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The BMW Range
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Battery Warning Light
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<blockquote data-quote="moots" data-source="post: 502657" data-attributes="member: 219"><p>Nahh............good info from the bimmerboard from the sifu Qsilver7</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p></p><p><a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/member.php?u=19650" target="_blank"><img src="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/vb3avatar/avatar19650_3.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> </a><a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/member.php?u=19650" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #22229c">Qsilver7</span></span></strong></a> <img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/statusicon/user_offline.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> vbmenu_register("postmenu_21702261", true); </p><p>Member</p><p> Join Date: Jan 2004</p><p>Location: (northeast) Indiana</p><p>Cars: 99 540iT & 97 740iL</p><p>Posts: 12,437 </p><p></p><p></p><p>Quote:</p><p>Originally Posted by <strong>Damaskus325</strong> <a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21700105#post21700105" target="_blank"><img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/buttons/viewpost.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a> </p><p><em>1. ...as I drive, the battery light flickers on and off and the voltage test is showing 11.7-11.9 volts while driving. According to some information on other posts, that means my battery is at 0% charge <img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/confused.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>2. Im thinking alternator but there is an issue with that. The old battery, while driving, was charging at 12.5 to 13 volts at times. If my alternator was bad, it would have had the same reading. Another isssue I see, is that the car is not dying. With headlights, A/C and aftermarket stereo on and a 20mile trip, there was no sign of the car dying. Why do I have this battery light on my dash and why does it say my voltage is low?? <img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/help.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></em></p><p></p><p>There's some good explanations as to why you're confused. Most is based on a misunderstanding of what the battery light means...and a misunderstanding of TEST 9, too <img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>1. When you're running OBC TEST 9...if the engine is running...what is being displayed is the alternator/charging system's voltage...NOT the battery's voltage. The battery's voltage is shown when the engine is NOT running and the ignition is in position 1 or 2. <img src="http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>2. So armed with the information presented in #1 above...if you're driving around with TEST 9 displayed and the <a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1631140#" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue">[COLOR=blue !important]<span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">[COLOR=blue !important]<span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">voltage </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">[COLOR=blue !important]<span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">reading</span>[/COLOR]</span>[/COLOR][/COLOR]</a> rises to 12.5-13 volts (at times)...this means that the alternator has started putting out enough volts to recharge the battery. Thus the battery isn't being totally depleted and is getting some recharge while driving around. This is also keeping your car from completely dying on you while you're driving around.</p><p></p><p>Then after replacing the battery, and the TEST 9 readings got worse (while driving around) only reinforces that the problem is that your alternator (or something in your car's charging system like <a href="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1631140#" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue">[COLOR=blue !important]<span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">[COLOR=blue !important]<span style="font-family: 'segoe UI'">belts</span></span></span>[/COLOR][/COLOR]</a>/tensioners/pulleys) are continuing to fail and get worse. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>As stated in the owners manual...the BATTERY light comes on when the battery is NO LONGER being charged properly. This means that the battery is the VICTIM...not the CULPRIT. So many people misunderstand this when the battery light comes on and think that the battery is the CULPRIT:</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong></strong></span><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.bimmerboard.org/members/q/original/Battery%20Warning%20Light.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>__________________</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="moots, post: 502657, member: 219"] Nahh............good info from the bimmerboard from the sifu Qsilver7 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [URL="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/member.php?u=19650"][IMG]http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/vb3avatar/avatar19650_3.gif[/IMG][COLOR=#22229c] [/COLOR][/URL][URL="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/member.php?u=19650"][B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#22229c]Qsilver7[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][/URL] [IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/statusicon/user_offline.gif[/IMG] vbmenu_register("postmenu_21702261", true); Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: (northeast) Indiana Cars: 99 540iT & 97 740iL Posts: 12,437 Quote: Originally Posted by [B]Damaskus325[/B] [URL="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21700105#post21700105"][IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/buttons/viewpost.gif[/IMG][/URL] [I]1. ...as I drive, the battery light flickers on and off and the voltage test is showing 11.7-11.9 volts while driving. According to some information on other posts, that means my battery is at 0% charge [IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/confused.gif[/IMG]. 2. Im thinking alternator but there is an issue with that. The old battery, while driving, was charging at 12.5 to 13 volts at times. If my alternator was bad, it would have had the same reading. Another isssue I see, is that the car is not dying. With headlights, A/C and aftermarket stereo on and a 20mile trip, there was no sign of the car dying. Why do I have this battery light on my dash and why does it say my voltage is low?? [IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/help.gif[/IMG][/I] There's some good explanations as to why you're confused. Most is based on a misunderstanding of what the battery light means...and a misunderstanding of TEST 9, too [IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG] 1. When you're running OBC TEST 9...if the engine is running...what is being displayed is the alternator/charging system's voltage...NOT the battery's voltage. The battery's voltage is shown when the engine is NOT running and the ignition is in position 1 or 2. [IMG]http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG] 2. So armed with the information presented in #1 above...if you're driving around with TEST 9 displayed and the [URL="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1631140#"][COLOR=blue][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=segoe UI][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=segoe UI]voltage [/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][FONT=segoe UI][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=segoe UI]reading[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR][/URL] rises to 12.5-13 volts (at times)...this means that the alternator has started putting out enough volts to recharge the battery. Thus the battery isn't being totally depleted and is getting some recharge while driving around. This is also keeping your car from completely dying on you while you're driving around. Then after replacing the battery, and the TEST 9 readings got worse (while driving around) only reinforces that the problem is that your alternator (or something in your car's charging system like [URL="http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1631140#"][COLOR=blue][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=segoe UI][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=segoe UI]belts[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][FONT=segoe UI][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR][/URL]/tensioners/pulleys) are continuing to fail and get worse. [COLOR=red][B]As stated in the owners manual...the BATTERY light comes on when the battery is NO LONGER being charged properly. This means that the battery is the VICTIM...not the CULPRIT. So many people misunderstand this when the battery light comes on and think that the battery is the CULPRIT: [/B][/COLOR][CENTER][IMG]http://www.bimmerboard.org/members/q/original/Battery%20Warning%20Light.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] __________________ [/QUOTE]
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