That smaller cable goes forward to the fuses and relays in and behind the glove box. Like a dummy, i put 3 batteries in 2 years in my 2004 x5 (e53) You're convinced you have a parasitic draw and i can't argue with your multimeter numbers, because i haven't learned how to use one particularly well yet myself!
how to find a parasitic draw/battery keeps dying overnight - YouTube
You'll need to do parasitic draw test to find out which circuit is draining the battery
I had this issue earlier this year, turned out it was my radio
Google search parasitic draw test for e46 there. It makes a lot of sense that the actual nature of the current draw implicates certain circuits, so i'll add your wonderful advice to the first post above (for the benefit of all). My bmw e46 m3 is turning 20 next year Given how few miles i put on it each year, and how sentimentally attached i am to it, i'm not yet ready to trade it for something new
Standard test for parasitic drag is to put a multimeter between the battery terminal and strap, so all current goes through the multimeter, if that makes. As in all good parasitic battery drain adventures i finally replaced the car battery for good measure It was about due for replacement after 5 years and had been through a number of deep. Advanced bmw parasitic battery draw diagnostics whether you call them draws or drains, tracking them down isn’t as easy as it once was
These procedures and tools will help
Bimmerforums is the preferred online bmw forum and community for bmw owners E46 parasitic draw i’m getting 11.8v while the car is off but while the car is running i’m getting the normal 14.3v, what’s the best way to find the source of the parasitic draw? Thanks for all of your help, it's just a matter of time before this issue is solved, then on to my huge 100k style maintenance I have been buying parts for the past two weeks, vanos seals are my.
I posted an earlier problem in this forum on a parasitic battery drain
