Time for new battery on Nov 2004 3.0d?

[omodos]

Time for new battery on nov 2004 3.0d? 50,000 on clock


Hi all, X5 3.0d wouldn’t fire up for the first time since I owned her…did so on second attempt though.
What has changed in the last few days, is temps have suddenly dropped here from about 19C to 10C,anyway being a diesel I always leave key in position 1 for about 5-10 seconds before start-up (apart from when I know engine is warm).

When I got home after the 'incident' and a 20min drive, turned off switch,took key out, waited a minute and then fired her up again first time.

So is this my battery or are we looking at glow plugs and starters motors or fuel pumps and more x5 gremlins?


What this glitch has done is get rid of the annoying fan/heater/aric con automatically coming on as soon as i start the car?

[TerminatorX5]

colder temps will take a toll on the chemical processes inside the battery, even though 10 C is not THAT cold... if the battery is over 3 years, it is worth it to see if a new battery is in order... if the battery is 5 years old, chances are higher you need a new battery.. if you've got an original one - definetely need new one...

monitor your under load voltage to see how battery performs... sometimes there is a bad cell (there are six cells in the battery), that drains battery internally... even new batteries may have a bad cell...

[omodos]

ok terminatorX5, will have a tinker in the back and see if the indicator says time for recycling, although motordavids writeup on replacement says his indicator showed all was fine in terms of acid level yet he still needed a new one, and this vent hole business is weird....not all replacements have a vent hole so you have to punch out a hole in the battery to put the tube in, man not too keen on that either...whats the best way to do this voltage test you mention?

[TerminatorX5]

for the load test, do a search for cluster tests - during the test, throw as many load users as possible, the heated seats, heated steeering wheel, A/C or heater - they put more load on the engine and alternator...

if you buy the correct type/size battery, it will have a vent tube already there, there is NO need to puncture any holes... As a matter of fact, do NOT puncture holes in the battery that is not designed for a hole, you may have some serious problems, ranging from health issues to car problems...

[omodos]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

for the load test, do a search for cluster tests - during the test, throw as many load users as possible, the heated seats, heated steeering wheel, A/C or heater - they put more load on the engine and alternator...

if you buy the correct type/size battery, it will have a vent tube already there, there is NO need to puncture any holes... As a matter of fact, do NOT puncture holes in the battery that is not designed for a hole, you may have some serious problems, ranging from health issues to car problems...

ok thanks for all the input, if i do manage to get to test no. 9. for the battery test, what voltage range if any should i be seeing as i turn on off devices headlights radio etc ?

[omodos]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

for the load test, do a search for cluster tests - during the test, throw as many load users as possible, the heated seats, heated steeering wheel, A/C or heater - they put more load on the engine and alternator...

if you buy the correct type/size battery, it will have a vent tube already there, there is NO need to puncture any holes... As a matter of fact, do NOT puncture holes in the battery that is not designed for a hole, you may have some serious problems, ranging from health issues to car problems...

ok thanks for all the input, if i do manage to get to test no. 9. for the battery test, what voltage range if any should i be seeing as i turn on off devices headlights radio etc ?

[omodos]

this is from a DIY in the how to portion, seems a bit more condensed as a guide, although still not sure what voltage should be seeing:

went on to see what all of them did.The following from 750i.de :
"Turn ignition to pos. II
Push

right button in the instrument cluster and keep it pushed. You will
first see "Check Control OK", some seconds later you will see "Test
Nr.01"
Push the left button on the instrument cluster to see the
car's identification number. Add the 5 digits together and write down
that number, you will need it for unlocking all the functions. Example:
DG23278 will lead to 2+3+2+7+8 = 22
Push the right button until you see "Test Nr.19"
Push left button until you see the number that is equal to the one you calculated above
Push right button again "
This will give you access to all the tests.

[Qsilver7]

Ditto...you can unlock your OBC and run TEST 9 to get your battery's voltage (ignition in position 1 or 2)...or with the engine running, you'll get the alternator/charging system's voltage.

[omodos]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Ditto...you can unlock your OBC and run TEST 9 to get your battery's voltage (ignition in position 1 or 2)...or with the engine running, you'll get the alternator/charging system's voltage.

I think TX5 or Slick has a link in his signature that has instructions.

Qsilver thanks, so i get to test 9 and then power on car as such correct?

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by omodos

Qsilver thanks, so i get to test 9 and then power on car as such correct?

To check your battery's voltage...turn the ignition to position 1 or position 2 (position 2 may require that you buckle your seat belt...position 1 doesn't).

Its also best to check the battery BEFORE you start the engine...so that there's no surface charge on the battery which can fool you into thinking that it is holding a charge better than what it is. See the chart below for battery voltage: