My 2011 Mini Hardtop is back in the shop for the third time this week. Routine maintenance (@ 30K miles) on Wednesday, Thursday morning won't start, behaving like battery problem but idiot light said engine, and very soon after all lights went out. Since the engine light was lit, had it towed to Mini. They said the radio, after going to sleep, was waking up every 2 minutes. There is a service bulletin for that, and they reprogrammed accordingly. Got car back on Friday, dead battery Saturday morning. Jump started and drove to dealer. Status end of day Saturday was that they still hadn't determined cause. Any similar experience or ideas?

 

Always keep a CD in the CD player.

 

What does that do?

 

I have a 2004 my power steeting would drain my battery. Also before the amp went out on my harmon kardon i could hear static from speakers with the car off and key out. After the amp went out i could still hear the noise. I pulled radio fuse and it stopped. My radio dont work anyway. You could always pull radio fuse and see if battery is still dying. If it is it.could be the diodes in the alternator have gone bad. They act like a check valve for the electric current with key on they energize and let power thru with key off they stop the flow. When bad they let the electricity back flow thru wires that it shouldn't and just the small amount of heat that the wires produce when energized will drain battery its far more prominent on a weak battery.