Simple visual inspections are an easy approach to determine your battery’s voltage. Make sure they are sufficiently lighted or are dimmed by checking. If they appear dim, lights probably get power from the alternator rather than the battery. I hope you have a complete understanding of how to determine whether an e38 BMW battery can be recharged. Visit the website’s home page for more information.
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Battery not charging, but alternator working well
Have a 1995 740i with a dashboard battery warning light. A parts store performed a good alternator inspection. When the tester “struck” the alternator, I could even hear it load down. I’m returning to the vehicle to confirm that F22 is located on the right side of the firewall. Clean terminals and a new battery. With a jump box, the car will start, and everything seems to be working inside. simply not charging
1) Any ideas?
2) What is the voltage regulator’s location?
3) Can the regulator be tested by a do-it-yourselfer? (Not willing to risk a $300 part.)
Calls to 816-838-2218 are welcome. 5 PM Central time now. I’m about to put the alternator back in.
Have a 1995 740i with a dashboard battery warning light. A parts store performed a good alternator inspection. When the tester “struck” the alternator, I could even hear it load down. I’m returning to the vehicle to confirm that F22 is located on the right side of the firewall. The battery is new and the terminals are clean. With a jump box, the car will start, and everything seems to be working inside. simply not charging
Have you attempted using a battery charger to charge the battery? Does it have a battery?
The alternator includes the voltage regulator. A couple screws hold it in place, and the harness connects into it. This is a link. The alternator is presumably fine since it passed inspection, but it’s much simpler to replace if the car is off.
The autoparts store wouldn’t have declared it was good if the voltage regulator wasn’t functioning. What’s the age of your battery? Are you certain that it is not the issue? The alternator breaks down significantly less frequently than batteries.
The battery is working properly after being charged. It’s not even two years old. Displays 12.7 after charging and one startup cycle, indicating that the surface charge has been discharged.
Procedure
A BMW battery should only be charged using the jump start connectors found beneath the hood.
- Use the emergency key that can be located within the key fob to unlock the driver’s door.
- Open the hood by twice pulling the hood release.
- Under the engine bay, find the positive terminal.
- Connect your charger’s red clamp to this post.
- Look under the hood for the negative terminal. A marked copper post belongs to BMW. Connect the black clamp to one of the strut tower bolts if you are unable to locate the negative (ground) post.
- the kind of battery to use. On the battery’s top, the type of battery is printed. The battery will either be an AGM battery or a regular/lead acid/flooded battery. It is most likely an AGM battery if the battery has a black case. It is a standard or flooded battery if the battery has a white casing.
- Connect your charger to an extension wire or wall outlet.
- Allow the battery to charge or keep charging. While the battery is charged, do not leave the key in the ignition. It may take up to twenty-four hours to charge your BMW battery if it is completely drained.
The average time it takes for all BMW systems to “sleep” is between 15 and 30 minutes. The battery still loses 0.1–0.5A even when the car is in “sleep mode.”
What does BMW’s “battery not charging” message mean?
Corrosion is one of the most frequent causes of the battery light turning on and the automobile battery ceasing to charge. It doesn’t matter if the corrosion is on the cable terminals or the battery cables—it still needs to be fixed.
Alternator issues are another frequent cause of the battery not charging. The battery is powered by the alternator, therefore if it isn’t working right, neither will be. The alternator itself or the belt that drives it may be the source of this issue.
How can you tell whether your BMW requires a new battery?
- lowering the headlights.
- a greater demand for jump starts or engine revving.
- When you turn the key or press the button, the engine starts more slowly.
- abnormal power variations
How much time does a BMW battery take to recharge?
The kind of charger you are using greatly affects how long it takes to charge a BMW battery. The battery will take around 8 to 10 hours to fully charge if you are using a normal charger. However, if you are using a fast charger, the battery will only need to be charged in 3–4 hours.
How can I tell if I need to recharge my battery?
If your dashboard displays that annoying battery icon, it means your alternator, battery, or electrical system may be malfunctioning. All of this indicates that your car won’t be effectively charging itself while you’re driving, and you’ll likely experience a flat battery at some point in the future.
Since the symbol might appear for a variety of reasons, we advise scheduling a Free Battery Health Check so that one of our knowledgeable specialists can assist you in determining the precise nature of the issue.
How can you tell if an automobile battery won’t maintain a charge?
Although there are numerous reasons why a charge fails, you might be unsure of how to pinpoint the actual cause. To discover out, carry out the following tests:
- Try turning on your headlights as soon as possible. If they turn on with their usual brightness, the starter or wiring is most likely the cause of the issue rather than the battery. The battery is more likely to be the issue if the lights don’t turn on at all or if they do so dimly.
- Get a voltmeter and attach the red lead to the positive terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal to check the voltage of your battery. Ideally, you’ll obtain a reading of more than 12.6 volts, indicating a completely charged battery. If not, though, there is unquestionably a problem with the battery’s charging.
- You’ll eventually want to inquire about the battery’s state of health. Does it appear visibly rusted or beaten down? Is this item older than four years? If so, changing the battery might be the simplest option.
- You might also think about your alternator being the source of the issue. The alternator cables should not be frayed or cracked because that is a clear indication that something is wrong. Additionally, if the automobile stalls after being jump-started and the battery quickly loses its charge, there may be a problem with the alternator.
Even if you are certain that you have located the specific issue, you should probably seek professional advice. While you end up spending more money than necessary, buying a new battery when the alternator is the underlying issue or vice versa will prove to be extremely aggravating. To find out what is really causing your lost charge, take your automobile to a nearby auto repair shop for an assessment.
How can a non-charging automobile battery be fixed?
- Examine the headlights.
- Take the battery’s age and condition into account.
- Examine the connectors for corrosion.
- For blown fuses, look.
- The Battery is Being Drained by Unknown Factors.
- Employ a voltmeter
What symptoms indicate a faulty alternator in a BMW?
- An empty battery.
- Inefficient or dysfunctional accessories.
- Dashboard caution indicators.
- Performance problems
- Inability to start or persistent stalling
- Whining or growling noises
How can a battery that won’t keep a charge be fixed?
Response given by. If trying to jumpstart your automobile battery doesn’t work, your battery may be dead. However, if it isn’t, a few testing, cell cleaning, and battery reconditioning may be able to fix a car battery that won’t retain a charge.
My deep cycle battery won’t accept a charge; why?
Once the voltage of your deep cycle battery has been verified, you can evaluate its charge level. To determine your battery’s expected charge level, just compare the measured voltage with a state of charge table. According to our State of Charge chart, your AGM deep cycle battery, for instance, is at a 70% state of charge if its rating is 12.30V. While this charge graphic is specific to 12V AGM deep cycle batteries, it can also serve as a general reference for other battery types. However, keep in mind that there may be minor variations in the voltage rating.
A deep cycle battery will typically have a voltage of over 12.8V to 13V when fully charged. Here are a few battery issues that you might recognize by looking at the voltage readings.
A fully charged AGM battery should be replaced if the test results are more than 20% below the fully charged voltage level. This is frequently a sign of battery aging, harm from overcharging or undercharging, or sulfation. Occasionally, a desulfation device can help a battery in this state; otherwise, you’ll have to put up with the battery’s poor capacity or replace it.
When your battery shows a good voltage when fully charged but soon decreases to 11V or below when consuming power, this typically indicates that a bad cell is present and the battery needs to be replaced. Excessive vibration, such as when driving over corrugations without providing enough shock absorption for the battery, or a manufacturing defect may be to blame. You will need to replace the battery because it is difficult and frequently impractical to fix damaged cells.
A deep cycle battery should read around 10.5V when it is completely depleted (dead flat). If your test reveals that this voltage is less than 10V, it has likely been running a load without an automated cut-off for an extended period of time or been left in storage without being charged. It is challenging to recharge a battery after it drops below 10V because the very low voltage prevents most battery chargers from identifying it as a battery. However, this usually relies on how long the battery has left at this low voltage. In some cases, you can restore a battery by utilizing an old bulk battery charger without smarts (one that you simply switch on and it starts powering away without stages or battery detection).
When a battery is fully dead, how can you tell?
- At ignition, nothing happened.
- Although the starter motor turns over, the engine won’t start.
- sluggish times for cranes.
- The engine starts, but it immediately shuts off.
- No dome lights or door chimes.
- Headlights that are dim or nonexistent.
- Turns on the Check Engine Light.
- Uneven Battery
How do I tell if the battery or the alternator is the problem?
In its most basic form, starting and operating an engine is a 3-step procedure. The battery first jolts the starter with power. The alternator is then activated when the engine is started. The alternator then charges the battery to end this cycle.
Bypassing the battery’s function and jump-starting your vehicle, you can use the process of elimination to identify the offender. The alternator is probably not keeping your battery charged if the engine starts but soon shuts off. If your automobile can be started and maintained by a jump start, but it won’t restart on its own power, you most likely have a dead battery.