If I leave my vehicle in the garage with the key in the ignition the automatic light switch on (lights go off) and later go get something out of the back seat or the trunk the parking lights, tail lights and dash lights come on and don't go off unless I open and close the front door. Have had a dead battery more than once in the morning. My dealer says this is the way the car is engineered. I find this hard to believe.
2004 530 Can't believe this
- Thread starter RJC
- Start date
I've never tried it, but have heard that leaving the key the ignition will drain the battery. Had not heard about the lights coming back on though, interesting. Thought maybe the computer wouldn't power down or some other issue. Seems to me that if I accidently left my key in the ignition, I wouldn't want my lights to come back on, much less delayed so that I have likely walked away. All this would do is call attention to my car, inviting thieves.
Only time I leave the key in the ignition is when the car is in my locked garage(key is in the off position as if you're taking it out and all lights are out). Doesn't happen if you open the front door, only the rear door or trunk. And only the parking, tail lights and dash lights come on--no headlights.
I know it's not much help when you are in the habit of leaving the keys in while the car is locked in the garage. Frankly my garage is not that difficult to break into, so leaving the keys in the ignition is not an option. Besides, the car key is on the same keychain as my house keys, so I have to take them out to get in the house. Any chance you can take them out of the ignition and just leave them on the center console so that they are there waiting for you in the morning?
Sure I can and that's what I'll have to do. After having 16 cars (between my wife and I) in the 24 years we've been in our house and leaving the key in the ignition in all the cars during that time without a problem it's astonishing to me that BMW would design a vehicle like this. And their response of--take the key out or wind up with a dead battery--blows me away. I guess I made the mistake of expecting more from a $57,000 automible.
Word from a tech...
Well sir, let me attempt an explanation of BMW's suggestion:
BMW's vehicles, after sitting for a certain amount of time, will go into a power saving mode, or 'sleep mode'. If you leave your key in the ignition, however, it will stay 'awake' as though someone were still in the vehicle, and the result will be the same as if you had a parasitic draw killing your battery. My suggestion? Listen to the people who designed the car...they just might know what they're talking about. If that's too difficult, well, Lexus just might be the car for you.![[8]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_8ball.gif "Retarded [8]")
Sturm
P.S. The computer systems in your E60 are far more complex than most cars on the market, save for maybe the E65/E66, lol. You might want to keep that in mind...
Well sir, let me attempt an explanation of BMW's suggestion:
BMW's vehicles, after sitting for a certain amount of time, will go into a power saving mode, or 'sleep mode'. If you leave your key in the ignition, however, it will stay 'awake' as though someone were still in the vehicle, and the result will be the same as if you had a parasitic draw killing your battery. My suggestion? Listen to the people who designed the car...they just might know what they're talking about. If that's too difficult, well, Lexus just might be the car for you.
Sturm
P.S. The computer systems in your E60 are far more complex than most cars on the market, save for maybe the E65/E66, lol. You might want to keep that in mind...
Can't totally disagree w/ you RJC, but in this day and age, I suspect you are in the minority in being able to leave your key in the ignition overnight like that. Maybe others will chime in to disagree w/ me, but I can't fault BMW for trying to warn you about leaving the key in. Obviously they could do it in some way that would not leave you with a dead battery in the morning though.
Leaving the key in the ignition is not the problem sir. That in itself doesn't cause a problem but if opening the trunk turns on the parking lights, tail lights and dash lights and they stay on ultimately killing the battery---I submit somebody goofed in designing this car. Either that or this is a great option I didn't have to pay for.
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ummm RJC......maybe i am an idiot.....or maybe my "common sense" level is lacking but are you actually COMPLAINING that you cant leave the keys in your car???? Come on! Take the damn keys in the house with you and bring them with you before you leave! I would dare say 99% of the people in the world who drive ANY car do the same thing! Unless you are too bourgeois for that??? Not trying to insult you but it sure seems to be a very petty complaint...bottom line: take the damn keys out of the car! LOL....jeez
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For not trying to insult you did a pretty good job. I guess all Germans know I keep my car in a locked garage and therefore MUST take the keys out every night.Or is it possible you're the rocket scientist of an engineer who designed this system. I stand by the fact you shouldn't open the trunk and have the lights come on and stay on. That my friend is common sense.
First of all.....RJC....not everyone that lives in Germany is german........I am American born in Chicago and bred all over the world! LOL....anyway maybe i dont fully understand the cause of the problem....You say you DO take the car keys out every night? And that the lights STAY on whenever you open the trunk? Please elaborate..if you will.....(oh by the way what german do you know that would use a word like "bourgeois"???)
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