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  #1  
Old 07-12-2017, 02:37 PM
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Bad Alternator or Bad Battery?

So I have had this issue lurking now for about 6 months now. There have been times where it doesn't come up for a month and then there are times it comes up daily. Start the car up. Fires up right away everything is fine. Maybe 30 minutes to and hour later my battery level drops significantly. it fluctuates between 9.3 volts to 11.6 volts. If I rev it good then it will go up to the 12's. Once it hits 12.5v all I need to do is shut the car off and turn it back on and its as if nothing happened and the car runs perfectly. This usually occurs when there is no spirited driving. Now everything leans me towards thinking its the alternator but about a month ago for a week straight almost daily the red battery symbol would pop up when I started the car and would go away within 10 seconds. Maybe its both but of course I would rather go with the cheaper option first. I've owned the car for about two years and have not changed the battery under my ownership. When I run the Carly APP the code I get is BDS-Generator 002E97. What are your thoughts?
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  #2  
Old 07-12-2017, 06:48 PM
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My e46 did that exact thing. The issue was one of the brushes on the voltage regulator wore out faster than the other. I replaced the VR and it went back to normal. I would pull the alternator and swap a new 39-41.00 Valeo VR and go from there. I can do it on my 545i in an hour flat and other guys on my e60 forum can do it in 30 minutes or less. Some guys need 4 hours. Generally speaking, the N62 is pretty hard on alternators, specifically the voltage regulator.

You should be in the 13+ through 14+ range when the alternator is charging correctly. You have probably shortened the battery life by letting get by with that low of voltage. I would replace it as well with any battery that is similar to the OE specs. Go to Home Depot and get a FLA battery or something.

Read up on the various ways to get to the alternator and go with the one you feel the most comfortable.
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Old 07-12-2017, 09:05 PM
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Re-read the manual's description of the battery warning light...it's one of the most misunderstood warnings.

It illuminates when the battery is the VICTIM...not the culprit:

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Old 07-12-2017, 09:11 PM
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Thanks guys it definitely seems like the alternator or the voltage regulator. Is there a diy floating around and removing the alternator? If I have to take it to the Indy I would probably just change he whole alternator otherwise if I can do it myself I could try the voltage regulator first.
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Old 07-12-2017, 09:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4.8isguy View Post
Thanks guys it definitely seems like the alternator or the voltage regulator. Is there a diy floating around and removing the alternator? If I have to take it to the Indy I would probably just change he whole alternator otherwise if I can do it myself I could try the voltage regulator first.
Try typing "BMW e53 x5 n62 change alternator" in a youtube or google search box.
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Old 07-13-2017, 05:32 PM
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The battery light is really a charging system light. It means the charging system is on the fritz, not the battery. The battery is a consumer of the charging system, so it is a victim of the light not a perpetrator of it.

The alternator produces electricity, and there is a pair of brushes that collect it and feed it to the voltage regulator, which is essentially a package of 4 diodes that turn AC into DC. The brushes wear down to little nubs and fail to rub on the commutator sufficiently, you get the light as a flicker until one day when it stays on steady. You can replace the diode pack separately from the alternator, but you have to pull the alternator out to get to the diode pack. The diode pack is also (and more accurately) called a voltage regulator.
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Old 07-16-2017, 09:48 PM
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A bad battery can kill a good alternator, that is why you should not try to charge a dead battery with the car alternator when you jump start the car.

A bad alternator can kill a good battery. If you replace a bad al;alternator it would be wise to verify that the battery has not gone bad due to constant discharge.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:51 AM
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So I changed my oil and voltage regulator today. It looks like the voltage regulator was definitely the issue. Didn't drive much but car was idling at 13.8v and wasn't fluctuating much which is more stable and higher then I've seen in a long time. The DIY for the removal of alternator was a nightmare. Took me around 6 hours to do it. Didn't realize alternator needed to be lifted and pulled not just pulled straight out. Had it jammed for a good two hours. So after putting everything together I developed a new issue which is a pretty high pitched squeel on idle that gets louder as rpm increases. Serpentine belt looks like it's on correctly so I'm not sure what went wrong. Don't see any Indian movement. Any thoughts?
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