Battery low on Key fob ?
#21
With the engine off but the key in ignition stage 2 I got these readings for voltage. It fluctuated from 11.8 to 11.6 , if I opened the radio or the heated seats it went down to 11.5 and 11.4 respectively.
When I turned the engine on the voltage went up to 14.6 and again fluctuated between 14.5 and 14.7 , if I opened the radio or heated seats it went down to 14.4
After driving for 2/3 minutes, and turning the engine off I got the voltage of 12.6
All of this information suggests to me that the car battery is behaving correctly, but the initial voltage drop, if unusual, could suggest a weakening and/or cold battery.
HTH,
Jim / crewzer
#22
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From: United Kingdom, London.
My Ride: BMW 525D M-Sport
Thank you Crewzer for your reply, so if we can rule out the battery as a problem what other things can I check so we can see what other conclusions we may come to ?
#23
Yeah, generally on my E60, when the engine has been off all night, the battery voltage tends to be about 12.3-12.4, 11.8 is extremely low with sensitive electronics in mind (I do a lot of RC things), and could easily be your problem. I would first try charging the battery, and see if that helps to charge the battery. When you turn the engine off, and you're at 12.6, that sounds about right (where my car is after the engine is turned off). Tomorrow morning, I'll head out and see what my battery is reading.
#24
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From: United Kingdom, London.
My Ride: BMW 525D M-Sport
I have seen a very slight improvement in the range of the keyfob nothing major.
I am going to get my mechanic to charge the battery sometime this week and then report back with my findings.
The car only has 20000 miles on it after nearly 6 years maybe it might be some useful information ?
I don't want to start a new thread for this but however if someone would like to answer this I would apreciate it, my question is in how many years should you change the battery of a car like the E60 my car is a 525D and only has just over 20000 miles (2006 July Model)
I am going to get my mechanic to charge the battery sometime this week and then report back with my findings.
The car only has 20000 miles on it after nearly 6 years maybe it might be some useful information ?
I don't want to start a new thread for this but however if someone would like to answer this I would apreciate it, my question is in how many years should you change the battery of a car like the E60 my car is a 525D and only has just over 20000 miles (2006 July Model)
#25
With the engine off but the key in ignition stage 2 I got these readings for voltage. It fluctuated from 11.8 to 11.6 , if I opened the radio or the heated seats it went down to 11.5 and 11.4 respectively.
The car only has 20000 miles on it after nearly 6 years maybe it might be some useful information?
In the case of your apparently "lightly used" BMW (~3K miles/yr), it may be that the battery is dying a long, slow death. There's no mention of the following issue in my car's owner's manual, but my E61's Service and Warranty Information booklet contains the following statement on page 16:
Battery Care
If your car is driven only for short distances of
less than 10 miles over a prolonged period of
time, without an occasional drive at highway
speeds, the engine?s charging system will
not maintain the battery. Insufficient use of
the vehicle could result in short term starting
problems and in the long term could damage
the battery.
In case the car is not operated for several
weeks it is advisable to:
a) consider using a proper trickle charger,
following the charger manufacturer?s
instructions, to maintain the battery?s
state of charge; or
b) consult your BMW center regarding
battery removal. Once removed, the
battery must be charged and stored in a
cool, dry place where it can be protected
from freezing. If the battery will be stored
for over 3 months, it must be recharged
every 3 months, or else it will become
damaged and useless.
Please consult with your BMW center for
further guidance and information.
If your car is driven only for short distances of
less than 10 miles over a prolonged period of
time, without an occasional drive at highway
speeds, the engine?s charging system will
not maintain the battery. Insufficient use of
the vehicle could result in short term starting
problems and in the long term could damage
the battery.
In case the car is not operated for several
weeks it is advisable to:
a) consider using a proper trickle charger,
following the charger manufacturer?s
instructions, to maintain the battery?s
state of charge; or
b) consult your BMW center regarding
battery removal. Once removed, the
battery must be charged and stored in a
cool, dry place where it can be protected
from freezing. If the battery will be stored
for over 3 months, it must be recharged
every 3 months, or else it will become
damaged and useless.
Please consult with your BMW center for
further guidance and information.
There's an easy experiment that you can try. Connect a good battery charger to the car battery for several hours, or perhaps overnight. With the charger still attached, try the remote(s). If all's well, then it's probably the car battery is going. If not, then there may well be a different problem.
HTH,
Jim / crewzer
#26
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From: United Kingdom, London.
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Hello,
I want to bring this thread back to life and say I still have this issue, maybe someone new reading this will come up with some suggestions we can try.
I want to bring this thread back to life and say I still have this issue, maybe someone new reading this will come up with some suggestions we can try.
#27
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 89
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From: United Kingdom, London.
My Ride: BMW 525D M-Sport
#29
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Joined: May 2008
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From: United Kingdom, London.
My Ride: BMW 525D M-Sport
Many many thanks for your reply AchtungE60, however all the threads I am searching are for Comfort Access key fobs, mine does not have comfort access... is there anywhere that still shows how to change the battery even though I do not have comfort access ?
#30
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 1
From: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
My Ride: 2010 535i M Sport 6MT
Model Year: 2010
A friend of mine discovered that he had low battery charge in both keys by accident. I had just coded his E46 convertible with comfort open and close. He was using a key for comfort open and close, until it would only only open or close partially (key in door lock still works). He switched to his other key and comfort open and close worked fully. Then it stopped working. He charged each key in the car's ignition for about 2 hours, in position 1 (accessories). Both keys work fine now. The comfort operation was draining the key's battery. He used a trickle charger on the car and turned off all accessories during the key charging. The BMW center should also have an inductive charger for the keys.