battery woe

2000 528i (E39)

I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I could
not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the truck,
get a jump just to open the doors.

The shop said Interstate batteries are bad, I thought otherwise. More
importantly, what could be going on? Seems like something must be
pulling/drwing on the battery. Also, I've noticed that when I start the car
and let it idle for 2 minutes, the car seems to almost stall out or have an
anemic idle.

Thoughts-
af

"af" > wrote:
> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
> about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I
> could not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the
> truck, get a jump just to open the doors.

Even the least expensive Interstate batteries have at least a 2-year
full replacement warranty. Of course, the battery will have to be
tested and shown not to hold a charge. Such a new battery is
probably not defective. I think you are on the right track searching
for something draining it. You will need a meter to measure
current and isolate any drain by pulling fuses one at a time.

> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad,

Perhaps because they sell a different brand??

Vehicle maintance has been lacking somehow.

Interstate is a real good battery source, and real good warrenty.

Take your car to them (Interstate Business Outlett or distributor garage)
and have them test the battery and electrical system for free.

If they say the battery is just fine but lacking a charge, they will charge
it up for you if you like ... and then you have to go to a BMW certified
mechanic.

There is a hot short somewhere, or somehow battery electrons are leaking
from the battery to the base plate on a string of dried hydrocloric acid
waste down the side of the battery from being dirty ... which is not suppose
to happen on a BMW certified mechanic work program.

They do EVERYTHING at my shop, I take my 528i to Tillman's in Santa Rosa.

They do everything, my back yard mechanic days are over with this car.

I take it in, they fix it, I pay the bill, and usually I get a loaner car to
use while they have it if I ask for it.

They have to work battery to ground and trace it through the wire loom to
the ignition key if it is a hot short that is burning your battery dry and
can in certain very rare conditions cause fire ... maybe melting your wire
loom and shorting out some wire pairs in a big way ... which you would
quickly notice in vehicle operation.

So this is an easy fix IMO and all that rot ... just 20 minutes of diagnosis
time to sort out why the battery is draining with the key off me thinks.

sumbuddie wear blind sea

:?



in article , af at
wrote on 3/19/09 2:49 PM:

> 2000 528i (E39)
>
> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
> about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I could
> not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the truck,
> get a jump just to open the doors.
>
> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad, I thought otherwise. More
> importantly, what could be going on? Seems like something must be
> pulling/drwing on the battery. Also, I've noticed that when I start the car
> and let it idle for 2 minutes, the car seems to almost stall out or have an
> anemic idle.
>
> Thoughts-
> af
>
>

af wrote:
> 2000 528i (E39)
>
> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
> about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I could
> not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the truck,
> get a jump just to open the doors.
>
> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad, I thought otherwise. More
> importantly, what could be going on? Seems like something must be
> pulling/drwing on the battery. Also, I've noticed that when I start the car
> and let it idle for 2 minutes, the car seems to almost stall out or have an
> anemic idle.
>
> Thoughts-
> af
>
>

Why didn't you try the key in the driver's door?

-dk

I did. It would not open, even when using the actiual key.




"DK" > wrote in message
news
> af wrote:
>> 2000 528i (E39)
>>
>> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets
>> driven about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so
>> dead, I could not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to
>> open the truck, get a jump just to open the doors.
>>
>> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad, I thought otherwise. More
>> importantly, what could be going on? Seems like something must be
>> pulling/drwing on the battery. Also, I've noticed that when I start the
>> car and let it idle for 2 minutes, the car seems to almost stall out or
>> have an anemic idle.
>>
>> Thoughts-
>> af
>
> Why didn't you try the key in the driver's door?
>
> -dk

"af" > wrote:
> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
> about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I
> could not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the
> truck, get a jump just to open the doors.

Right now you only know a little about the state of the car, and you don't
know anything about how it got that way.

Measuring the DC voltage across the battery cold will tell you a lot about
the state of the system. And once the battery is charged or replaced,
measuring the idle current being drawn by the vehicle while everything is
turned off will tell you a lot about how it got that way.

The meter will tell you. The meter is your friend.

You could have an electrical leak somewhere and not know it. Things like
trunk lights and glove box lights are very popular since they can be on
without your ever seeing them, but things like bad alternator diodes can
cause current leaks too.

> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad,

I'm not a big fan of Interstate products, but your battery may be fine,
just pulled down by a load. On the other hand, your battery may have an
internal break and be a complete open. The meter will tell you.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

How is the alternator?? Battery voltage while at fast idle?

As others suggested, check the key-off current draw. Should be much <
300 ma.

On Mar 19, 2:49*pm, "af" > wrote:
> 2000 528i (E39)
>
> I put a new Interstate battery in this car last summer. My car gets driven
> about once a week. Today it would not start. In fact it was so dead, I could
> not use the button on the key to unlock the door. I had to open the truck,
> get a jump just to open the doors.
>
> The shop said Interstate batteries are bad, I thought otherwise. More
> importantly, what could be going on? Seems like something must be
> pulling/drwing on the battery. Also, I've noticed that when I start the car
> and let it idle for 2 minutes, the car seems to almost stall out or have an
> anemic idle.
>
> Thoughts-
> af