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Battery charging red warning light came on

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Charly2012
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Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Charly2012 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:39 am

Hi, first post. Greetings to you all. Z4 2003, 2.5 192Hp

Bad news (for me). Started the car yesterday. As always perfect start up, but the red warning light for battery charging stayed on...

The battery has worked flawlessly for 9 years. Not a single problem. Should I assume is an alternator issue? Any hint will be much appreciated.

Thanks and happy new year to you all.

Charly

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andysat
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by andysat » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:41 am

i and welcome-9 year old battery :o -i dont think you can ask much more of it :wink:
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cj10jeeper
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by cj10jeeper » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:50 am

Welcome. Simply change the battery. 4 to 6 years is a real good life, so 9 is way past expectation.

Where in Spain are you from?
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by AlanJ » Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:55 am

Welcome to the Forum - as above :thumbsup:
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by WLH » Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:24 pm

Charly2012, welcome to the forum.... :thumbsup:
Nine year on the OEM battery.... :o
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Charly2012
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Charly2012 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:38 pm

Thanks for the replies and the welcoming...

I'm from ex-sunny Madrid (a whole foggy week, feels like London :) )

Is there any way to confirm it's a battery issue? Any precaution I should be warned of before going through the process of changing it?

Thanks a lot,

Charly

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cj10jeeper
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by cj10jeeper » Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:54 pm

You can stick a voltmeter across the terminals without the engine running. Look for around 12.4v
Less than 12 and it's dead.

Don't waste any time in that age battery.
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Ewazix » Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:48 pm

Bit odd that the car tuned over and started well but shows a charging fault light if it's a worn battery? although 9 years is as much as you can expect from a battery.

A charging fault light usually indicates low charge which can be caused by a slipping or broken belt, or worn alternator brushes, or poor earth or cable connections to the battery or alternator. or it indicates overcharging caused by the control pack.

As CJ says try a Voltmeter on the terminals without the engine running looking for about 12.4 ish Volts. and with the engine running to test the alternator where a healthy alternator should be giving around 13.7v at idle and not much over about 14.5v preferably.

Good luck :thumbsup:
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Charly2012
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Charly2012 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:34 pm

UPDATE:

Thank you all,

I've just chequed visually the battery. It has the green light so apparently it is fine at this moment. Then I have started the engine. Smooth as always and, to my surprise, no red warning light in the display :idunno: . I have driven for a few miles and everything seems to be fine...for how long, who knows?

I'll do as you say and check voltages. Since I have to fix a few minor scratches next week I'll ask at the garage for more hints.

Thanks again,

Charly

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cj10jeeper
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by cj10jeeper » Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:51 am

Charly - get it fixed soon. Those are classic symptoms of a dead battery despite green light being on. It WILL let you down at the most inconvenient moment...probably a cold damp morning when the battery is given that extra bit of strain.
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by AlanJ » Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:42 pm

cj10jeeper wrote:Charly - get it fixed soon. Those are classic symptoms of a dead battery despite green light being on. It WILL let you down at the most inconvenient moment...probably a cold damp morning when the battery is given that extra bit of strain.
Agree - leave it and IT WILL LET YOU DOWN :|
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Charly2012 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:35 pm

Any battery you recommend? Besides the BMW original...

Thanks again,

Charly

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cj10jeeper
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by cj10jeeper » Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:40 pm

Same AH as oem and any big label, but just find one with a 4 year warranty such as from Halfords.
Search online too for good prices, although BMW can be competitive at times, but only 1 year warranty.
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Re: Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by markeg » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:07 am

I use a Bosch S6, Alpina has a high Ah rating, but S5 might be OK for you? Got mine from EuroCarParts....


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Battery charging red warning light came on

Post by Moffat » Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:06 am

I have the same problem. The battery shows 11.5 volts and starts the car fine. The charging voltage is 14.5 yet the battery warning light comes on sometimes. It stays off for a while then l start the car and it stays on after driving and then starting the car it stays off. Is it the battery

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