[335iseb]

Here's the scenario in all the steps in as much of detail as possible:

1. open the car with the fob all the interior and exterior lighting is on.
2. put the fob into the dash, get the nice ring ring from the car, radio comes on everything is normal.
3. step on the clutch press the start engine button
4. the engine starts to crank for like 1/4 of a second and then bam everything just shuts off.

5. there is no power at all anywhere, windows don't work, dome lights don't turn on anything electrical will not turn on, complete darkness.
6. Fob is stuck can't remove it at all, can't close the driver side door either.

Anybody know what could be wrong. No warning sings of any kind preceding this. Drove the car perfectly fine 2 hours ago prior to this. Any help at all?

[BMWinNorthdakota]

Obviously electrical... Try disconnecting the battery??? Very strange

[335i_4D]

I've seen this on other cars before.
Look if one of the terminal on the battery is not tightened enough.
Will work until you put some load on it (starter for instance).

Let us know.

[Trojan4evr]

I'd say alternator, but the car is not that old to need its alternator replaced. but sounds like a big load like the starter is pulling more current than the battery or alternator handle. keep us posted

[spdy330]

Keep us posted OP. Good luck, hope it is minor.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by spdy330

Keep us posted OP. Good luck, hope it is minor.

+1. Those signs seem pretty serious

[zackday30]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

Could be just a dead battery from a bad cell or some constant electrical load?

+1. Sounds like a dead battery to me

[Chriztofor]

^ +2

[oner]

Originally Posted by 335iseb

Here's the scenario in all the steps in as much of detail as possible:

1. open the car with the fob all the interior and exterior lighting is on.
2. put the fob into the dash, get the nice ring ring from the car, radio comes on everything is normal.
3. step on the clutch press the start engine button
4. the engine starts to crank for like 1/4 of a second and then bam everything just shuts off.

5. there is no power at all anywhere, windows don't work, dome lights don't turn on anything electrical will not turn on, complete darkness.
6. Fob is stuck can't remove it at all, can't close the driver side door either.

Anybody know what could be wrong. No warning sings of any kind preceding this. Drove the car perfectly fine 2 hours ago prior to this. Any help at all?

Throw on a trickle for a night and try again. Otherwise try boost it from another car.

[jaybird124]

Could be a bad rotary girder.

[smallseafishie]

I had the same exact thing happen to me after starting my car from extended trip (3 weeks). It was a bad battery cell. Dealer replaced and new battery and I was good to go.

[335iseb]

It's not a bad battery. Got home from work, opened the car, still dark like the caverns in there as if the car had no battery in it. Hooked up the multimeter and getting a readout of 12.5 volts, which is exactly right. Nothing loose on the terminals either.

[rrosen]

Could still be battery since voltage reading is only a good test when battery is under load. However, since you say everything is now dead (no lights, etc.), I'd say your battery connection is bad.

Someone recently had the same problem and it was a bad negative ground cable, i.e., connection was good on both ends, the cable itself had become defective.

[Verbiage]

This seems pretty weird.

[335iseb]

Ok now this is really effing weird. As I was walked into my house my father asked me what I was doing. I told him what happened and I went into the bathroom, I came out and he tossed me the fob and said the car is fine.

I asked him what the hell did he do, he said that he just went over to my car opened the door and the radio was on and all the lights were on as well, (I left the fob in the dash), he just pushed the fob in and took it out. I jumped into the drivers seat put the fob in and everything is back to normal and the car starts as if nothing ever happened. The only trace is that the clock is reset and the radio stations. WTF!!??

I searched the board and I'm not the only one, at least another instance on this board of this issue has been documented same symptoms issue also resolved on it's own...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...stuck+car+dead

[lux.sh]

dude watch out. Transformers. she just messin' with you.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

dude watch out. Transformers. she just messin' with you.

[Cyrax91]

Dude same thing happened to my car. It was just a bad battery and BMW replaced it for me

And for me it too came without any warning.

[Oulixes]

Originally Posted by 335iseb

It's not a bad battery. Got home from work, opened the car, still dark like the caverns in there as if the car had no battery in it. Hooked up the multimeter and getting a readout of 12.5 volts, which is exactly right. Nothing loose on the terminals either.

Nearly exactly what you have described has happened to my 330xi, but it did not recover by itself. I had no useful electricity at all. Open-circuit voltage was 11.5 V. I gave the car a 3-minute boost from an external battery and the car started - dashboard came alive, displaying all the error icons programmed into it. What you have done is reasonable, you have measured what was likely the open-circuit voltage. You probably know that it is necessary to load the battery a bit to make sure of the the battery charge. Bentley Manual suggests to load the battery with 15 A, or switch the headlights on for one minute without engine running, then to measure open-circuit voltage, which the Manual lists as:

12.6 V or more for fully charged
12.4 V 75 % charged
12.2 V 50 %
12.0 V 25 %
11.7 V or less for fully discharged

On my 330xi, the lights would not turn on and the voltage was so low the lock solenoids failed, I had to use the mechanical key to get in. BTW, I took the car to the dealer next day or so, hoping that he would read the error stack, and he told me that the car failed to go to sleep properly. Mercifully, the low battery show has never been repeated. I hope this helps - good luck.

[John 070]

Our cars are pretty complicated, so unfortunately I think it has to go to the dealership. We are totally speculating on this thread. We're so far from the days when you checked fuel and spark, and could narrow it down just like that, from there.. Even the dealership (from my experience) has problems programming and "adapting" the car, and needs help from BMWNA.

[Kroy]

Car may work again, but I'd take it to the dealership just to be safe.

[Frzdrdhppy]

Originally Posted by 335i_4D

I've seen this on other cars before.
Look if one of the terminal on the battery is not tightened enough.
Will work until you put some load on it (starter for instance).

Let us know.

+1
I've seen this happen, especially if the negative cable is loose. I had a similar situation happen on my old E36 (no fob of course), and it was a loose cable too. Be sure to check or have someone check both connections of each cable.