Help! Car won't start after trying to replace power window button.

[LJR]

Thanks. Sometimes the battery light is lit up when I start the car but I have not noticed it lit while driving. At first the AA guy tried to sell me a new battery. Then he tested the alternator and stopped trying to sell me a battery and just said that the alternator needs replacing. So even though he tested both the battery and the alternator you think I should just get a new battery first?

Can it be that the reason the alternator is not charging the battery sufficiently is because the battery isn't good?

I left the car at the garage this evening with the key. Should I call them tomorrow and ask them to replace the battery first and see what happens?

Thanks for your help.

[LJR]

Just read the AA report (should have done earlier!)

"Diagnostic testing may be limited in a breakdown type situation. Please ensure symptoms/suggested faults are confirmed by your chosen repairer before any suggested work is started."

[LJR]

Just a little update: I asked the garage to diagnose if the issues were caused by a faulty alternator or if the battery needed replacing. Apparently both were fine. The alternator was charging the battery and they encountered nothing that indicated a problem. I obviously drained the battery with my stupid attempts to change the window button on the power unit!
Seems like my alternator and battery were fitted recently, just before I bought the car. The alternator is apparently of a make that is sometimes temperamental so I'll keep an eye on that. Got my car back though so one very happy BMW owner and not having to shell out £400.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Bottom line: do not blindly trust the AA's diagnosis.

[wpoll]

Also, in one of your images I can see the small LED that lights up the driver's inner door handle, dangle down. It should be connected to the rear of the inner door handle, but they are frequently broken off when people remove the door lining to repair a window or door handle. Being unaware of this LED, they smash it from the inner door handle when pulling the door lining away from the door.

Or in this case they simply forgot to plug it back in.

[LJR]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Also, in one of your images I can see the small LED that lights up the driver's inner door handle, dangle down. It should be connected to the rear of the inner door handle, but they are frequently broken off when people remove the door lining to repair a window or door handle. Being unaware of this LED, they smash it from the inner door handle when pulling the door lining away from the door.

Or in this case they simply forgot to plug it back in.

Thanks. I figured it looked out of place.
Should be easy enough to sort, right?

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by LJR

Thanks. I figured it looked out of place.
Should be easy enough to sort, right?

Replacing it requires removing the door lining - put it on the list for the next time you need to open the door up for something else.

Here's a thread about fitting them - it will give you an idea of what you're looking at. Often, the very thin curvy clear plastic part on the door handle is broken off...

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...-retrofit.html