BMW Repair: 1998 528 with dead battery, hard shifting, overnight charge, gorgeous car

Question
Occasionally wife's car which is driven about 4 miles to work just simply won't turn over to start.  Usually an overnight charge and it is fine for days to weeks.  Radio lights occasionally blink during operation; although radio and cruise may not work until car has been driven several blocks even if it starts on its own.
Also, occasionally when operating at low rpm's and let up on the gas it will automatically upshift with a loud bang in 2nd, 3rd or drive!
Gorgeous car otherwise.....HELP!


Answer
Have Battery and alternator output tested first. If all components test ok, it sounds like you may have a bad ignition switch or a bad battery draw draining the battery overnight.  look at the small red light by the gear shifter and see if when you shut car down keys out of car all doors shut and locked, see if that little red light goes out after about 1 hour, if it does not then the car is not going into sleep mode and draining the battery.  Thanks Nathan Babbitt (Babbitt Motor Werks)