Hello All - New E61 owner
 

Hello,

New to me E61 jet black/black anthracite bamboo. Got it with 73k miles, third owner car was originally from Florida, then to MA and to me, Seems very well cared for, the only issue right away was a 'battery discharge message' and a p0174 or 29e1 code. I checked the hoses/connections no loose parts. Can this code be related to the battery? The water pump died a month into getting it. I decided the take care of the oil pan gasket since there was considerable seepage on the bottom. The job was fairly straightforward but somewhat challenging on the driveway.

Some issued still after the repair, I dont get full heat (did the coolant bleed as per Bentley) will repeat procedure. Also, I noticed oil still seeping by the bell housing, I am not sure if its residual or the rear main seal. I cleaned the area and will look after driving some. I also replaced coolant hose o-rings, oil coolant hose o-rings, oil filter housing gaskets, both engine mounts, front differential o-ring and axle seals.

I plan on doing a MHD Stage 1 flash, but want to address the mixture code, and get new plugs/coils. The injectors are index 7. The only mod I did for now was the VRSF DCIs.

Welcome here, sounds like a nice looking vehicle. I don't suppose you know anything about the condition of the O2 sensors?

can I test the o2 sensors using Foxwell tool? the one I have seems to have a lot of functions

Are you getting full power from your alternator, is it showing a charging voltage of around 14 volts when it is running? I had a similar issue, no heat and the battery wasn't charging fully. turned out the voltage regulator was bad, once I replaced it the battery charged properly and there was enough power in the system to properly get the water pump up to speed to allow it to pump coolant through the heater core. Keep in mind, the car will still run with a bad voltage regulator, it just won't run everything.

I was actually running Foxwell to see the coolant temps and voltage. The battery was around 13.7 to 14.4 roughly

One other thing it could be is the IBS sensor on the battery. They can cause parasitic voltage loss and cause the message to appear.

will check, thx

IBS is legendarily problematic on an E61. I HIGHLY recommend a transmission fluid flush. Super common issue is the valve body getting gummed up, and shifting getting temperamental. Dealership solution became new transmission (mine was replaced under extended warranty), but on your dime it's better to get a rebuilt valve body installed. Replacing fluid every 60K or so seems like a cheap way to help keep clean fluid in the tranny.

Jose

thanks, I think the car sat and deteriorated the battery's capacity. my understanding is that once this happens on these AGM batteries , they are never as good

Some more info on this 29e1 intermittent code. It seems no to appear on long drives (200 plus miles), only when doing lower speeds or regular stop and go driving. Any thoughts?