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Battery charging question

walkinfool

By walkinfool,
in BMW 2002 and other '02

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landon Proficient

landon

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, 2002iii said:

Sounds like your alternator died, but could be wiring and/or battery.

 

You can have autozone check your battery and alternator for free.

 

Check all the alternator wiring and battery cables for looseness and/or corrosion. Sometimes the corrosion is hidden inside the insulation.

 

Yes, my first thought was alternator. The absence of the L light though got me questioning wiring or the bulb. I understand that this is part of the circuit and can prevent the alternator from charging? If the battery was a little low on charge because of the drain, did that tax the alternator to death?  

 

I'm getting the battery checked today and thorough check of wiring this weekend. Then order the alternator if I don't find anything...  

75 2002 polaris 2365430

88 325ix zinnoberrot

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Senna27 Mentor

Senna27

Posted
Posted (edited)

To make my car a little bit more reliable, my mechanic suggested replacing my old OE alternator and eliminate the regulator by installing a new alternator with a built-in regulator. Unfortunately I don't which current BMW it's from. Maybe somebody here knows. He won't talk to me anymore, after he bent my hood then refused to pay the full amount to have it repaired. Unfortunate, because he did amazing work. Sigh...

 

Please excuse the dirty motor. Car is currently in the body shop having the hood replaced. 

 

It has a P/N 210525 stamped on it. 

 

 

IMG-3700.JPG

IMG-3704.JPG

Edited by Senna27
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1975 - 2002 - Sabine - Jade

2010 Toyota Matrix XR

Remember: RACECAR spelled backwards is RACECAR

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landon Proficient

landon

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Hans said:

I'm thinking regulator. They do go bad

Got the battery checked and charged so that's all good. No change in voltage while running so definitely not charging although there was still no L light.

I swapped in an old regulator spare and got a faint L light.

I jumped the wires on the regulator and the L light went out.  

So it seems the regulator is bad.

I'll replace that and the alternator considering the age...

 

 

75 2002 polaris 2365430

88 325ix zinnoberrot

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Chris_B Grand Master

Chris_B

Posted
Posted

Have  your battery load tested first. Any battery below +12V is essentially dead. The question is why? A number of possibilities:

 

1. battery is defective

2. excessive charging circuit resistance (loose or corroded wiring connections; missing ground wires, etc.)

3. defective charging systems components (voltage reg, alternator)

4. really obscure problems, like the D+ bulb in instrument panel burned out)

Chris B.

'73 ex-Malaga

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Hans Grand Master

Hans

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, Chris_B said:

Have  your battery load tested first. Any battery below +12V is essentially dead. The question is why? A number of possibilities:

 

1. battery is defective

2. excessive charging circuit resistance (loose or corroded wiring connections; missing ground wires, etc.)

3. defective charging systems components (voltage reg, alternator)

4. really obscure problems, like the D+ bulb in instrument panel burned out)

Parasitic draw (ftom after market devices)?

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landon Proficient

landon

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, Chris_B said:

Have  your battery load tested first. Any battery below +12V is essentially dead. The question is why? A number of possibilities:

 

1. battery is defective

2. excessive charging circuit resistance (loose or corroded wiring connections; missing ground wires, etc.)

3. defective charging systems components (voltage reg, alternator)

4. really obscure problems, like the D+ bulb in instrument panel burned out)

Battery was load tested and charged back up. It was low because I left the lights on. Verified the bulb and grounds. Jumper wired the regulator to test that and it appears defective. New one order.....

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75 2002 polaris 2365430

88 325ix zinnoberrot

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  • 4 weeks later...
landon Proficient

landon

Posted
Posted

After 3 week saga of trying to get an alternator, I have a rebuilt BNR unit from ebay installed and all functions are normal again. I plugged in the new Hella regulator and was still not charging with the new alternator. Faint L light and no charging voltage when running.  Plugged in the old Bosch unit and L light is out and 13.6 volts at idle.  

75 2002 polaris 2365430

88 325ix zinnoberrot

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