BMW 4 Series Plagued by Critical Electrical Failures

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars, and this sounds very familiar. I had a similar issue with my 2021 BMW 3 Series (also had a BMW 5 Series before). My car was showing pretty much the same symptoms, unusual warning lights, sluggish starts, and electrical gremlins all over. Turned out my battery was severely discharged and reaching the end of its life. Had it checked at my regular workshop, and the diagnostic confirmed the battery was the culprit. Got it replaced for about 290 Euro, and all those issues disappeared completely. Before suggesting anything specific, could you share: How old is your current battery? Have you left the car unused for long periods? Are you doing mostly short trips? These details would help me understand if you're facing exactly what I dealt with. Don't want you to waste money on unnecessary repairs if we can pinpoint the exact issue.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My BMW just hit 152288 KM and had its last service two months ago. I've actually been doing lots of short trips lately, and now that you mention it, I haven't taken it on any longer drives in a while. The battery is the original one from when I got the car new earlier this year. Your battery theory makes total sense. I've noticed the starts getting more sluggish, especially in the mornings. Maybe all these short trips aren't giving it enough time to properly recharge. Definitely going to get the battery checked out first before diving into more complex electrical diagnostics. Would be great if it's just that simple!

Hey again! Yes, those short trips are definitely not doing your battery any favors! I had exactly the same habit with my BMW, and it really messed with the electrical system. Even though your battery is relatively new, the constant short trips can prevent it from fully charging, which explains all those warning lights and system failures you're seeing. When this happened to my 3 Series, I first tried doing a few longer drives to charge it up properly, but the damage was already done. The battery couldn't hold a proper charge anymore. The mechanics explained that modern BMWs are particularly sensitive to battery health because of all their sophisticated electronic systems. Quick tip from my experience: even with a new battery, try to take the car for at least a 30-minute drive once a week. I learned this the hard way! After I replaced my battery, I made sure to do this regularly, and I haven't had any electrical issues since. Have you noticed if the warning lights appear more frequently after short trips? That was a clear pattern in my case before I got the battery replaced. Either way, definitely get that battery tested, it'll save you loads of headaches trying to chase down other potential electrical issues!

Thanks so much for all the detailed advice! Yeah, the warning lights definitely pop up more after those quick runs to the store. Just checked my driving log, and wow, I haven't done a trip longer than 15 minutes in almost three weeks! No wonder my BMW's having a fit. I'll book it in tomorrow to get the battery tested, and this weekend I'll take it for a proper long drive. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, makes me feel better knowing it's probably not some major electrical fault. Should have thought about the impact of all these short trips earlier! I'll definitely stick to your advice about those weekly longer drives once this is sorted. Much rather do that than deal with these annoying warning lights again. Honestly, what a relief it might just be something as straightforward as the battery. Thanks again for helping me figure this out!