BMW X6 Rear Defroster Dead, Repair Costs & Solutions

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2012 BMW X5 35i last winter. My rear window defroster also failed completely, and the diagnostic showed "Battery heavily discharged" warning. Initially thought it was just a blown fuse, but turned out the problem was more complex. From my garage visit, they found that the electrical grid lines on the rear window were damaged in several spots, breaking the circuit. Plus, there was a failing voltage regulator that wasn't supplying proper power to the heating elements. It was definitely a serious repair since they had to replace the entire rear window because you can't just fix individual grid lines. The voltage regulator was also swapped out to prevent future issues. The whole job took about two days. Just a heads up, if you're seeing error codes, don't wait too long to get it checked. Electrical issues in these models tend to cascade into bigger problems if left unattended. Take care.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since I'm facing something that sounds very similar. Would you mind telling me how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? Also curious if you've had any other electrical gremlins pop up since they fixed it? I'm trying to figure out if I should brace myself for a big hit to the wallet, and want to make sure I don't miss anything while it's in the shop.

Hey again! Happy to give you an update! So I actually just got my X5 back from the shop last week, and I'm relieved to say they sorted out that pesky rear window heating issue. The total bill came to 290 € for fixing the battery problem, which was actually less than I'd feared after the initial diagnosis. The best news is that the rear window heating is working perfectly now, no more foggy back window during cold mornings! Since the repair, everything's been running smoothly with no electrical quirks whatsoever. They did a proper job checking all the connections and making sure the voltage was stable. Honestly, it was worth every penny to get it fixed properly. If your issue is similar to what mine was, you might be looking at a comparable cost. Just make sure they do a thorough check of the electrical system while they're at it, these BMWs can be a bit finicky with their electronics, but once they're sorted, they're solid. Let me know how you get on with yours!

Thanks so much for all the details! Finally got my X6 back from the shop yesterday. You won't believe it, but my experience was totally different from yours. Turns out my issue was actually more complicated, they found some rodent damage to the wiring harness, plus corrosion on several connectors. The repair took three days and cost way more than expected, around 800 bucks! The mechanic showed me the damaged parts, and honestly, I'm just glad they caught everything. They also noticed and fixed a loose ground wire while they were in there. The silver lining is that my rear window heating is working perfectly now, and they did a complete electrical system check too. Even though it cost more than I planned, I'm relieved it's fixed properly this time. Definitely learned my lesson about not putting off these electrical issues! Thanks again for sharing your experience, it really helped me understand what questions to ask at the shop.