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  #1  
Old 09-20-2020, 08:26 PM
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2005 E53 X5 - Charging system issues.

Purchased an e53 2005 and have been working on it since purchase. Lol but thanks to you all I’m feeling more confident. Haven’t worked on cars before this. But can’t afford to take it in. So a huge Thanks!

This time, parked with engine running listening to stereo, speakers go out, battery light comes on, then car goes nuts all lights go on, car slowly dies and only clicks when I try to start.

Got a jump it started, made it home and then all warning lights come on again, car dies slowly again. Wake up in the morning and the car started but within a few minutes battery light, all warning lights and dies.

I’m thinking it’s the charging system but the alternator was switched out per the guy I purchased from 2 years ago and a new battery a year ago. Could these have gone bad so soon? Could it be something else like a belt? I smelled burning rubber for a few days before this happened. Also, car is making a weird noise. I am going to put a multimeter on the alternator and the battery but not sure what other steps I can take to troubleshoot so I don’t just purchase the alternator and battery then find something else wrong.

Appreciate you all!
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  #2  
Old 09-20-2020, 09:19 PM
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Check your v-belts - the burning rubber could be the belts failing. Or the alternator might have seized and smoked the belt - chicken or egg!

Either way, you are correct in assuming there is no charging. Now to find out why. The "funny noise" is likely a clue.
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  #3  
Old 09-21-2020, 07:26 AM
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Depending on where the alternator was purchased and if it was a rebuilt 2 years is all you might get out of it. Not sure what engine you have but if it is the 6 cyl. removing the alternator is a simple job and requires you to remove the main accessory drive belt. If this was me doing it and I am not all that sure of the maintenance previously done I would order a new belt, tensioner, and idler pully. I would pull the alternator and battery and bring them to either advance auto or whatever local auto parts place has the means to check them. Normally I do not purchase these items from them but in a pinch I have purchased the alternator from advance auto and with their lifetime guarantee have had to exchange it several times as it went bad 2 or 3 times on my E46. My best guess is your alternator is DOA and your car is running off of battery power until it loses its power.
I purchase most of my items from FCP Euro as they have the best warranty in the business. If time is not an issue I suggest this is what you should do as well. If time is an issue purchase the alternator locally and if the belt, tensioner and and idler pully are ok just order them from a reputable place with OE parts and not crap from the local guy. Unless of course he has OE parts.
There are plenty of DIY instructions on doing this job and as I said pulling the 3.0 engine alternator is a simple job and one that will familiarize you to maintaining your car properly.
Best of luck.
T
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Old 09-21-2020, 08:52 AM
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you can do the same with a multimeter, but a little cigarette lighter voltmeter is real handy tool in these circumstances. Like $8 on amazon. It should read close to 12v with car not running and 13.5 - 14v when running.

It DOES sound like your alternator, but did YOU buy the battery a year ago. Did previous owner install it (& was it new?) Battery age is pretty important, If you did not buy the battery, It's worth the time to pull out the stuff in the back and check a date code on the battery.
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Old 09-21-2020, 05:23 PM
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It’s the 6cy and it does look easy to replace. However the belt does not seem easy to replace. I would like to do that as well as you advised. Is it doable from the top or would I need to lift the car?

Battery and alternator was replaced by the second owner of the car, I’m the third.

I was buying from ECS but FCP looks much better and much less expensive. As far as waiting can I pay to have them ship quicker? What is the normal wait time for them in your experience?

Would you guys suggest I try to tear the alternator apart and see if I can get a few thousand miles out of it or just purchase new? And I feel from your comments buying a rebuilt one is not a good idea?

It’s our only car right now, will it be bad to charge the battery to run to store and back or from what I read it seems e53 do not like this and may cost me more money if I take the risk?
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Old 09-21-2020, 05:56 PM
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So I would charge up the battery fully - then confirm it is putting out nearly 12v before starting car

I would then start car and see how many volts the alternator is putting out using the voltmeter i mentioned or a multi-meter

If less than 13v charging, I would replace alternator with a new one preferably

These cars do not like inconsistent voltage, so no, I would not drive it far/much until you have this fixed.

Since you don't know the history on your battery, and the previous could have bought a used battery, I would dig it out and see how old it is.

FCP Euro is pretty good on shipping. Yes you can pay more to get it there quicker. I live one state away, They typically use UPS ground, So I usually get it in a day or two from shipping...even under their free ship option...
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  #7  
Old 09-21-2020, 08:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfknar View Post
It’s the 6cy and it does look easy to replace. However the belt does not seem easy to replace. I would like to do that as well as you advised. Is it doable from the top or would I need to lift the car?


Would you guys suggest I try to tear the alternator apart and see if I can get a few thousand miles out of it or just purchase new? And I feel from your comments buying a rebuilt one is not a good idea?

It’s our only car right now, will it be bad to charge the battery to run to store and back or from what I read it seems e53 do not like this and may cost me more money if I take the risk?
It's doable from the top, but you'll need to release the tension on the belt and the fan might be in your way to access the tensioner.

See if you can get a tool (or your hands even) between the cooling fan and where the belt tensioner is, otherwise you'll have to take off the cooling fan.

The cooling fan has a clutch that is attached to the water pump and can be a pain in the ass to remove.

If you're thinking of buying a Chinese alternator, I would first check if there's a reputable alternator repair guy in town I would see how much that costs.

A rebuilt unit will usually be better than what you get fresh out of the box with the cheapest brands.

I have a friend that's in the business and he shows me how poorly put together the cheap stuff is. Bearings and the voltage regulators fail regularly in months sometimes.
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  #8  
Old 09-21-2020, 09:13 PM
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Thank you!

So, checked the battery is was at 9v, took it in and they said it was bad, bought a 1yr old battery to replace it.

Got it back to check the alternator after starting it but it’s throwing a “code ————“ and will not turn over. Replaced the head unit stereo with an android model, do I need to replace the stock unit back up and put in a code to be able to start it?

Tried to connect both terminals together for 10mins to reset computer but still no go. It hits the alarm every time I connect the battery as well. Anything i am missing?
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  #9  
Old 09-21-2020, 09:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfknar View Post
Thank you!

So, checked the battery is was at 9v, took it in and they said it was bad, bought a 1yr old battery to replace it.

Got it back to check the alternator after starting it but it’s throwing a “code ————“ and will not turn over. Replaced the head unit stereo with an android model, do I need to replace the stock unit back up and put in a code to be able to start it?

Tried to connect both terminals together for 10mins to reset computer but still no go. It hits the alarm every time I connect the battery as well. Anything i am missing?
Does it try to turn over or nothing happens at all?

Having a bad battery can throw all kinds of codes, so that's sort of normal to see, but I don't know about the "code ----"

Where is that being displayed? On the dash somewhere or are you using a scan tool?
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  #10  
Old 09-21-2020, 09:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Golfknar View Post
Thank you!

So, checked the battery is was at 9v, took it in and they said it was bad, bought a 1yr old battery to replace it.

Got it back to check the alternator after starting it but it’s throwing a “code ————“ and will not turn over. Replaced the head unit stereo with an android model, do I need to replace the stock unit back up and put in a code to be able to start it?

Tried to connect both terminals together for 10 mins to reset computer but still no go. It hits the alarm every time I connect the battery as well. Anything i am missing?
The "code _ _ _ _" is the IKE asking for the PIN code to dis-arm the engine immobilizer. You need a four digit PIN (entered via the MID or NAV unit) to be able to start the car.

This happens sometime when you remove the battery.



There is a way to get around this - looking for it now.
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