battery/central locking problem

[evertonfc]

I've been having problems starting the car (2001) since I bought it nearly 5 years ago. I bought a new battery soon after the replacement the dealer put in died (obviously a used one).
the car wont start if left more than 2 days, or overnight in winter.
The ignition just clicks.

The last time it did this it threw up a long list of voltage codes, which i cleared with a laptop OBDwiz app. BUT the check engine light wouldn't go out. A friend tried to fix the MIL with his snapon Solus (that insisted there was a 20pin OBD plug, but I couldn't find one and the VIN says the car was built in October 2000 so just after the 20 pin was discontinued.

I thought that if I removed the battery and fully charged it overnight then perhaps that might reset the MIL and it would go out.

Unfortunately, while replacing the battery and after checking the terminals were oriented properly, i was distracted and dropped the battery into the trunk the wrong way round.
I connected the terminals and there was a big spark and the alarm went off and took its sweet time to recognise the key. even with the engine running!

Now the car runs ok but the battery light is on as well as the MIL.
The central locking doesn't work either on the key (it wont resync) or the console switch neither will the tailgate unlock from the switch or key.
The front window lifts work (but not one touch down) the rear lifts don't work at all.
Doors only unlock manually.

I checked the glovebox and rear fuses and they seem ok.
Obviously I've blown something. any idea what would blow and leave the fuses intact?

As for the battery/charging light i took the car for a run and put all the lights on, no loss of power and the car accelerated as normal despite this extra draw on the "not being charged" battery.


Oh and I just noticed the battery is type 48, when it should be a 94R.

[Qsilver7]

When you inadvertently hooked up t h e battery incorrectly...you could have not only blown fuees....but re l as and/or control modukes, too.

If the engine is running...acceleration power & the other things you mentioned is not a real indicator of the battery's health...and not particularly the alternator/charging system either.

If you've unlocked the OBC...run test 9 with ignition in position 1 BEFORE starting the engine after it hasn't been running for at least 2 hours. This will allow for any accumulated surface charge to dissipate. If below 11.89 volts...the battery is at 0% state of charge...not actually dead due to reserve capacity & cold cranking amps specs.

When the engine is running & you do OBC TEST 9...then you are looking at the alternator's & charging system's voltage...which should range between 12.5 volts to approx 14 volts...which is needed to run the car's systems & replenish the battery.

The battery warning light is one of the most misunderstood warning...it illuminates when the battery is the VICTIM...not the CULPRIT.



If the CEL/SES/MIL light is illuminated...resetting the light is not "the fix"...retrieving the code & determining which area of the emmissions system set the fault code...then fixing the issue that caused the code is how you "fix it" & allows you to clear the code.

The recommended battery size for the e53 is a 49/H8. There are a few other compatible sizes like the 94R/H7...but the 49/H8 usually offers higher specs as well as fit in the battery compartment. You can compare specs in the chart below:

[evertonfc]

how do I run test 9?

Also the MIL codes occured after a flat battery, there were no codes the day before. most of the codes are system voltage and incorrect gear ratio in each gear. there were 26 codes in total. All of which usually occured after the usual "dead" battery problem and went away after i cleared the codes. having done that many times for some reason this time the MIL stayed lit eventhough no codes were present.

[evertonfc]

battery is definitely an exide type 48 so definitely the wrong battery for the E53 3.0i.

I bet that wrong battery is the root of most of the problems.
I took it back to Partsource and they said the battery and charging system were fine but as there were two batteries for my car would I like to buy a new one. No exchange even though the battery was only 6 months old and clearly they sold me the wrong one.

[Qsilver7]

I'm going to assume you have the low cluster which only has the trip odometer reset button on the left side...see instructions below. If you have the nav screen & high cluster...then do NOT use these instructions...the high cluster uses different instructions.

Below are the instructions to unlock the low cluster along with brief descriptions of what info they reveal & how to read what you see in the low cluster's limited display for alpha numeric data. If you are a visual learner...there are multiple videos on YouTube that covers this. Just be sure to search for low cluster or base cluster. If you see a BMW video showing 2 buttons & the 20 digit alpha numeric display where you have to enter the sum of the last 5 digits of your VIN...skip it...that's the high cluster:

[evertonfc]

Wow thank you so much.
You're incredibly helpful.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by evertonfc

I've been having problems starting the car (2001) since I bought it nearly 5 years ago. I bought a new battery soon after the replacement the dealer put in died (obviously a used one).
the car wont start if left more than 2 days, or overnight in winter.
The ignition just clicks.

The last time it did this it threw up a long list of voltage codes, which i cleared with a laptop OBDwiz app. BUT the check engine light wouldn't go out. A friend tried to fix the MIL with his snapon Solus (that insisted there was a 20pin OBD plug, but I couldn't find one and the VIN says the car was built in October 2000 so just after the 20 pin was discontinued.

I thought that if I removed the battery and fully charged it overnight then perhaps that might reset the MIL and it would go out.

Unfortunately, while replacing the battery and after checking the terminals were oriented properly, i was distracted and dropped the battery into the trunk the wrong way round.
I connected the terminals and there was a big spark and the alarm went off and took its sweet time to recognise the key. even with the engine running!

Now the car runs ok but the battery light is on as well as the MIL.
The central locking doesn't work either on the key (it wont resync) or the console switch neither will the tailgate unlock from the switch or key.
The front window lifts work (but not one touch down) the rear lifts don't work at all.
Doors only unlock manually.

I checked the glovebox and rear fuses and they seem ok.
Obviously I've blown something. any idea what would blow and leave the fuses intact?

As for the battery/charging light i took the car for a run and put all the lights on, no loss of power and the car accelerated as normal despite this extra draw on the "not being charged" battery.


Oh and I just noticed the battery is type 48, when it should be a 94R.

Rookie/newbie mistake. Sometimes it isn't worth DIYing a project when a lot of stores will install a new battery for FREE.

Besides a fuse, a fusible link might have been fried when you connected the battery backward. Get a wiring diagram (Bentley Manual) and locate the components that are not working and trace back the power wires to the fuses and fusible links.

[upallnight]

The battery light being on is probably because you connected the battery incorrectly and blew out the Diode for the alternator. Connect a volt meter at the jump terminal and see what kind of voltage is being outputted by the alternator. If it is less than 13 volts with the engine running you need a new alternator.

[evertonfc]

I'm taking it to an auto electrician. Thanks everybody.

[evertonfc]

i tested the battery with the engine running, 8.6v, so the alternator is toast. How can I find out which alternator I have before removing it? there are several types for the E53 3.0i.