Lots of electrical problems/errors... blah

[euge]

so for the past week every 1 in 2 trips these randomly pop up:



and the more I drive, the more errors appear.. to the point where windows go up and down, interior flickers, wipers go off.. and it just dies. I have to turn the car off almost immediately when it starts to happen and let it sit for 5 minutes before turning it on again, and when I do it struggles to turn over. battery was replaced and it still continues which leads me to believe it's an alternator issue but I would like to see what you guys think. here is a list of error codes


E R R O R M E M O R Y -----------------------
Date: 02.10.2015 07:37:35 Model: E70 Scope: all control module JobStatus: OKAY Quantity: 45-----------------------------------------------------------------ADR Gen. name JobStatus 1B VVT ERROR_ECU_SERVICE_NOT_SUPPORTED 1E VVT2 ERROR_ECU_SERVICE_NOT_SUPPORTED----------------------------------------------------------------- ADR Gen. name JobStatus Number of errors Error code Kind of error 00 JBBF OKAY 1 Error stored A6CF 28
01 MRS OKAY 1 Error stored 93C3 E4
12 DME/DDE OKAY 5 Error stored 2EBD 24 2F7E 82 2DEB 22 2DCF 84 2A15 E1
18 EGS OKAY 1 Error stored 5014 38
19 VGSG OKAY 4 Error stored 53FC 22 53FD 22 55C3 38 55CE 28
20 RDC OKAY No Error stored
23 ARS OKAY 1 Error stored 5D61 A2
27 PGS OKAY No Error stored
29 DSC OKAY 4 Error stored 6E83 A0 5DCE A0 5F2F A0 5DCF A0
2A EMF OKAY No Error stored
31 MMC OKAY No Error stored
36 TEL/MULF OKAY No Error stored
37 AMP OKAY No Error stored
38 EHC OKAY No Error stored
39 EDC OKAY No Error stored
3F ASK OKAY No Error stored

40 CAS OKAY No Error stored
45 RLS OKAY No Error stored
47 ANTTU OKAY No Error stored
50 SINE OKAY No Error stored
54 RADIO OKAY No Error stored
55 ISPB OKAY No Error stored
56 FZD OKAY 1 Error stored A670 68
5E GWS OKAY 1 Error stored A83A 22
60 KOMBI OKAY 1 Error stored A559 20
62 MOSTGW OKAY No Error stored
63 MASK/CCC OKAY No Error stored
64 PDC OKAY No Error stored
67 ZBE OKAY No Error stored
6B HKL OKAY No Error stored
6D FAS OKAY No Error stored
6E BFS OKAY No Error stored
72 FRM OKAY 2 Error stored A8C5 24 A8C3 64
73 CID OKAY No Error stored
77 RFK OKAY No Error stored
78 KLIMA OKAY 2 Error stored E723 28 E729 28
79 KLIMA2 OKAY No Error stored
A0 CCC OKAY No Error stored
A5 EDC_VL OKAY No Error stored
A6 EDC_VR OKAY No Error stored
A7 EDC_HL OKAY No Error stored
A8 EDC_HR OKAY No Error stored
AB MMCDSP OKAY No Error stored
============================================

[bmrboi2]

I had a similar issue with mine for about a week. Random windows rolling up and down, wipers activating, various warnings. Everyone said battery. I tested the battery and it was fine so I replaced the belts and tensioners and the problem has since resolved itself. I'm sure it's not something that simple but hopeful it is.

[ard]

Originally Posted by bmrboi2

I tested the battery and it was fine so I replaced the belts and tensioners and the problem has since resolved itself. .

Any theory on how belts and tensioners fixed that?!?!?

and how did you test the battery?

[ard]

Originally Posted by euge

so for the past week every 1 in 2 trips these randomly pop up:


and the more I drive, the more errors appear.. to the point where windows go up and down, interior flickers, wipers go off.. and it just dies. I have to turn the car off almost immediately when it starts to happen and let it sit for 5 minutes before turning it on again, and when I do it struggles to turn over. battery was replaced and it still continues which leads me to believe it's an alternator issue but I would like to see what you guys think. here is a list of error codes



5

Battery is a perfect replacement, same ratings? registered?

sure seems like a low charge, so volt ragulator or alt seems reasonable. There are a few threads here or on BF on similr issues. IBS cable, bad grounds, etc

[euge]

Registered the battery myself with INPA, went to an indy and it is indeed a failing alternator. I plan to sell the car 6-9 months from now after the winter atleast. What alternator do you guys reccomend? Or a rebuild shop? I have 107k on it.

[bmrboi2]

Originally Posted by ard

Any theory on how belts and tensioners fixed that?!?!?

and how did you test the battery?

Let me Clarify, I had my indy test the battery and he said it was fine. (Testing electrical loads is beyond my level of comprehension)

Suggested when it sits for extended periods of time to attach a trickle charger to help maintain.

Since there were no codes thrown the suggestion was to replace the belts and tensioners seeing as how the belts looked worn just to replace them all.

His thought was that while driving there may have been some excessive play in the belts causing a dip in battery charging causing the faults.

I'm not suggesting throwing money at random parts but was merely offering another possible solution to a similar issue I had with mine. It didnt happen at the frequency of the op but I wanted it fixed immediately

[bawareca]

These alternators are controlled by the ECU by CAN(or K-line communication if you like) and are not subject to conventional load testing. The only way is to hook-up diagnostic(ISTA shows real time voltage kl15 and kl30, very useful) or multimeter and drive the car and observe. This belt theory is really grouse.

[bmrboi2]

^^^^^^^Jesus H. Christ. I'm sorry next time I whip out my electrical engineering degree and ask my 20 year certified BMW Mechanic who was trained here and in Germany for a 15 page dissertation as to exactly how he tested my vehicle and why he came to the conclusion he did since no other signs pointed to any possible malities. I just hand him the goddamn keys and say "Tell me what's wrong and let me know if I can do it." then throw him $60 bucks for his time and get on my way.

BTW you are not using the word grouse properly.

[bawareca]

Originally Posted by bmrboi2

Let me Clarify, I had my indy test the battery and he said it was fine. (Testing electrical loads is beyond my level of comprehension)

My comment was based on this part of your post. I misread that they tested the alternator. As I pointed out, driving the car with a voltmeter attached can reveal many hidden defects.
If there is a major slippage of the belt there will be a)audible signs, b)vissible signs on the belt and pulley and c)smelly and smoky signs.
Modern car is a system, not a sum of many parts and control modules. It cannot be properly diagnosed if one is looking only at the part that fails to function.

[Doug Huffman]

Originally Posted by bmrboi2

Let me Clarify, I had my indy test the battery and he said it was fine. (Testing electrical loads is beyond my level of comprehension) Suggested when it sits for extended periods of time to attach a trickle charger to help maintain.

Since there were no codes thrown the suggestion was to replace the belts and tensioners seeing as how the belts looked worn just to replace them all. His thought was that while driving there may have been some excessive play in the belts causing a dip in battery charging causing the faults.

I'm not suggesting throwing money at random parts but was merely offering another possible solution to a similar issue I had with mine. It didnt happen at the frequency of the op but I wanted it fixed immediately

Trickle chargers and float chargers will only attempt to maintain the existing state of charge. If there are doubts about a battery's condition, only a smart charger (able to detect AGM < 14.7 VDC) bulk charge will accomplish anything. It will finish in a maintaining charge condition and should provide an indication of battery condition. Watch or even note the duration of charging at current increments to estimate Amp-hours charged, which into a good discharged battery should be about its rated capacity.

A mechanic, even a certified mechanic, is just that. A technician, even a certified technician is a technician. An engineer is educated and not just trained.