Battery Light

[Funky Toyz]

Hi Guys,

I hope you guys can help.

Last Thursday, I needed to kick start my car cause I forgot the park lamps on. I've never had battery issues before though. Anyways, yesterday when driving to work, a red battery light shows up, the fan speed (climate control) is reduced, eventualyy the radio goes off and I switch to dims from headlamps, all while driving.

The car eventually showed a orange battery light and then later the day no battery errors. I was driving so I'm thinking maybe the alternator charged while driving. I did however still have the battery changed. Went to suburban spares and bought a new battery (552 I think).

My wife went to work this morning, and now when leaving work this afternoon, the battery light shows up again, and this is a new battery.

Anyone experience this before?

E90 320i - out of motorplan

The car is showing so many errors these days I am seriously considering getting rid of it argh:

 

[pain68]

my brother has 320 D and he had the similar problem, even after also changing a battery to a new one, however this was negligence on our part, since the battery terminals were not properly tightened, try putting the car on diagnostics machine, this should narrow your options down, hope this helps

 

[Funky Toyz]

my brother has 320 D and he had the similar problem, even after also changing a battery to a new one, however this was negligence on our part, since the battery terminals were not properly tightened, try putting the car on diagnostics machine, this should narrow your options down, hope this helps

I think maybe I should check my terminals as well because I was in quite a hurry yesterday when I changed the battery's.

 

[pain68]

my brother has 320 D and he had the similar problem, even after also changing a battery to a new one, however this was negligence on our part, since the battery terminals were not properly tightened, try putting the car on diagnostics machine, this should narrow your options down, hope this helps

I think maybe I should check my terminals as well because I was in quite a hurry yesterday when I changed the battery's.

hopefully it is just this :thumbs:

 

[Funky Toyz]

my brother has 320 D and he had the similar problem, even after also changing a battery to a new one, however this was negligence on our part, since the battery terminals were not properly tightened, try putting the car on diagnostics machine, this should narrow your options down, hope this helps

I think maybe I should check my terminals as well because I was in quite a hurry yesterday when I changed the battery's.

hopefully it is just this :thumbs:

Thanx, I hope so too. Just waiting on my wife to get home so I can check the terminals.

 

[P1000]

Sounds like a dodgy alternator to me.

 

[Funky Toyz]

Sounds like a dodgy alternator to me.

I'm thinking the same, but I hope it's the terminals...haven't checked yet.
I have a feeling it's the positive terminal that's not tightened properly.

 

[Raybimmer]

Check battery terminal and cable clamp are clean . Tap clamp onto terminal and tighten .
Had same problem with mazda bakkie - was alternator .

 

[Sankekur]

I have to agree on the alternator being the possible cause. You could also measure voltage across the battery terminals, with the car idling the voltage should should be around 14.1/14.2V, if its around 12V or lower the alternator in not charging the battery, if its something in between like 13V it could be that the belt is slipping. But don't just go replacing the alternator as it might just be the voltage regulator that is shot (from what I have read for e46's 9 out of 10 times it is the regulator)

 

[Raybimmer]

+1

 

[ahmed e bhamjee]

I'd say alternator.Hope you get it sorted :thumbs:

 

[Funky Toyz]

Update: I checked and secured the terminals last night. All seemed fine. No battery warning etc. My wife also said that as soon as it came on yesterday afternoon, a few seconds thereafter it went off again and never came back on.

Anyways after checking terminals etc last night, this morning the warning light comes on again.
I'm now sure the alternator is the culprit.
How does one check the regulator though? I will do a voltage check as soon as the car is with me.