{"id":36772,"date":"2024-11-11T09:39:53","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T17:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getjerry.com\/wp-site\/?post_type=car-repair&p=36772"},"modified":"2024-11-11T09:39:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T17:39:56","slug":"what-does-it-mean-when-a-bmw-wont-start-and-the-display-reads-increased-battery-discharge","status":"publish","type":"car-repair","link":"https:\/\/jerry.ai\/car-repair\/what-does-it-mean-when-a-bmw-wont-start-and-the-display-reads-increased-battery-discharge\/","title":{"rendered":"What does \u201cbattery discharged; start engine\u201d mean in a BMW?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question:<\/strong> I just tried to start my BMW but I see a battery error message saying it is discharged. What does that mean, and what do I do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer:<\/strong> You enter your car one day and notice a warning on your dashboard or infotainment system saying \u201cBattery discharged. Start engine.\u201d or \u201cBattery charge very low, start engine immediately\u2026\u201d. What do you do now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBattery discharged, start engine\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In day-to-day operation, you should not see this issue because a new and serviceable battery should give you a lot of leeway. For example, you should be able to play music for a while, leave the car parked for a few days and drive short distances a few times without getting this warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if the engine is off, your batteries can\u2019t charge and will suffer from passive drain. If you only drive short distances, you could spend much more energy cranking the engine than what you recharge over the short driving period. In fact, the BMW X1\u2019s manual highlights that frequent short-distance driving and stationary periods over a month negatively affect the battery. Finally, playing music or leaving a dome light on overnight will actively drain the battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So BMW is telling you that you need to charge the battery. The most straightforward way is to let the engine run for a while. Try 15-30 minutes and see if the error goes away. If it doesn\u2019t, your battery might need replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep Sleep Mode to reduce battery drain in newer BMWs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By the way, newer BMWs have a deep sleep mode that will reduce your battery drain if you are parking your car for a long time. Access it via the infotainment system: Apps menu > Vehicle apps > System settings > Deep sleep mode. Once you activate this mode, you\u2019ll need to press the trunk button to access the vehicle in deep sleep, and you can disable it by going through the infotainment menu or by driving the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMW won\u2019t start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your BMW won\u2019t start and you suspect it\u2019s because the battery has been drained, you can jumpstart the car by getting a donor car and connecting its charged battery to your BMW. The following steps reflect the recommendations from the 2014 BMW X1 manual<\/a>, but starting any car follows a similar procedure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparation stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you start:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Check that the other vehicle uses a 12-volt system and has approximately the same battery capacity (measured in ampere-hour, or Ah).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Switch off the engine of the donor vehicle (the vehicle providing power) and all electronics in both cars.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Make sure there\u2019s no bodywork contact between both vehicles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Connection stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The BMW X1 has a \u201cstarting aid\u201d terminal which acts like a positive terminal, near the washer fluid intake. Pull the cover upwards and remove it. A special nut also serves as the body ground, the negative terminal for jump starting. Once you have located these, follow these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Connect the positive jumper cable to the positive terminal of the donor car. Then, attach the other end to your starting aid terminal or the battery\u2019s positive terminal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Do the same for the negative terminal \u2013 attach the negative jumper cable first to your donor car\u2019s negative terminal, engine\/body ground. Then, attach the negative lead to your car\u2019s negative battery terminal or body ground nut.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Start the engine of the donor car and let it run for a few minutes. Then, start your car. If the first attempt fails, give it a few more minutes to allow your BMW\u2019s battery to recharge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Once started, let both engines run for a few minutes, then disconnect the jumper cables in reverse order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      Expert-driven. Built for you.<\/div>\n\n
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