BMW 6 Series Electric Seat Controls Failed, Need Help

Hi there! I've got some experience fixing cars, and this reminds me of an issue I had with my 2014 BMW 5 series (had a 4 Series before that). The electric seats started acting weird, and it turned out my battery was on its last legs. After checking everything, the workshop found the battery was heavily discharged and couldn't provide enough power for all electrical components, especially the seat controls. Got it fixed at my regular shop, and it cost me around 290 Euro for a new battery plus labor. Everything's been working perfectly since then, including those memory seat settings. Could you share your car's mileage and whether you've noticed any other electrical issues? Sometimes these problems are connected, and knowing more details would help pinpoint if you're dealing with the same thing.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My 6er has 142898 KM on the clock, and the last service was just a couple months back. Haven't noticed any other electrical gremlins besides the seat controls. Interesting point about the battery, I did notice the settings work fine after the engine's running, which might point to a voltage issue like you mentioned. Just took it to my regular mechanic and they couldn't find any obvious blown fuses, but they didn't check the battery health. Might be worth getting that tested first before diving deeper into more expensive repairs. Thanks for the tip, definitely gonna look into the battery situation!

Hey again! Your reply really got me thinking more about my old BMW 5 experience. You know what's really interesting? The symptoms you're describing are almost identical to what I dealt with, especially that bit about the seats working fine once the engine's running. That's exactly what happened with mine. Since you mentioned the recent service, have you noticed if the car's a bit sluggish when starting up in the morning? With my battery issue, I started spotting little things like that before the seat problems became obvious. The fact that your settings work after the engine's running really makes me think we're dealing with the same problem here. My workshop actually showed me the battery test results when I had mine done, the voltage would drop significantly during high-draw situations, like when trying to adjust the seats with just the ignition on. Since your mechanic hasn't checked the battery yet, that's definitely the first thing I'd push for. It's way cheaper to test the battery than to start replacing seat motors or control modules. Let me know what you find out after the battery test. Would be curious to hear if it turns out to be the same issue!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! You've actually made me realize something, now that you mention it, I have noticed the car takes a fraction longer to start in the mornings lately. I just didn't connect the dots until you pointed it out. The battery theory makes more and more sense, especially since everything works fine once the engine's running. I've already called my mechanic and scheduled a battery test for tomorrow morning. You're absolutely right, much better to start with the simplest and cheapest possibility before jumping into complicated repairs. Really appreciate you sharing your experience with the 5 series, it's helped me understand what might be going on with my car. I'll definitely update you once I get the battery tested. Fingers crossed it's just that and not something more serious with the electrical system!