BMW XM Battery and Electrical Issues, Owner Seeks Help

Hey there! I have some experience working on BMWs, I own a 2021 BMW X6 and previously had an X5. I actually faced a very similar issue with my X6 a few months ago. The car showed battery warnings and had trouble starting. After taking it to my trusted workshop, they diagnosed a heavily discharged battery that was basically toast. Apparently, some of the car's systems were drawing more power than usual even when parked. The fix cost me 290 Euro including a new battery and programming. Since then, everything's been working perfectly, no more warning messages or starting issues. Can you tell me: How many miles/kilometers on your XM? Are you doing lots of short trips? Have you noticed any other electrical issues before this started? This info would help me understand if you're dealing with the same problem I had. The XM has even more complex electronics than my X6, so it's worth getting it checked soon before it leaves you stranded somewhere.

Thanks for your input! My XM has 52432 KM and just had its service last month. Yeah, I mainly do short commutes during weekdays. Haven't noticed any other electrical quirks before these symptoms started showing up. The battery discharge warnings only began popping up about a week ago. I'll definitely get it checked out at the workshop soon, really don't want to risk getting stranded! Do you remember if your battery issues also started gradually like mine?

Hey again! Yes, the way your issues are developing sounds exactly like what I experienced with my X6. Mine also started showing those warnings intermittently at first, and then got progressively worse over about 2 weeks. The short trips are probably a big factor here, that's what contributed to my battery problems too. When you're doing lots of short drives, the battery doesn't get enough time to fully recharge, especially with all the fancy electronics our cars have running in the background. Since you mentioned your recent service, did they check the battery health during that service? Sometimes these issues can slip through even during routine maintenance. In my case, the workshop found that not only was the battery discharged, but some control modules weren't going into sleep mode properly, which kept draining power. Given how similar your symptoms are to what I experienced, I'd bet you're dealing with the same issue. Don't wait too long to get it checked, I learned that lesson the hard way when my X6 wouldn't start one morning! Better to deal with it now than end up needing a tow truck. Let me know what your workshop finds out. I'm really curious to see if it's the same problem I had with my X6.

Thanks so much for the detailed response! Actually, I don't think they specifically checked the battery health during the service, I'll definitely ask about that. Your experience is really helpful, especially knowing it's likely the same issue. You're right about not waiting too long, I've already booked the car in for tomorrow morning. Don't want to risk it getting worse! The part about control modules not going into sleep mode properly makes a lot of sense, especially with all the high-tech features in the XM. I've actually noticed the car feels a bit sluggish during cold starts lately, which I'm guessing could be related to the battery drain you mentioned. I'll check back in once I get the diagnosis. Really appreciate all your help and detailed explanation of your experience with the X6. It's given me a much better idea of what I might be dealing with. Better to sort it now than end up stranded somewhere with a dead battery!