increased battery discharge bmw. Common discharge causes include faulty IBS (Intelligent Battery Sensors) and old batteries. increased battery discharge bmw

 
 Common discharge causes include faulty IBS (Intelligent Battery Sensors) and old batteriesincreased battery discharge bmw  So, if the alternator produces 28 Amp only and the car needs 50 Amp, the battery discharging while stationary would pop up

4. '' ''Start engine. 0 TFSI (Maya Brown / Cognac-Black) 2014 Porsche 991. Another possible cause of increased battery discharge is a fault in the alternator or charging system. "Increased Battery Discharge. Audi classifies batteries, brake pads and a few other items as wear and tear, so no warranty after one year. Voltage on batteries drops slightly as they age. I've replaced my battery with a BMW battery since, and I haven't had any issues. It should be 12. As well, the 2nd. After that, the Increased Battery Discharge message went away for a few days, and I even took a 2. If the voltage dropped more than maybe a half volt overnight then the battery may be a problem. I just got back in town and haven't driven the car for 4 days and it wouldn't. How Much Does a BMW Battery Cost? The cost of parts and installation will vary between models, but your BMW battery replacement cost will likely come in between $300 and $500 when you factor in parts and labor. a module’s high electrical requirements. Euros. Battery is about 2 months old (AGM BMW battery, registered). A flooded car battery discharge rate is about 1% per day at room temperature, 0. 8v initially then after a 20 mile run (Blast down the motorway ) tested again and it was 12V. Other power distribution failureYou can make basic checks of battery cables and voltage and try to charge or jump start the vehicle but most likely a full diagnostic will be requiredYou will want to use a bmw specialist for thisIncreased Battery Discharge warning is due to 1) a module not sleeping properly, 2) a modu8le being awakened too often, or 3) (most commonly) an improperly powered aftermarket accessory (there is almost no way to properly power an aftermarket accessory). The battery discharge warning means that your car’s battery is getting discharged more than it is getting charged, indicating that your car might run into. are depleting the main battery while the car is awake at a high rate in order. It's driven every day even on weekends. Car started just fine, but of course the clock was not set, etc. It may not hold a charge, and an electronic device connected to the 12-volt outlet may be draining power from the battery. Below is the exact diagnoses and the fix stated in statement of work from the dealer after having "Increased Battery Discharge" warning msg same as shown in post#1 by the OP: "Ran short test and found faults: 93076A,. . Spread the love. Brian425 said: While I have not had the increased battery discharge message again, I get the impression that this is still a work in progress. Then if the voltage. BMW is also blaming the 6WB cluster because it’s not factory. Spread the love. #19 · Sep 4, 2010. Jan 18, 2016. Re: F10 Charge Battery. BMW Modifications | Accessories | Upgrades. Getting the following. Bad alternator 3. 1 51-21-7-191-590 Carrier, Outside Door Handle: 512099TV. Most aftermarket batteries are smaller (somewhere between 90Ah to 95Ah) and may not be any cheaper than the OE battery at MSRP from the dealer ($236). You move the gear shifter to neutral, reverse, or park. This is my first video as becoming an aspiring automotive youtuber! This is my dream and always wanted to do this but never had the guts to go ahead. Battery is unable to provide enough cranking amps if the message “Increase battery discharge” appears during starting. Replace key battery a couple of weeks ago but every time I get into car get above message come up. They had installed a non-AGM battery. The OEM battery was replaced a year ago. Battery for 100$ very good too - you not need BMW Battery for 500$ BMW not manufacturing Batteries only sticking own logos on cheap batteries and attaching own price. What could be draining my BMW battery? One of the electronics on your car drains too much power or does not go into sleep mode. Although some cars include a battery protection feature, you can have some other necessary tips in this article. ( NHTSA ITEM NUMBER - 10052012 ) Appreciate 0 Tweet. The car started fine and on the next crank the warning was gone. . Drives: F10. Hi, I am Francisco. Drives: 2017 330i xDrive M Sport. Try not to go lower than ~80Ah however to prevent any issues with electronics. Bimmerpost ☰ Model Selection. Faulty alternator. 2012 1 series gives service message increased battery discharge. Doug Huffman said: Increased Battery Discharge is enabled with > 80 mA closed-circuit (BMW for OFF) current. The alternator, and battery was replaced and the computer system had to be reprogrammed. If you're not getting a dashboard display/warning that says "Increased Battery Discharge", don't worry be happy. Our professionals are here to help make sure you find the answers you need to. We are a group of vehicle enthusiasts looking for Car meets, car shows, drag racing, roll racing, New cars, etc,. Do I just need to take the car for a longer drive to charge the battery, it. The 12 V accessory port remains powered for only a few minutes after shutting down the car, and during that time, the DC-DC converter is still able to charge the 12 V battery, so the low-power USB charger is almost. 111 posts · Joined 2011. Increased Battery Discharge. Have you noticed this notification on your recent BMW’s dashboard?Hope this video was helpfull and if so don't forget to subscribe :)What causes increased battery discharge on BMW? Heat, heated seats, heated steering wheels in addition to the stereo and headlights all can cause a significant draw on the battery. You would have to drive for hours on the highway to fully charge the battery. I was wondering if anyone has figured out what exactly triggers this message. This car is second hand and has always had an electronics issue whereby when I enter the car, it reports that the electronic systems were shut off due to "Increased battery discharge" while stopped ("Battery discharging while stopped - Electrical devices were temporarily switched off. Voltage and cranking amps also drop during cold temperatures. . Your BMW will never ever fully charge its battery, not even the The best of possible circumstances. Certified & Pre-Owned. Cause: E. I might just reinstall the factory cluster and sell this one. They insist I don't drive it enough miles to keep battery charged and that I don't drive at 55+mph, when in fact I do, as we live in the country and use I-5 to get anywhere, so it's driven at 70mph most days at least 10 miles, with stops inbetween. M5POST - BMW M5 Forum > F10 M5 Forum > BMW M5 (F10) General Forum: Battery discharge when stationary Post Reply Thread Tools: Search this Thread 08-30-2022, 02:43 PM. **Update**. Whre have you been? 2012 BMW 1 Series M. This price included switching to an AGM battery, which was done at my request. An 8221; message popped up for the second time 8 months After. Increased battery discharge when stationary. Message appeared 5mins after start off. Appreciate 0 Quote 02-04-2014, 08:16 PM #17:. #14 · Aug 30, 2015. so my question is: I borrowed a battery charger that's. F40Model Year: 2019 + Previous Generations; F20 / F21Model Year: 2012 - 2018. Present: 2012 X5 35d (with 3rd row seat) mineral/black. They said the battery was bad and needed replacing so I went back a couple hours later for the replacement. If it does do the same the next time you park for the night, but this time disconnect the battery negative terminal. I have a 2005 525 I BMW . If the IBS sensor is defective, it may cause the battery to discharge faster than normal, which will trigger the battery discharge warning. 5V or greater. If it comes back, take the battery out and charge it, let it off the charger for 5-10 minutes, measure voltage. 85V. It is annoying as you have to re-set the time/date and all the mileage, trip odo etc. Have put on over 600 km in the last 2 weeks and what was on my dash yesterday - the increased discharge message!You can also get increased BMW battery discharge when stationary. 171. It only seems to happen in cold weather. Location: Essex. the power magic setting is 12 hours or 12v, shutdown camera. Every time I start the car I have to reset my clock and there is a warning in the VEHICLE INFORMATION display that says "Increased Battery Discharge". Posts. The warning is telling you something is running the battery down when it's parked or at least has the ignition off. If the voltage is low, locate the battery and try charging it with a proper charger. 30pm. ago. Haven't contacted BMW but I wouldn't expect much change from £250 for the battery and a minimum hour labour rate. If it drops below 13. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Past: 2006 BMW X3 3. Article Summary . New to the forum, I have a 2014 320i. Discharging while stopped means that there is a continuing load in excess of 80 mA on the battery. Electrical consumers were temporarily switched off. Bmw x5 battery discharging while stopped; Bmw problems after replacing battery; Bmw battery discharge while stopped; Bmw increased battery. When there's space between the terminals and the wires, electricity can't conduct properly. Enlisted Member . Normally when you lock and unlock the vehicle you will see around 8 to 15 amps. Hi, my car has started showing the 'increased battery discharge' message again. BMW F10 Increased Battery Discharge. I have an appointment for Jan 14th to perform the water pump recall so hopefully. Plug the new one in (nothing was programmed or anything pure plug and play). A check control message "High battery drain, increased battery discharging while stopped, vehicle may not start" is shown in the CID (Central Information Display) when starting the car. Caveat here before doing any of the new install I unplugged the negative battery node to ensure no power was in the car. Increased Battery Discharge. 2014 BMW 335i xDrive Alpine White ---- M-Sport/Premium/Cold Weather/Technology/HK/Driver Assist+/Active High Beam/8AT Sport. Recently my 2011 MCS displayed the 'Increased Battery Discharge' message. 2. Bryan_averagejoe Member. A year ago shortly after purchase I would get “Increased Battery Discharge while stopped”but only when car was not driven for 2 days and raining. I hate my dealership. Also, high humidity can cause corrosion inside the battery. Anyone have this happen? Car has it pop up every single time i start it after. It has done this now probably only half a dozen times in the space of about 2 months. Start Assistant Inactive 3. I have a 2012 e70 50i. Yes i have, BMW told me it needs an OEM BMW battery when they serviced the car. . With battery sensor disconnected, check Terminal 15/wake-up wire for shorts to ground. Make sure the smart key is not too close to the car if your BMW battery continues dying while it is parked. Increased Battery Discharge is very common and is a transient warning. Jan 19, 2011 #1. That being said, if the car spikes above above 100mA, you should see a check control message saying increased battery drain/discharge. :eek: What could be cause ?How to Fix BMW Increased Battery Discharge ️Possible Causes / FIXES ️ BMW Battery Drain #1: Leaning On Charging Overnight Will Decrease Battery Life. Fitting includes coding etc. 3. So, it's recently been giving the "increased battery discharge" warning and resetting the clock, etc. BMW M6 Increased Battery Discharge (339450). Storing batteries at lower temperatures thus reduces the rate of self-discharge and preserves the initial energy stored in the battery. If your BMW battery keeps dying while parked, make sure the smart key is not too close to the car. Join Date: Jan 2014. BMW Garage: BMW Meets: Register: Today's Posts: Search:. 2. So, if your short journey is mainly all on the throttle then the battery will not get much charge. Ask for a new battery period. And about 2 weeks later, again "Increased Battery Discharge" and same time "Battery. Location: MA. Hi Fellow members I’ve recently gotten a 2012 328i f30 sedan. Had to call roadside on Fri. A few days ago I went to leave work, put the key in, and got the most generic CC message I've ever seen. Here's what you should do when you see "Battery Discharging while Stopped" in the BMW i3: Check the 12V battery. A) So try charging the battery for several hours. The print out report reads "Good, Recharge, Volts 11. Nanu wrote: ↑ Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:46 pm After checking out You Tube found how to check the voltage on the battery and make sure the alternator is OK using the cars system. As far as I know, the car is perfect- occasionally I would get a message that said, "Increased battery discharge!" and honestly, I didn't pay much attention to it as it went right away and the. Then I stand corrected. Increase Battery Discharge When Stopped. It is not a battery message and is generally based on the IBS system detecting higher-than-proper current draw when the vehicle is supposed to be sleeping. So I took it to Dinan and paid $421. It's not difficult to install at all but you have to register the battery with the ECU. 25830 posts · Joined 2015. The car was locked with the lights off and the parking brake engaged. Appreciate 0. The warning is telling you something is running the battery down when it's parked or at least has the ignition off. First battery replaced August 2008 three months after taking delivery. Jump to Latest Follow. 2 7 Reasons For Battery Discharge Increased In BMW. It doesn’t mean you need a new battery or new alternator. #13 · Jan 6, 2014. If this problem recurs, have the system checked by a mechanic. It can also be caused by an improperly installed aftermarket device. There are a number of possible causes for excessive battery drain. The warning of increased battery discharge was merely a symptom of a serious problem with the car's electrical system. The BMW Intelligent Battery Sensor monitors ALL current into and out of the battery and the ECU knows how much current is authorized to be drawn at any condition. 8. When I turn on the car I get a message: "Increased battery discharge" and also my clock gets RESET. If you do it at dealer or a BMW indy shop then they will source H8 and H4. It looks like this message is related to the 12v system. At Bimmerforums, you will find technical how-to information maintenance specifics audio advice wheel and tire combinations and model specific details not found anywhere else. Later I was phoned and told a new battery had been installed, fully recharged and all the software reset. 11. 289100 Intelligent Battery sensor: Internal current measurement implausible. The battery voltage should be ~ 12. Restrict apps with high battery use. Got the door handle replaced along with a new battery- woo hoo! Shop Forman says that the door handle was the root of the evil and was sucking the battery dry. 4 KB Views: 4,192. To fix this, simply check both terminals for any loose connections. Just like BMW Increased Battery Discharge, this is one of the common electrical faults. I had a Trunk Open warning message come up at the same time as an Increased Battery Discharge message and the Clock Reset. This week it's been much warmer out, about 41F and the car runs perfectly no warnings. Bad comfort access. Increased Battery Discharge / Building a test protocol. Bad alternator 3. This is to alert you that your battery is getting low and the vehicle needs time to charge it before you shut the engine down again. is reset. It could be a fault or it could be something very simple but it's not to do with charging or the battery voltage. 2012 BMW X5 Diesel - Wife. 3V - 15V with the engine running. Bmw x3 battery discharging while stopped. '22 BMW M4 Comp (SSG/Black) '16 BMW M4 (Shakir Orange/Black) - gone. If it's a newer battery though, that's when things get interesting because it means something may be draining your batteryDoug Huffman. 030-. My question is, does it sound like the battery itself is losing its ability to hold a charge, or is it simply a case of the car not. Hi Guys, Last few times I've started the car, I have received the "Increased Battery Discharge" message. xV even with the engine running. 6, after sitting overnight with no load it should. 050A. 25% per day at 10 °C (50 °F). Battery wasn't damaged or faulty just needs longer runs!2011 BMW 535i Xdrive (3/2011 build), Space Grey/Black Dakota, premium 1&2. ” Electrical consumers were temporarily shut off. BMW increased the battery size to 105Ah due to increased electrical demand, especially from N63 cars which run the engine fan and coolant pump for some time after the engine is. to jump start. 22. 797 posts · Joined 2008. Either the battery is not charging, as it should, or it is draining more than it should. The average life on a battery. Jennyhuang. Buy a smart CHARGER (now with overcharge protection) and charge IAW the car's owners manual and the charger's owners manual. equipment to Terminal 15/wake-up wire. 0. BMW Trickle Chargers: CA: got the Battery Discharging While Stopped after a few days sitting in the parking. Did that and a few days later it was back. iTrader: ( 0) Simple issue but the service fits will not get there easily. As with many vehicles, this warning is a failsafe to guard against an unexpected dead car battery. Page 1 of 2: 1: 2 > Thread Tools: Search this Thread 04-09-2020, 01:19 PM #1 ///M_life. Table of Contents show. Could be one of many sources of parasitic drains that kill batteries. Have it installed, registered, and the old battery's adaptations deleted. But don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. Getting two warnings now: Increased Battery Discharge and Battery Level Low. Appointment Information. Location: TX. One thing that shows up regularly is an increased battery discharge warning. Tuesday will be the 3rd service trip to the dealer to resolve the problem. $400 seems to be the going rate for a German engineered battery. It started with a CEL, then a day later "Charge Battery", then a day later "Charge Battery" and an iDrive message stating "Battery discharging when stopped - electrical devices were switched off temporarily". Increased Battery Discharge - Page 2. Spread the love. Everything was fine. In case you are not sure when to replace the battery, check your owner’s manual to see what type of. Old (weak) or dead battery obviously, this is the most common cause of the “increased battery discharge…”. BMW Modifications | Accessories | Upgrades. Messages about high discharge while parked are different - the car has DETECTED that something isn't going to sleep and is drawing too much current. BUY:Bmw x5 rear wiper blade- x5 from wiper blades - YOU for watching my channel and for helping this. If it reads about 20°F warmer than nearby metal, say the center of the door, you might need a door handle, rather than a battery. B) Measure the voltage at the Jumpstart Terminals BEFORE you try to Activate the Starter. Weak battery. Ensure the engine is off before doing that. I have been getting this increased battery discharge message at startup on and off for months. I headed to my nearest Interstate retailer for a battery check. Well since i got the car it always had the "high battery drain" message in the morning even a month after a new battery but i neglected it and never got it fixed. At first i thought maybe i needed to change my key fob battery, I've done that and still comfort access is not working. Well, one thing is for sure. Your BMW X3 battery will typically last between 3 to 5 years, but that. Anyways, I did search and the culprits are quite diverse: 1. If the battery was low on charge it might say low battery. I have the air conditioner, radio turned off on top of no phone chargers or anything plugged in. Everything seemed ok for the first few times the car started and driven around this morning (approx 60 miles of driving) - however it just now started displaying "increased battery discharge when stationary" when turning on while my better half is driving it. No check control message in vehicle status. Reset it and move along or pay BMW to look under your car for 5 minutes and say all is good unless you suspect a worn component like a bushing or sway bar link. Electrical consumers were temporarily switched off. Over the weekend I got the "low battery warning" when filling up with gas, accessory on, engine off and this AM I got the "increased battery discharge" message. 1 - 5 of 5 Posts. Bimmerforums is the preferred online BMW Forum and community for BMW owners. 48 posts · Joined 2015. Would a 105 amp battery help/make a diffference. When it regains about 40% charge, it will require 19 Amp and this will the slowly drop to 13 Amp when it reaches 65% capacity. It’s been pretty cold here. J. I have a small solar panel on the dash of my Sprinter MB turbo diesel motorhome, plugged into. That has been going on for a long time before the "excessive battery discharge" messages started though. If you have an IR thermometer, check the sheet metal directly in front of the door handle. Hey Guys, did a lot of reading on the classic battery drain issue, and although there are enough discussions about factors that cause battery to drain and trickle chargers maintaining battery, nothing on the specifics of battery charge. This could because of a low battery charge or a poor battery connection. Thread starter Bryan_averagejoe; Start date Jun 7, 2018; B. They did a test on the battery and found the charge was ok as it is supposed to be. Open the rear hatch and latch the catches on the upper hatch and the lower tailgate. Low battery charge or a bad battery connection could be the cause. Increased Battery Discharge. 2011 BMW 1 Series M. What does battery discharge mean? Discharging, or draining, describes the process of your battery loosing voltage, or energy. Because the replacement battery died within the warranty time, I had that battery replaced also. Reason could be low charge on battery or poor battery connection. Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral. The IBS monitors for increased battery drain (>80mA) while vehicle is off and the results can be read with ISTA. after few miles, I. Today I started the car and drove it to San Francisco and then I got a bunch of random lights popping up and "increased battery discharge" again on the new battery!. An increased battery discharge in a BMW can harm the car badly. Increased Battery Discharge - "Electrical Gremlin" After 3 straight days of increased battery discharge warnings, the "problem" has not manifested again for 4 straight days without making any driving behavior changes. From what i noticed vehicle is going to sleep mode and after 15 seconds wakes up and so on for a few minutes and then go sleep until i open the door. No I have not tested it but it is 8 - Answered by a verified BMW Mechanic We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. 80 mA times 24 hours is only about 2 AH and should take about a month to kill a battery dead. 2007 BMW X5 E70 My X5 suddenly start having high battery drain,. Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home. 2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 F10 Technical Topics Engine, Transmission, Exhaust, Drivetrain, ECU Software Modifications Increased battery discharge Post Reply Thread Tools: Search this Thread 02-02-2023, 11:19 AM #1: Alex. Attach the voltmeter red lead to the positive terminal and the black to the negative battery terminal. What does increased battery discharge mean on a BMW x5? November 7, 2022 by Carolina. She's needed to be jump-started half-dozen times now. . Hey bros, anyone encounter this message : " Increased battery discharge when stationary. . Drives: F10 M5 Thriple Black. Potential Causes. Some Electrical Devices were Switched Off" message. 4) Loose Battery Connections. 6120503 Closed Circuit Test On Battery. I took the vehicle to BMW today and told them of my problem. Low vehicle battery charge. My second guess would be a bad battery, but that’s odd with the low amount of miles. Needless to say, use the trickle charger and you can increase the life of your battery dramatically. Increased Battery Discharge While Stationary. One they the battery would be discharged then it would go back up untill the ASS works again and so on. An AGM battery's cycle life is correlated with its average State of Charge, 70% SoC => 1,000 full capacity discharge. 2. Something like; "Increased battery discharge when stationary. I can no longer say, with confidence, that one warning is more specific than the other (High Battery Drain vs. to charge the little battery in the car. 20 posts · Joined 2014. Hmmm, I purchased mine in May and last week I got that high battery discharge message once when I turned my car on after work. See this link. Increased Battery Discharge and Full Electronic Failure. That could be you sitting in it with the interior lights on or a door not closed properly. Your car may go to sleep promptly when you lock it and set the security system. High Battery Discharge is back 3 days later. You can also get increased BMW battery discharge when stationary. Bad battery 2. The battery in the car has died within 48 hours. #1 · Feb 11, 2009 (Edited) Hello ive been visiting this board for a while now, but this is my first post. Pretty good chance it's related to MMI not sleeping based on your note that it. Increased Battery Discharge is caused by a battery discharge rate higher than 80 milliamperes while the car is OFF. Recently after driving my F30 for 2 years and received a warning as "Increased battery discharge when stationary ". 41 posts · Joined 2015. bmw 2006 330xi my steering wheel was making noise so i used spray wd40 beetwen steering wheel and column and after that awd and dsc malfunction came out and also start-off assistance inactive. This warning will come on when the battery is discharging. Labor costs are estimated between $101 and $127 while parts are priced at $824. Typical is ~ 20 mA. “Discharging while stopped” means that something is running your battery down while the car is off IBS generally intervenes and cuts the device off so that you can still start the car. #80 · Feb 1, 2011. My car has this problem on/off for over two years. Because when you shut the car off, the cars electrical system is still active, after about 20 mins the car goes to sleep. masina doar s-a deschis iar cand am pus contactul mi-a aparut eroarea 'Increased Battery Discharge!' abia avea lumina la. Anyone has encounter this problem before? My battery flatted and needed to jump-start my car. Increased Battery Discharge While Stationary. Rear door handle was warm to the touch from overnight. m. When the battery is drained to 25% charge level, it requires 31 Amp. BMW: BATTERY HAS AN INCREASED DEMAND DUE TO DEVELOPEMENTAL PROCESS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. This happens so often the tow truck that BMW Roadside Assistance sent has a kit to jump a car enough to get it on the flatbed. Typical is ~ 20 mA. increased Battery Discharge 2006 530i. THIS IS CAUSING THE BATTER TO NEED TO UNDERGO AN ENERGY DIAGNOSIS. We are a group of vehicle enthusiasts looking for Car meets, car shows, drag racing, roll racing, New cars, etc,. "#1 Cause was Terminal 15 was on. You have to take off panels and stuff from the frunk (front trunk) to get at the battery, though. Fixing your battery discharge issues. Your IBS error; 1. Drives: BMW 320D Touring G21. Getting the following three fault codes: 288B00 Power management: Standby current violation. BMW TIS - Intelligent Battery Sensor E60 BMW Power Systems - Energy Mgt. The jump gives just enough charge that usually the main battery will kick in and begin charging the 12V battery. When a dashboard warning light indicates that the battery is discharging more than usual or that there is an increased battery discharge, it can be a cause for concern. A faulty cell frequently causes a BMW battery to die, even after two years. Get a new battery if you see a reading lower than 12,6 volts. You can achieve that as follows: Find a reliable digital multimeter and measure the battery voltage. A fully charged battery is going to show about 14V. #2 · Feb 3, 2023. Powered by vBulletin® Version 3. The battery was about $540 which I don't think I should've paid since having just purchased the car. Let it sit overnight and measure again. While there may be simple reasons such as headlights left on, in some cases there may be reasons that will cause additional costs up to the replacement of the battery of the car. 2. An AGM battery life is closely correlated with the average State of Charge; SoC_avg 70% => 1,000 cycles equivalent full discharge-recharge (think of it as throughput, for a 100 AH battery that's 100,000 AH). M5Board is the best forum community for information on the BMW M5 E60 (V-10), E39 (V-8), E34 (straight 6), E28, F90 and F10. Masina care m-a facut sa fiu membru al acestui club este un BMW 520D, 120 kw, fabricat la 10. 308 WBC. Problem solved. The first time I drove it, I got an "Increased Battery Discharge. 4 or so, after sitting it should be roughly 13. I looked at the diagnostics, it said. Try turning on the headlights and crank the heating fan - now check the voltage. The car saves fuel by charging the battery only when slowing down or in steady-state conditions. If it goes away when you drive and the car isn’t dying on you while moving, I’d be surprised if it was the alternator, as the alternator is charging the battery to a point when the motor is running. I have a HUD device that reads voltage and I've been noticing voltage would randomly swing between 12. BMW of Cincinnati North. I replaced the battery about 4-6 months ago but they just told me it had a bad cell and they replaced it for free (batter under warranty). This is to alert you that your battery is getting low and the vehicle needs time to charge it before you shut the engine down again.