Quote:
Originally Posted by oldskewel
No doubt you are just fine. Nice work on all that other stuff "while you were in there."
Does anyone have any theories about how using a new alternator to charge a weak battery could "risk limiting the life of the alternator."
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Thanks for the quick reply. Yeah, the alternator install was a breeze compared to the other stuff. I did take my voltage reading from the dash, but confirmed it was in the low 12's with a voltmeter at the battery.
I read up a little more and the theory anyway is that a weak battery will cause the alternator to "work harder" to get it back to required voltage. Apparently, the same reason you shouldn't use a running car to recharge a dead battery - what I read recommended always recharging first with the alternator's only objective to maintain charge. But also reviewed some posts and 12.1v isn't uncommon among BMW owners.
The battery is only about a year old. That said, it did die due to the alternator issue and I had to recharge to check the alternator so may have hurts some cells. Might try and take it back anyway since it's still under some type of warranty.