Originally Posted by Penguin

Yup, got some cold weather and for the first time I got the Excessive Battery Discharge message, So I pur ir on a battery charger.

Yes, I did do some short trips, but you should be able to do 3 short trips of one-mile or less without getting a battery drain message. This is ridiculous. It's like I'm back in the 1950's when with generators, instead of alternators, you would discharge the battery at idle and short-trips would not charge the battery enough.

I'm beginning to think that it's not worth the hassle to own a BMW, and that the "Ultimate Driving Machine" for me is something that can be driven for three short trips in the Winter without battery drain messages popping up.