meter before jumping straight into replacing parts unnecessarily (and unnecessarily expensive).
If you do find that there is a component or components that aren’t working after your inspection, you will need to replace them.
Related: BMW ‘Increased Steering Effort’ Meaning and Fix
Does Fully Discharging BMW Battery Damage it?
The answer to this question is: It depends on the battery.
A good-condition battery should hold a charge for six months or more without being recharged, but there are some situations in which it would be better to replace the battery before it’s fully discharged.
For example, if you’ve recently replaced your alternator because of a charging problem and your mechanic didn’t notice a malfunctioning voltage regulator or another power-related issue, your old starter could be causing problems with your new alternator and keeping it from properly charging up the battery.
A local automotive shop or auto parts store will be able to analyze your vehicle’s current electrical system and tell you if replacing an old part may solve any issues that caused sudden discharges in the past as well as prevent future ones.
If not, they’ll let you know if replacing everything at once is worth doing instead of waiting for another problem down the line (or until something breaks).
Signs Your BMW Battery needs Replacing
- If you are getting a battery warning light on your dashboard. A car with a bad battery can have many different problems, including the following:
- The vehicle will be hard to start.
- The car is running poorly. This could be caused by low or dead batteries, or it could be caused by other issues like poor alternator function (which would cause the battery to discharge), poor electrical connections in the wiring harnesses leading from the alternator and starter motor, or clogged air filters that reduce airflow into the engine and cause it to run hotter than normal.
- A check engine light is visible on your instrument cluster or dashboard. If this happens while driving at any speed greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), then it’s likely that there is an issue with your charging system—or more specifically, with either your alternator or voltage regulator assembly—and you should have them both checked out immediately.
Additional Sources:
https://www.bmwblog.com/2014/03/03/bmw-advanced-battery-charging-system/
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10153642-9999.pdf
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/bmw-battery-choosing-the-right-option