Battery's playing up or ignition? Any ideas??

Booner!

Booner!

Booner!

Soldato
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So a few times whilst cleaning the car and fitting the exhaust, my battery has gone flat to the point of resetting clocks/windows not going down etc. Jumped the car and took the cables with me in case of getting stuck. A few times, the car will turn over, but not ignite first time. Mostly when warm, but yesterday the car wouldn't start until the 7th attempt. It's hit and miss, as the car will start first time 75% of the time.

Got the battery tested at garage next door, said it's "60% ok and it's on a trickle charge". However I am dubious as it's a 2006 battery and it's now getting on half way through 2011. Should a battery last this long?

So is it:
1.) Faulty/dead battery - not holding charge
2.) Faulty ignition
3.) Faulty alternator?

New battery from BMW is £200 ish... probably due to my M badge.

I've never had much to do with batteries, as they've always worked ok on previous motors... so open to ideas?
 
I may be wrong but if a battery wont start the car up first time then it prob wont on the 7th. When mine went flat all I got was a clicking.
 
When you turn the key to position 3, I take it you can hear the engine turning over?

Does it seem sluggish?

If it's turning over at a normal speed but won't actually fire up, it's going to be something else other than the battery.
 
[TW]Fox;18947693 said:
My 9 year old E39 is on its original battery.
My parents 7 year old Z4 is on its original battery.

Yours should be fine?
Click to expand...

That really depends how the batterys been treated in the past.
 
L0rdMike said:
I may be wrong but if a battery wont start the car up first time then it prob wont on the 7th. When mine went flat all I got was a clicking.
Click to expand...

I had the clicking when it went completely flat when washing the car at the weekend. Yesterday, I started it up....drove to tesco's, came back to car and it was just it turning over and not igniting, I turned off everything that would soak up charge and eventually got it going.
 
Last edited:
agw_01 said:
When you turn the key to position 3, I take it you can hear the engine turning over?

Does it seem sluggish?

If it's turning over at a normal speed but won't actually fire up, it's going to be something else other than the battery.
Click to expand...

Doesn't seem sluggish, I'll try capture a video....just doesn't fire up all the time. I found a thread on Z4 forum which I pigeon holed the problem to being a faulty ignition switch....I'm tempted that it's the same symptoms? But then why would my battery go flat whilst cleaning the car or when working on the exhaust, literally had the radio on for 20 mins ish?
 
Battery came off trickle charge. Started up fine first time, turned off and went to get stuff from work and went to start up, turned over and no ignition.....then started up fine second time. Hmmmmm
 
Sounds like a warm start issue to me, unrelated to the battery. Maybe a sensor. No fault codes/lights?
 
There's a lot of new MINIs which have this warm start issue. If its a hot day, or if they get back into the car after not long driving it, it just doesn't start? Takes a good few attempts just like in your case. I wonder if they have the same sensor fault?
 
In my service I got exhaust gas code come up I think, but must be down to aftermarket exhaust?

After reading up on Z4 forum, sound like a faulty ignition switch might solve it. Going to give that a stab.
 
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