BMW X4 Battery Issues, Terminal 30 Problems Suspected

Hi there! I have some experience working on BMWs. I faced a similar issue with my 2014 BMW X3 last year. The symptoms were exactly like yours, starting problems and battery warnings. Initially thought it was just an old battery, but had it properly checked at my regular workshop. Turned out the battery was completely dead and not holding charge anymore. Got it replaced with a new one, and they also checked the alternator to make sure it wasn't the culprit. Total bill was around 290 Euro, but it fixed the problem completely. Haven't had any issues since then. Before I can help more specifically, what's the mileage on your X4? Also, have you noticed any other electrical issues, like dim lights or radio/navigation system acting up? The X series can be quite sensitive with their electrical systems, and knowing these details would help pinpoint the issue better. By the way, if you haven't already, I'd suggest getting it properly diagnosed at a workshop specializing in BMWs. These electrical gremlins can be tricky to sort out on your own.

Thanks for your detailed response! Mine's currently at 187886 KM and had its last service about 3 months ago. I've noticed the lights slightly dimming when idle, but the radio and nav system seem to work fine. Haven't spotted any other electrical quirks besides the starting issue and those battery warnings. Your experience with the battery replacement is really helpful, gives me hope it might be something similarly straightforward! I'll definitely get it checked at a specialized shop. Did they need to reprogram anything after your battery replacement? I've heard BMWs can be picky about that sort of thing.

Hey again! Glad I could help earlier about your X4 issues. Yeah, about the reprogramming, when I had my battery replaced, they definitely had to do some coding. BMWs are super particular about battery registration. When they put in my new battery, they had to program it into the car's computer system so it could properly manage the charging cycles. Without this registration, the charging system doesn't work optimally, which can lead to more problems down the line. Those dimming lights you mentioned, that's exactly what I experienced too! And just like your case, my nav and radio were working fine. It's actually pretty typical for these symptoms to show up when the battery's on its way out. The car's electrical system tries to manage the failing battery by reducing power to non-essential systems. After my battery replacement and registration, even the slight dimming of lights completely disappeared. The car starts like a charm now, no more of that hesitation or clicking sound when turning the key. Quick tip from my experience, make sure they check the alternator too while they're at it. My mechanic did this as a precaution, and it's worth knowing if it's charging properly, especially with that mileage. Better to check everything electrical while they're poking around in there. Let me know how it goes after you get it checked out! I'm curious if it turns out to be the same issue as mine.

Thanks so much for all this information! You've actually made me feel a lot better about the whole situation. The battery registration bit is especially good to know, I definitely would've wondered why they needed to do that. Really appreciate the tip about getting the alternator checked too, makes total sense given the mileage. I've just booked it in for next week at a BMW specialist workshop. The symptoms being so similar to what you experienced makes me pretty confident it's likely the battery, but I'll make sure they do a thorough check of the whole electrical system. I'll probably need to bite the bullet and pay for the full diagnosis, but better than replacing parts blindly! Will definitely keep you posted about what they find. Fingers crossed it's just the battery and nothing more serious! Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful!