Bad battery?

You can install a 12 volt supply through the cigarette lighter, they make a little adapter for it so you don't need to get it programmed. Here is a guide to help you change the battery out with instructions in the diagrams below to help show you how on your car.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-a-car-battery

Battery replacement information
REP-ALG-RAF0161-6120BAT-HINWEISE - V.15

A vehicle battery is constructed for the installation location and the individual power requirements of the particular vehicle. These individual power requirements depend on the motorisation and different types of optional equipment. The individually assigned vehicle battery is the ideal compromise between the power requirements of the vehicle electrical system and the weight and service life of the vehicle battery.

If the vehicle electrical system of electric vehicles is not accessible due to a faulty 12 V battery, proceed as follows:

Battery exchange in electrified vehicles

Vehicles with the automatic engine start-stop function or particular engine types and optional equipment are equipped with a special vehicle battery (AGM battery), since only this battery type can provide elevated power requirements over the extended service life. Installing a different vehicle battery can cause problems with vehicle electronics, can reduce functions or can cause leakage of battery acid.

In the event of an accident where the airbags are deployed in vehicles with a vehicle battery in the luggage compartment, the electrical connection between the vehicle battery and the trigger is automatically disconnected through pyrotechnics. This prevents possible short-circuiting.

Proper operation of all of these safety and convenience functions requires a battery that conforms with specifications and that is properly registered in vehicles with energy management systems (IBS, power module).

Vehicles with energy management systems (IBS, power module): Register battery exchange.

The vehicle electrical system is informed about the vehicle battery characteristic data, such as type, size, age and current power capacity. Therefore, there will always be only one work scope provided that is permitted by the current status of information.

When installing a new vehicle battery, the battery must be registered and thus must also be registered with the vehicle electrical system.

Diagnosis system:

Register battery exchange.

Service functions

Body

Voltage supply

Register battery exchange

When retrofitting, a more powerful battery may be used. Standard batteries may always be replaced by AGM batteries with the same specifications.

When installing a battery of a different size or a different battery type, this change in vehicle data must be programmed into the vehicle data in accordance with specifications.

Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Reprogram is not the correct term, they need to re-assign the battery. That means the car needs to be "told" there is a new battery in the car to align the charging system to the battery. The new battery technology makes this a needed step in the proper installation of your new battery to avoid shortening its life from under or over charging. I am assuming the price is for the battery and the reassignment as well as checking for faults within the charging system, is this true?

BMW might be a great car, but the dealer should have explained the issue to you so that you could understand. I am glad we were here for your question and will be if needed again.

The battery is on the right side of the trunk (boot in British-speak) Pull the cover back and there you have it mate. Ã â Â

E60 cars are electronically sensitive, be sure the connections at the battery are good and tight.

And the battery terminals are free of corrosion, they should be brushed shiny clean. Do this after the car has sat for at least 16 minutes.

Hi Reashell,

Yes this is definitely something you can fix, in general a battery only lasts about 3 years, yours seems a little young for that but never the less, here is a way to load test the battery yourself

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-battery

Also, is the battery light on, this would mean the alternator is not producing charge voltage which will also cause the battery to drain down.

Please get back to me so we can continue.

Hi jeffmgr. Welcome to the forum. You have two different things going on. If something is draining the battery while the car is not being driven, that does not mean the battery is bad, just discharged. A jump-start will get it going, then the battery will recharge while driving. That will take a good 10 - 20 minutes to charge enough to start the engine again, and around an hour or more to fully recharge the battery. You can connect a battery charger too on the lowest setting for about an hour.

The symptoms of a discharged battery are a rapid clicking sound, like loud playing cards in bicycle spokes, when trying to start the engine, dim head lights and dome lights that get dimmer or go out when trying to start the engine, or everything will be completely dead, no lights, no radio, and no remote keyless entry.

If your month-old battery was indeed defective, there isn't much that can cause that except the battery itself. That is very rare today.

You could also have a charging system problem but I would suspect you would have more problems than just once a month. Even a drain on the battery should show up more often than that unless there was something that got left on once. There is a small drain on all car batteries today because of the insane need to hang a computer on every imaginable part of the car. Every one of the dozens of computer modules draws a tiny current for their memory circuits. Most manufacturers state the engine should still start after the car has been sitting unused for three weeks if the battery is in good condition. Testing for an excessive drain has really been complicated now by the use of computers that draw high current for up to a half hour after stopping the engine until they go into "sleep mode".

If you describe the symptoms you're having, I may be able to help determine what's really going on.

Caradiodoc

The possible failure items are often detectable with a "short test" of the car systems with the proprietary BMW software that most BMW specific repair facilities employ called a GT-1. They can include, but are mot limited to, a faulty final stage control module for the blower fan, a failed or failing general module that does not allow the car to enter "sleep" mode, aftermarket audio installations or security systems.

Welcome to 2CarPros. Sounds like you have a parasitic drain. That is something is staying on and drawing power from the battery while the car sets. There are a couple ways to find them and being this is a 1993 and not an overly computer loaded "modern" car, we'll use the simpler method. Get a test light and connect it between the negative battery terminal and the negative battery cable. It should light up bright if the draw is active. Do not try to start the car. Next step. Go to the fuse box. Pull the fuses one at a time while watching the light. When you pull the fuse that turns off the light, jot down what the fuse is and it's number. Keep going as there is likely at least two fuses that will turn it off, this is because there will be a fuse for a circuit and a fuse that powers multiple circuits, with the first fuse being one of them. Post the fuse(s) that shut the light off and we can start hunting for the problem.

Go to the passengers side front door. Put the key in the door lock. Lift the handle. Turn the key to unlock. Have a nice day à â Â