Signs of Battery Retiring

[musclehedz]

What are the signs of the battery that is going to die off?In my previous car, one of the signs was the ABS indicator takes like 1 second to go off after the engine is started.

 

[supergripen]

well my car's batt has got this wear indicator that goes from green(OK) to black(gone!!)..its one of those maint'free types.
my E36 last time gave no clue that i know of..started nicely everytime.suddenly one day it juz gave up..quite leceh la.

 

[affan66]

1. the alarm doesn't respond so well (but first check your remote battery)
2. the central locking also either doesn't respond at all or some of the door lock actuators work and some don't
3. lights dim
4. weak starting

Better to go with Maint Free batteries. It is not good to have a weak battery in a BMW. Can hurt your DME

 

[musclehedz]

Anyone encounter before the instrument cluster indicators goes haywire?

Example the engine oil indicator 1 time got 1 time don't have, and the ABS indicator flicks on and off very fast like 0.5seconds when u crank the engine, and also sudddenly the multifunction display give all sorts of errors like check coolant, etc..

 

[jeffreyewe]

As what supergripen mentioned earlier, if you have the battery with the indicator..life is so much easier.

But, if you have the normal one...usually the cockpit lights are dim and harder to start in the morning. These are the usual signs.

 

[musclehedz]

Originally posted by jeffreyewe@Jun 28 2005, 09:24 AM
As what supergripen mentioned earlier, if you have the battery with the indicator..life is so much easier.

But, if you have the normal one...usually the cockpit lights are dim and harder to start in the morning. These are the usual signs.

Mine's MF but don't have indicator.

2 nights ago my ABS indicator flicked on/off very quickly during cranking and than this morning the coolant sensor went haywire, i checked the coolant and sensor, it's ok. So suddenly I thought of my previous car as they had similiar indications that the battery is weak.

 

[affan66]

Muscle,

I had that problem before, it was scary.

It could be a different problem but this was what happened in my case:
It happened during starting when I had problems with my engine. My engine overheated and had a cracked cylinder head. Upon starting, the car sputters and putters. The dashboard lights flickered and the OBC showed Check Coolant.
Do a reset of your DME and check with a diagnostic tool.

 

[musclehedz]

Originally posted by affan66@Jun 28 2005, 09:35 AM
Muscle,

I had that problem before, it was scary.

It could be a different problem but this was what happened in my case:
It happened during starting when I had problems with my engine. My engine overheated and had a cracked cylinder head. Upon starting, the car sputters and putters. The dashboard lights flickered and the OBC showed Check Coolant.
Do a reset of your DME and check with a diagnostic tool.

Now i'm scared

 

[flash]

Originally posted by musclehedz+Jun 28 2005, 09:41 AM-->QUOTE (musclehedz @ Jun 28 2005, 09:41 AM)

 

[musclehedz]

Originally posted by flash@Jun 28 2005, 09:50 AM
Take it easy bro, don't jump to conclusion. In affan's case, he would be loosing water big time and his engine is definitely now running well. In your case, I presume that your engine is still running smooth.

I had that "cuckoo" dashboard syndrome once for a period of time with my ex-Babe. My RPM meter went haywire, intermittent error messages from the OBC (all sorts of problem came up), ABS off and on. These went on intermittently for period of a week or so and then mysteriously disappeared. It was ok until I got rid of the car.

BUt I hazard a guess... how old is your battery? A weak battery once caused havoc in my Wira.

Ya, tha'ts why i was guessing maybe could be the battery as my previous car had the similiar signs.

I don't know how old is the battery and not sure when the previous owner changed it.

My engine is running smoothly and no hickups, no overheating as well.

Any idea how do I check if the battery is weak?

 

[E46Fanatic]

I had those signs when my alternator was dying. While driving, all sorts of error lights came on and off. As you drive and move its ok and when you slow down it comes out again. The day before, while driving the battery light flashed once or twice. Changed the alternator under AB goodwill warranty and the problem went away. They also recharged my orig battery instead of changing it after the alternator change.

 

[enkryan]

Just changed my batt. last month to MF. (RM300)
Look for bulging on the sides of the battery as signs of problem.

 

[jeffreyewe]

Just to make sure, I have a perfectly working battery Din55..why don't you try plugging it in just to test it out.

If the problem still persist, then it's not the battery.

PM me if you wanna try this out.

 

[affan66]

muscle,
as I said, mine could be an isolated case. So don't fret. Could be a charging problem (battery or alternator) or could be grounding problem. Focus on this first before you go into the mechanical side.

 

[NumberTWO]

I have seen my mech using a tool to measure the acid level of the battery to determine if it is time to change....

 

[Marco]

one question..recently my battery dies off..n i replace it with a DELKOR DIN 55 as the original bmw battery was way too expensive..it is price at rm750 a piece..do i have to plug in modic to reset my car once i have a battery change?please advise!!

 

[affan66]

Marco,

When the battery is removed, everything will be resetted. Start the engine like normal and idle it for about 5-10 minutes and then switch it off again. The car should have everything back to the settings as per the engine's condition.

This is based on what I've read on the Net so far. On the E46, you should also take note of the warnings for the ABS and airbags. There might be some other steps that you require to reset or set before and after the installation of the new battery (besides the time/date and radio settings).

 

[musclehedz]

Why the ori BMW battery so expensive? Last longer?

 

[mini_jeff67]

Originally posted by supergripen@Jun 27 2005, 08:17 PM
well my car's batt has got this wear indicator that goes from green(OK) to black(gone!!)..its one of those maint'free types.
my E36 last time gave no clue that i know of..started nicely everytime.suddenly one day it juz gave up..quite leceh la.

Where's the indicator located?

 

[musclehedz]

Originally posted by mini_jeff67+Jun 30 2005, 09:07 AM-->QUOTE (mini_jeff67 @ Jun 30 2005, 09:07 AM)