BMW and M Power Owners

M1k3H said:
Hi all, after some advise.
Car is an E89. Was away for almost 2 months, when I came back home I tried to unlock the car but the keyfob wouldn't do anything. Tried the second keyfob, nothing. Apparently my keyfob battery cannot be replaced, so can't be sure it's not both keyfobs.

I managed to unlock the car using the physical key, and inserting the keyfob into the slot does nothing, no lights come on when opening the doors, nothing on the dash either.

I left the car hooked onto a trickle charger for a full day, and this morning still nothing.

The trickle charger recognised the 12V battery and its type (leading me to believe the battery may be ok), and it's been charging all night, although it's still below 75%.

Any advise on what to do?
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I don't believe the key battery cannot be changed. Are you sure?

Edit to add, well, I stand corrected. Can you try and charge the internal battery? Apparently an electric wireless toothbrush charger will work.
 
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If nothing is working when you open the door the main car battery must be having issues, it's probably dead after being left. I'd try another known good battery first. Depending on the charger it might not be charging it due to the battery voltage being too low although I'd expect and error light on if its was doing that.

The best method to check the battery would be to measure the battery voltage with a multi meter.
 
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MissChief said:
I don't believe the key battery cannot be changed. Are you sure?

Edit to add, well, I stand corrected. Can you try and charge the internal battery? Apparently an electric wireless toothbrush charger will work.
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Ok will give that a go ! Thanks.
Dangerous Dave said:
If nothing is working when you open the door the main car battery must be having issues, it's probably dead after being left. I'd try another known good battery first. Depending on the charger it might not be charging it due to the battery voltage being too low although I'd expect and error light on if its was doing that.

The best method to check the battery would be to measure the battery voltage with a multi meter.
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Yeah charger picked up that it was 12V and also AGM type, it also has a force mode if it's can't register a voltage.

Yeah, if nothing works will either call roadside or BMW garage in the morning.
 
M1k3H said:
Hi all, after some advise.
Car is an E89. Was away for almost 2 months, when I came back home I tried to unlock the car but the keyfob wouldn't do anything. Tried the second keyfob, nothing. Apparently my keyfob battery cannot be replaced, so can't be sure it's not both keyfobs.

I managed to unlock the car using the physical key, and inserting the keyfob into the slot does nothing, no lights come on when opening the doors, nothing on the dash either.

I left the car hooked onto a trickle charger for a full day, and this morning still nothing.

The trickle charger recognised the 12V battery and its type (leading me to believe the battery may be ok), and it's been charging all night, although it's still below 75%.

Any advise on what to do?
Click to expand...
Keep charging until 100%, if nothing new battery!
 
M1k3H said:
Hi all, after some advise.
Car is an E89. Was away for almost 2 months, when I came back home I tried to unlock the car but the keyfob wouldn't do anything. Tried the second keyfob, nothing. Apparently my keyfob battery cannot be replaced, so can't be sure it's not both keyfobs.

I managed to unlock the car using the physical key, and inserting the keyfob into the slot does nothing, no lights come on when opening the doors, nothing on the dash either.

I left the car hooked onto a trickle charger for a full day, and this morning still nothing.

The trickle charger recognised the 12V battery and its type (leading me to believe the battery may be ok), and it's been charging all night, although it's still below 75%.

Any advise on what to do?
Click to expand...

Do you have keyless entry? In which case your battery can be replaced :-)
 
Got the AA out (came in 8 mins :eek:) due to the car's alarm starting to go off, but not enough battery for me to start the car.

Ended up buying a new battery, this one was a bit over 5 years old, so pretty short life, but I haven't made it easier with almost 6,000 miles in the last 4 years :eek: Need to drive it more...
 
Is this us just getting old re: the e61? I can hear e28 M5, e34 M5, and even e39 m5 owners saying similar about it.

Not taking anything away from it, I'd love one.
 
M1k3H said:
Got the AA out (came in 8 mins :eek:) due to the car's alarm starting to go off, but not enough battery for me to start the car.

Ended up buying a new battery, this one was a bit over 5 years old, so pretty short life, but I haven't made it easier with almost 6,000 miles in the last 4 years :eek: Need to drive it more...
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You did code the battery in, yeah? Or you'll have more problems.
 
keef247 said:
You did code the battery in, yeah? Or you'll have more problems.
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Assuming it's the same capacity and technology (e.g. Standard vs AGM/EFB) then it'll make little difference, other than the rate of charge possibly being wrong, leading to a shorter overall battery life
 
Armageus said:
Assuming it's the same capacity and technology (e.g. Standard vs AGM/EFB) then it'll make little difference, other than the rate of charge possibly being wrong, leading to a shorter overall battery life
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Still worth doing for the seconds it takes versus risking damaging your alternator and having random silly niggles...

However, swapping your old battery for an identical one also doesn’t free you from the obligation to go through a BMW battery reset procedure, as your vehicle has to program the battery capacity again.


What happens if you don't register BMW battery?​


Registration is required so that your car knows about the changed specifications and can adjust to the new battery settings. Otherwise, if you don’t properly code BMW battery, it could result in many electrical problems; the battery life may decrease, you could overcharge or undercharge your battery, or in the worst case scenario, cause considerable damage to your vehicle’s alternator and electrical system — at this point your battery may fail prematurely.


What are the electrical errors that might occur? Certain modules of your BMW may turn off as a consequence of your car presuming that the battery life is low and wanting to save it. So, at that point your windows and mirrors may not close/open, your radio and interior lights might not work properly, or other modules not needed for starting or driving a car can fail.


Which BMW models require battery registration?​


All BMW models manufactured after 2002 require battery registration, as they are significantly more advanced in terms of electrical environment, which aims to improve the gas mileage. Models developed since 2002 are equipped with the system of Intelligent Battery Sensors (IBS) that contains micro processors monitoring and measuring charge, discharge, voltage, current and battery temperature.
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keef247 said:

Which BMW models require battery registration?​


All BMW models manufactured after 2002 require battery registration, as they are significantly more advanced in terms of electrical environment, which aims to improve the gas mileage. Models developed since 2002 are equipped with the system of Intelligent Battery Sensors (IBS) that contains micro processors monitoring and measuring charge, discharge, voltage, current and battery temperature.
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That's incorrect as not ALL models after 2002 have IBS
 
Booked my car in for the third time to have the handbrake checked, as well as a squeaky engine bay noise on cold startup (probably a belt), and squealing on right turns. This time I have got a loan car, let's hope it's an M5 CS (probably a 112d :( )
 
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