Battery nearing the end?

[CondorX5]

Well I hope its made the girl happy again and no more battery tantrums for a while !!! 

AW8, my understanding of these vehicles is that they are sensitive to even a minor fault in a single cell of the battery, which other cars may still be able to use for a while without undue hassle before the cold finally kills the battery completely.  Not sure why it would drive 30 miles and only have a tantrum when it gets to the Bermuda Triangle, but I can only think that the current being drawn and then charged up via the alternator was not being maintained - ie a faulty cell not holding its charge.  Interesting that the standard BMW battery fitment was only a 90aH - given all the gizmos and the time of year (have started using the heated seats on the commute to work, also the heated rear screen in the mornings - big current draw I suppose).

The 4x4 light went off as soon as I drove off; there was one more single random error which vanished and hopefully it is now happy with the new battery. I was trying to stay away from a main dealer for all-time  record month so didn't want to go there unless essential!!

I do have the BMW extended warranty still in place and plan to keep it in place for the next year or two at least - car now on 54 000 miles. Probably keep it in place till 100K when it won't cover much I guess. Will need a "big" service next - 3 lights on, will need an Insp 2 this time - so hopefully check it out then.
Radio thankfully 100% restored and the only thing I needed to reset was the time, all the other settings seem to be fine. 

Would have been nice to have got the battery for £85 from ECP but on the other hand, it may have done my back in for weeks hoicking it out the boot, and the convenience of having it brought to the car and sorted without any disruption to my patients was worth it.    Nearly ditched the RAC after years of membership in Jan 2011 when I was marooned at the side of the road, alone,  at night for over 6 hours when the S8 alternator failed and they were just hopeless - they gave me this years membership free as a result of the formal complaint I raised and I remembered they did batteries, so thought I would call.  They attended within about 40 minutes even though I said it wasn't an emergency.......chap was happy to arrange recovery to anywhere of my choice if I had wanted it, but told him I was almost 100% it was the battery and please to get me a new one fitted asap, nothing else needed.

Now just to organise the wretched tail light / check brake light issue - would be very nice indeed to have an entirely 100% trouble free X for a few months - ah, to dream eh!!!!

[Rusty]

The alternator should supply all of the X's juice whilst running, but as it seems the X's are very prone to error messages at the slightest variation of voltage, anything is possible.

Condor, do I take it you have the same morning driving routine? Did the 'triangles' position vary much?  It's just that I was just wondering if the battery became 'fully charged' at approx the same mileage, and as the alternator charging circuitry detected this lack of battery dependency the voltage spiked because the battery was below par, hence the dash messages and radio upset?

Just my thoughts, hope you don't mind.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CondorX5]

No of course I don't mind- its a bit of a conundrum and certainly not one that a BMW dealership would be able to give any sensible answer about.  Yes- same routine at present, bermuda triangle is the same area, around the same junction, all the errors within say 50-100 yards on each day, quite spooky.  I think you are quite right, I thought a faulty cell not holding charge, your thoughts very similar, comes down to a battery past its best, probably fine for most "normal" cars for a while longer, but not the X. I want to avoid that Transfailsafe thing happening ever tagain if possible, not a nice experience all those clunks and bangs!  Alternator certainly seems to be charging quite normally - ran engine with multi meter attached for a while and one of those induction meters hanging off the cable to the alternator.  Heres hoping the problem is solved now. Sick of random dash messages!

[Raj]

Hmmm, I do hope it is now resolved but I actually think a temperamental alternator may be the underlying issue. The reason I say this is I had very similar problems to yourself whereby during a drive a number of the dash errors, etc would light up like Christmas and then if would just die mid drive (I was doing 80mph on one occasion and suddenly everything shut down).

I would have to pull over and wait perhaps 15 minutes but then it would fire up no problems and be fine for he rest of the journey, etc.

As the alternator is what is actually supplying the vehicle once started I was unsure it was battery related. BMW tested alternator, battery, overnight current drop tests, etc, etc and could no see what was causing it. They replaced the battery spent a few months constantly taking it in to the dealership but in the end I convinced them to replace the alternator under warranty as a last resort. Finally agreed, replaced and no issues since (that was 18 months ago).

My thinking was that when the alternator would throw a hissyfit it was the battery supplying the car during drive and while the batteries charge was being depleted, all the cars circuitry would start to shut down to keep supplying the engine to remain running until eventually it would die. Hence why it would still manage to fire back up after a short period.

Anyway, hope it is sorted.

[CondorX5]

Raj, I think you are spot on - the battery change has resolved most of the random messages, but this morning at exactly the same place another random message and radio/satnav/screen reboot ( thankfully not the transfailsafe or dead radio) one happened - pull over, switch off, no further problem after restarting. I had heard of a number of cases where the battery had been "tested" and thought to be "ok" but messages still popped up randomly and reduced substantially or disappeared after the battery was changed, so I thought a 7 year old battery wasn't really going to have a lot of life left  and was not covered under the BMW warranty anyway, so no harm changing it as it was always going to be in question given it was beyond its general lifespan anyway.  So that's one variable sorted hopefully.

The other main one would be alternator just as you found - which dealership did you use as it may be useful to either use the same one or get some communication between the dealer I go to and them?      I am working in Birmingham at the moment but have no experience of local main dealers, so if others do, I would love to hear from you!  Am rather jaded by Stratstone Derby who were a right bunch of pillocks last time my X went there ( claimed my comms pack was non-oem and had an analogue tuner......)  and they are well out of my way anyway - opposite direction to the journey to Brum.    Problem with most main dealers is their mechanics are generally not very clever and seem to have little knowledge or motivation beyond plugging a computer in and reciting "computer says........" to you.  Its also a right Pain to have to make two trips for every fault "we have to book it in to diagnose the fault then book it in again sometime later to repair it" is the idiotic mantra I always seem to get.

I know that a faulty coil pack can cause also cause strange issues in other cars , not sure if this would be applicable to the X.  But I think you are right and that there is a temperamental alternator issue - its very spooky how it occurs at the same place, same time every day at present.   

[Raj]

I'm definitely leading more toward the alternator intermittently failing to supply either the car or charge the battery.

I have been using Sytner Sutton Coldfield for many years and have a very good relationship with them. I work in Brum too (city centre) and am more than happy to help liaise with yourself and Sutton Coldfield to hopefully get yours trouble free.

[CondorX5]

That sounds a good idea, Raj, I 'm based in Harborne so its not a million miles from Sutton and generally main dealers will supply a loaner or collect/drop off.    What's the best arrangement do you think-  if you let me know the name of a person there I need to speak to, and you wouldn't mind making a call to prep them about it, then I can call them later on when you let me know you have had an opportunity to speak to them?    It would be wonderful to avoid all the endless trips to dealers and general messing around that goes on in these situations.  Will PM you my mobile number / email.

[Raj]

[quote="CondorX5"]
That sounds a good idea, Raj, I 'm based in Harborne so its not a million miles from Sutton and generally main dealers will supply a loaner or collect/drop off.    What's the best arrangement do you think-  if you let me know the name of a person there I need to speak to, and you wouldn't mind making a call to prep them about it, then I can call them later on when you let me know you have had an opportunity to speak to them?    It would be wonderful to avoid all the endless trips to dealers and general messing around that goes on in these situations.  Will PM you my mobile number / email.
[/quote]

Really nice chatting to you earlier. Lets see how we get on with getting it sorted.

[Sanj]

[quote="Raj"]
Really nice chatting to you earlier. Lets see how we get on with getting it sorted.
[/quote]

Hey Raj, you OK mate? I sent the search parties out after I heard you would be chatting with CondorX5!

Speak to me buddy, speak to me! :'(

@CondorX5 -  He's good isn't he? ::) Hope he helps you get this resolved, once and for all!

[X5Sport]

Oh Lord......has Raj had a 'Condor Moment' O:-)

I wonder how many on here are old enough to remember those.......

Richard

[Raj]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Oh Lord......has Raj had a 'Condor Moment' O:-)

I wonder how many on here are old enough to remember those.......

Richard
[/quote]

Classic:



That chase scene was mega.