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      06-26-2012, 06:11 PM   #1
daysleeprx
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E92 M3 - Fail to start; unhappy with BMW explanation

Hi guys.

Have a 2009 E92 M3 that I bought used about 8 months ago with only 8.5k miles on it (bought from the dealer, factory warranty still good). No issues to speak of until this past weekend. Came out from the grocery store, tried to start it, engine would crank, but would not fire. Tried several times, same thing each time. Finally got it towed to the dealer. According to my SA, when they interrogated the car, the only thing they could find wrong was a "voltage anomaly" or something which they said was due to "irregular use of the battery" (ie: leaving the lights on, charging my cell phone when the car isn't running, etc.) Of course I said that's BS, because I never do any of that. They told me the fix was to replace the battery, which BMW would not cover under warranty because the error was due to "irregular use". They claim my car started fine the morning they took it in to check it out.

They've had my car 2 days now; after much bitching and moaning on my part, they finally agreed to cover the cost of the battery. However, I'm skeptical that the battery was the issue. I talked to a local BMW indie mechanic who agreed. I mean, if the car is cranking fine but not firing, then the battery shouldn't be the issue, right? I've never had any other issue that would be due to a faulty battery, why would it just affect ignition?

Anyway, I pick up the car tomorrow with a new battery. Oh, and they're recommending I buy a trickle charger to charge the battery because "I don't drive it enough to keep the battery charged." (I drive about 700 miles a month, which isn't a lot, but I drive it every day).

Just wanted to get some other opinions. Thanks for reading.
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      06-26-2012, 06:17 PM   #2
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you drive it plenty to be fine. if you drive it every day, you are fine. if it cranks over as normal but just won't start, your battery is fine. if it fails to fire off, that sounds like an ignition problem, some other electronic problem preventing it from starting, or fuel/air delivery problem.
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      06-26-2012, 06:18 PM   #3
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Find a new dealer... I drive my car less than 500 a month and I have zero issues with my battery. Maybe the battery was damaged on the used car lot sitting there waiting for you while other people checked it out? That would make more sense to me...

BMW service has totally let me down. 90% of the time its a battle to make them do the right thing. I will seriously rethink buying another BMW because of this.
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      06-26-2012, 07:16 PM   #4
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I have heard this excuse used by several dealers.
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      06-26-2012, 08:07 PM   #5
edever
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ILSMKU View Post
Find a new dealer...
...that doesn't treat you like riff raff.
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      06-26-2012, 08:08 PM   #6
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It is not about how many miles you drive it, it is about how you drive it. If you keep driving several short dostances daily, more than the amount you charge the battery, you use the battery. That will cause the battery to die eventually.

The dealer has no reason to lie to you about the problem. If I were you, I would buy the battery charger, but not from the dealership, as they charge a lot for no reason.

Good Luck
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      06-26-2012, 08:08 PM   #7
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Happens more so with the newer X5 and all the technology it has on it.
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      06-27-2012, 06:58 AM   #8
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Modern day BMW's have A LOT of electronics in them. When you park the car, there is a constant drain even after the DME goes to "sleep". Over time this can weaken the battery. Driving 700 miles per month works out to about 23 miles per day (and that is round trip) so only driving your car 12 miles to work or where ever... that really is not enough to charge the battery. I won't even start to think about how often you should be changing your oil!

IF you have a volt/ohm meter... a good battery should have at least 12.8 volts standing (after the car has been parked over night say). And the battery should have at least 13.5 volts with the engine running - measured across the battery terminals in the trunk.

Bottom line... get a battery tender(for your new battery) if you are using your car so seldom (miles wise). Maybe once per week take the car out for a nice long drive. Not only will you charge the battery... but your burn off all that fuel that's saturated your oil and all the water/condensation in your exhaust system.

Dack
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      06-27-2012, 07:06 AM   #9
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I drive on average 600 miles per month on my e90 and have been doing that for the last 3.5 years. The majority of my trips between starts are 10 miles or less. I have never had a battery issue. What the dealer is telling you is complete BS. Battery should be covered under warranty as sould the next one because it doesn't sound like they know what the problem is.
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      06-27-2012, 09:44 AM   #10
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Well after they installed the new battery, they (surprise!) realized it wasn't the battery. They're saying it's a DME failure, which they will now be replacing.
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      06-27-2012, 09:46 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shendrick View Post
I drive on average 600 miles per month on my e90 and have been doing that for the last 3.5 years. The majority of my trips between starts are 10 miles or less. I have never had a battery issue. What the dealer is telling you is complete BS. Battery should be covered under warranty as sould the next one because it doesn't sound like they know what the problem is.
Exactly how I felt, shendrick.
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      06-27-2012, 12:05 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone View Post
Modern day BMW's have A LOT of electronics in them. When you park the car, there is a constant drain even after the DME goes to "sleep". Over time this can weaken the battery. Driving 700 miles per month works out to about 23 miles per day (and that is round trip) so only driving your car 12 miles to work or where ever... that really is not enough to charge the battery. I won't even start to think about how often you should be changing your oil!

IF you have a volt/ohm meter... a good battery should have at least 12.8 volts standing (after the car has been parked over night say). And the battery should have at least 13.5 volts with the engine running - measured across the battery terminals in the trunk.

Bottom line... get a battery tender(for your new battery) if you are using your car so seldom (miles wise). Maybe once per week take the car out for a nice long drive. Not only will you charge the battery... but your burn off all that fuel that's saturated your oil and all the water/condensation in your exhaust system.

Dack
I'm curious as to a statement you made. You're stating that driving 12 miles a day twice a day is not enough to keep the battery charged? Do you have technical data supporting that? Otherwise a lot of people that live close to work would be having a lot of issues.

If that trip was all highway miles, at a minimum you're talking 5 minutes of driving (not including stop light/signs) twice a day. I would hope that the electrical system would be able to line out the battery by charging it for 5 minutes constantly.

Just a thought...
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      06-27-2012, 12:51 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shaq diesel View Post
I'm curious as to a statement you made. You're stating that driving 12 miles a day twice a day is not enough to keep the battery charged? Do you have technical data supporting that? Otherwise a lot of people that live close to work would be having a lot of issues.

If that trip was all highway miles, at a minimum you're talking 5 minutes of driving (not including stop light/signs) twice a day. I would hope that the electrical system would be able to line out the battery by charging it for 5 minutes constantly.

Just a thought...
700 miles per month divided by 30 days is 23 miles per day. Dived that by 2, is how I came to 11.6 or 12 miles each way. Driving 12 miles each way is not long enough in my book(thinking).

IF you are always doing lots of short trips... that is not good for any car. Not just for the electrical charging system but for everything on the car, like the exhaust always getting full of water via condensation and all the fuel and water building up in your engine's oil - since the motor is never reaching full operating temp to burn off all those things.

I guess in a year or two when you need a 3rd battery you will know the answer to your question. All I am trying to say is you should be driving your car longer for at least one day per week. People who store cars know that you either want to run the engine for less than 20 seconds or 20 minutes(driving) - to avoid damage to the car.

So... your car has some sort of electrical draw? Is that what your dealer is now saying? I guess its the DME not going to sleep fully?

Dack



PS: Ctek makes some great battery trickle chargers...

http://www.amazon.com/Ctek-Battery-C...&keywords=ctek
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      06-27-2012, 01:00 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daysleeprx View Post
Well after they installed the new battery, they (surprise!) realized it wasn't the battery. They're saying it's a DME failure, which they will now be replacing.
What exactly will they be replacing?
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      06-27-2012, 01:04 PM   #15
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Buy one of these, they work GREAT:

I went seven (7) weeks without driving my cars.

I used the BMW charger/maintainer every other day.

Both cars started right up, no errors or anything.
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      06-27-2012, 01:48 PM   #16
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So if I leave an iPhone/iPad plugged into the USB port continually I will drain my battery? That doesn't make any sense - the power should cut off after the vehicle is turned off, right?
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      06-27-2012, 02:06 PM   #17
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The Master Tech that works on my cars, states because of all the electronics, it takes the car 15 min sometimes longer to completely shutdown, and during that time your battery is discharging.
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