BMW Seat Memory System Fails Until Engine Starts

Hey there! I experienced something similar with my 2016 BMW 3-series (gasoline). The symptoms were identical, power seats not responding and memory settings failing until the engine was fully running. Turned out my battery was severely discharged, which caused all sorts of electrical gremlins including the seat issues. Last time at the garage, they did a full diagnostic and found that the original battery had degraded significantly. The charging system was also affected. They had to replace the battery and reprogram the car's electrical system to recognize the new one. It was a pretty serious issue since a weak battery can cause havoc with BMW's electrical components. The fix wasn't just a simple battery swap, the whole power management system needed attention. Once everything was sorted, all the electrical functions, including the seats, went back to normal. If you're seeing similar symptoms, I'd recommend getting the battery and charging system checked first before diving into seat motor diagnostics. Don't wait too long on this one, electrical issues tend to cascade if left unchecked.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. I might look into the battery issue first before jumping to conclusions about the seat motors. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? Also, has everything been working smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other electrical quirks popping up?

Hi again! Good to hear back from you! Yeah, I can give you the exact figures, I just had this fixed last month. The total came to 290 € for the battery replacement and reprogramming work. The best part is that it totally sorted out the passenger seat issue, which was driving me crazy before! Since the repair, everything's been working like a charm, seats adjust perfectly now, even before starting the engine. No more waiting around for the electronics to wake up! The memory settings kick in right away too, which is such a relief. I've been keeping a close eye on things, but honestly, I haven't spotted any other electrical gremlins. The mechanic mentioned that a failing battery can cause all sorts of weird issues in these cars because of how sophisticated the electrical systems are. It's pretty amazing how one component can affect so many different functions. If you're seeing the same symptoms I had, I'd definitely recommend getting it checked out sooner rather than later. These electrical issues can get more complicated if you let them linger. Trust me, it's worth getting it sorted, makes such a difference to everyday driving! Let me know how you get on with yours!

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! I actually got it checked out yesterday and you were spot on, it was the battery causing all the trouble. The mechanic I found was really thorough and explained everything clearly. Funny enough, my repair bill came in pretty close to what you paid. The whole thing, including the new battery and reprogramming, cost me around 300 €. The best part? All the electrical issues cleared up immediately. The seats now work perfectly, even with just the ignition on. The mechanic also gave me some tips about maintaining the battery health, which was super helpful. He mentioned these newer BMWs are pretty sensitive to battery conditions because of all the electronics. Really glad I asked here first, saved me from stressing about expensive seat motor replacements! The car's running great now, and I've got my seat memory settings working properly again. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!