540i6 no-start root cause identification - help needed

[vt]

My 540i6 just died, with no previous degradation observed.

Here's the symptoms:

- First attempt to start the car: one click, dashboard goes dead
- Turn the key back, dashboard goes back alive
- Second attempt to start the car: one click, dashboard goes dead
- This time, it stays dead when I turn the key back
- However, by the time I get out of the car and get to the battery to
measure the voltage, the battery voltage is normal (12.24 or so).

First thought was - the battery's dead, but no, it checked out fine.

I wonder what the cause may be - one obvious candidate is the starter;
could it have died without any previous warning? What other possible
causes could there be?

[LuvMyE92]

It's the battery, it's always the battery.

[vt]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

It's the battery, it's always the battery.

You're right, it was. In a somewhat mysterious way. It behaved as dead so I brought it to the shop to check - they told me it was good. Surprised, I came back, left it on a trickle charger for a couple of days - indeed, it's been good since.

Gremlins.