PLEASE HELP, no one can figure out the problem with my car??
10-06-2010, 08:25 AM
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Hey guys,
I wanted to get some 3rd party knowledge from you guys and see if you can solve the problem with my car! So here's the deal, back in March, I was driving up from LA to SF on the 5 and my car lost power and died. First the warning lights came on, and the idrive started to flicker and went black. My car slowly lost power and it ended up dying alone the freeway. I took it to BMW of SF first thinking they would solve the problem, they didn't find anything wrong. Battery was charging, alternator was working perfectly fine. I took it to TWO independant BMW shops after to get a second and third opinion. NONE of them were able to source out the problem for the power loss. I thought it was the altenator, but they said there was no problem, and didn't want to charge me to get a new one which I appreciated.
Since then, the car had been working perfectly fine, but about a couple days ago, the same thing happened! Warning lights came on when i was drivine, abs, active steering etc. My idrive shut down and went black, and then eventually everything died. I called AAA and the guy came and jumped my car. I was able to drive it back home. I didn't think it was the battery because i left the car on idle for 20 mins to see if it would drain to source out the altenator as the problem. I have no idea what to do?? I would figure if i take it back to the shop they wouldn't know either like the last time! You guys are my last chance of figuring this problem! Any help would be appreciated so much!!! Thanks guys!!
I wanted to get some 3rd party knowledge from you guys and see if you can solve the problem with my car! So here's the deal, back in March, I was driving up from LA to SF on the 5 and my car lost power and died. First the warning lights came on, and the idrive started to flicker and went black. My car slowly lost power and it ended up dying alone the freeway. I took it to BMW of SF first thinking they would solve the problem, they didn't find anything wrong. Battery was charging, alternator was working perfectly fine. I took it to TWO independant BMW shops after to get a second and third opinion. NONE of them were able to source out the problem for the power loss. I thought it was the altenator, but they said there was no problem, and didn't want to charge me to get a new one which I appreciated.
Since then, the car had been working perfectly fine, but about a couple days ago, the same thing happened! Warning lights came on when i was drivine, abs, active steering etc. My idrive shut down and went black, and then eventually everything died. I called AAA and the guy came and jumped my car. I was able to drive it back home. I didn't think it was the battery because i left the car on idle for 20 mins to see if it would drain to source out the altenator as the problem. I have no idea what to do?? I would figure if i take it back to the shop they wouldn't know either like the last time! You guys are my last chance of figuring this problem! Any help would be appreciated so much!!! Thanks guys!!
10-06-2010, 10:19 AM
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I'd put in a temporary voltmeter in the car and monitor it. It does sound like a voltage problem since most cars will die after the voltage drops below a certain voltage like 8.9 volts. Too bad you did not get a reading of the battery voltage when the car died.
Very generally speaking when the alternator starts going bad it starts giving out ac voltage, the computer will instantly give you a alternator warning when this happens.
Very generally speaking when the alternator starts going bad it starts giving out ac voltage, the computer will instantly give you a alternator warning when this happens.
10-06-2010, 01:14 PM
#4
The following is a post from this forum. Some similarity. Searched "oil leak alternator".
well i can tell you my story of a similar experience with my 04 545i.
simply driving down the road and get the xmas tree of lights, until i would get the gear indicator and have to pull over.
all i had to do was wait about an hour and I could get in and drive away, so it would happen quite often.
so went to local bmw repair, and they replaced the alternator. that worked for about 2 weeks till it started happening again.
had bmw replace the battery, didnt fix it, then had the other shop replaced both battery cables, still didnt fix it.
then had integrated supply module replaced, still not working.
so i took it to another shop, they immediately said alternator, explained the current one was brand new, but the insisted it was the alternator because they hooked a recording volt meter to the car and as it would run over time the voltage would drop from 14.7 to 11.2.
I explained the warranty company would not cover another alternator, but they said they would look deeper and talk to them.
end of the story is that my front valve covers were leaking oil and it was landing in the alternator, and because synthetic oil is conductive it was shorting the diodes dropping the voltage and therefore causing the lights.
they fixed the valve covers and got a new alternator, now all is well.
so hopefully all this info will give you plenty of place to look for problems.
well i can tell you my story of a similar experience with my 04 545i.
simply driving down the road and get the xmas tree of lights, until i would get the gear indicator and have to pull over.
all i had to do was wait about an hour and I could get in and drive away, so it would happen quite often.
so went to local bmw repair, and they replaced the alternator. that worked for about 2 weeks till it started happening again.
had bmw replace the battery, didnt fix it, then had the other shop replaced both battery cables, still didnt fix it.
then had integrated supply module replaced, still not working.
so i took it to another shop, they immediately said alternator, explained the current one was brand new, but the insisted it was the alternator because they hooked a recording volt meter to the car and as it would run over time the voltage would drop from 14.7 to 11.2.
I explained the warranty company would not cover another alternator, but they said they would look deeper and talk to them.
end of the story is that my front valve covers were leaking oil and it was landing in the alternator, and because synthetic oil is conductive it was shorting the diodes dropping the voltage and therefore causing the lights.
they fixed the valve covers and got a new alternator, now all is well.
so hopefully all this info will give you plenty of place to look for problems.
10-06-2010, 05:31 PM
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The following is a post from this forum. Some similarity. Searched "oil leak alternator".
well i can tell you my story of a similar experience with my 04 545i.
simply driving down the road and get the xmas tree of lights, until i would get the gear indicator and have to pull over.
all i had to do was wait about an hour and I could get in and drive away, so it would happen quite often.
so went to local bmw repair, and they replaced the alternator. that worked for about 2 weeks till it started happening again.
had bmw replace the battery, didnt fix it, then had the other shop replaced both battery cables, still didnt fix it.
then had integrated supply module replaced, still not working.
so i took it to another shop, they immediately said alternator, explained the current one was brand new, but the insisted it was the alternator because they hooked a recording volt meter to the car and as it would run over time the voltage would drop from 14.7 to 11.2.
I explained the warranty company would not cover another alternator, but they said they would look deeper and talk to them.
end of the story is that my front valve covers were leaking oil and it was landing in the alternator, and because synthetic oil is conductive it was shorting the diodes dropping the voltage and therefore causing the lights.
they fixed the valve covers and got a new alternator, now all is well.
so hopefully all this info will give you plenty of place to look for problems.
well i can tell you my story of a similar experience with my 04 545i.
simply driving down the road and get the xmas tree of lights, until i would get the gear indicator and have to pull over.
all i had to do was wait about an hour and I could get in and drive away, so it would happen quite often.
so went to local bmw repair, and they replaced the alternator. that worked for about 2 weeks till it started happening again.
had bmw replace the battery, didnt fix it, then had the other shop replaced both battery cables, still didnt fix it.
then had integrated supply module replaced, still not working.
so i took it to another shop, they immediately said alternator, explained the current one was brand new, but the insisted it was the alternator because they hooked a recording volt meter to the car and as it would run over time the voltage would drop from 14.7 to 11.2.
I explained the warranty company would not cover another alternator, but they said they would look deeper and talk to them.
end of the story is that my front valve covers were leaking oil and it was landing in the alternator, and because synthetic oil is conductive it was shorting the diodes dropping the voltage and therefore causing the lights.
they fixed the valve covers and got a new alternator, now all is well.
so hopefully all this info will give you plenty of place to look for problems.
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