what does this red button do? + dead battery

[timandbim]

flicked the switch on and off (or off and on?) and my battery died the next day but that must be a coincidence... it went below freezing for the first time (i think) last night too.
but if the switch kills the battery, i hate to think what the red button might do.

i must admit the check control message scared me a little bit.
but those secret obc codes are awesome... i didn't even need to break out the voltmeter to figure it out, i just used test 9 and watched the juice drain away.
i'll read more here on what battery to get but recommendations for a battery and/or supplier in the montreal area would be welcome.

[nirvana19]

That does not look stock to me... pretty mysterious, I'd want to look into figuring out what that is, especially if it drained the battery (still active for something). What was the check control message you got?

[Dr. evil]

im guessing an aftermarket alarm system that dose not function anymore. switch for on-off red button for reset

[leicesterboy15]

+1 for the alarm. It looks like a toggle switch for an on off function - some alarms need a switch like this for remote start on/off. The other looks like a valet switch for the alarm. You use it by pressing it in different combinations to access different alarm features.

That is IF thats what they are - does seem in keeping with the battery situation though.

They definitely don't look factory.

[timandbim]

im guessing an aftermarket alarm system that dose not function anymore. switch for on-off red button for reset

...so i investigated a bit more, and i think i had switched it on. it seems to drain faster with it switched one way but it's hard to tell as the readings i'm getting show the battery losing voltage at varying rates either way (i'm using a hand-held voltmeter now as the obc is a PITB to unlock every time the battery goes under 11v). i will see if she starts tomorrow...


...What was the check control message you got?

it just says 'check control' then 'user manual'. it only happens when the battery goes under 11 volts. it doesn't appear when the battery is charged...?

i think the battery is toast anyway but it would be nice to use it if i can just until i go on my cross-border floor-mat shopping spree
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=35656
$1.07 for a loonie? that's absolutely nuts! in my experience americans on the whole are pretty generous people, but this is getting ridiculous! what, did everyone go on strike, or to war or something?

[and while i am raving aboout things like a loony, two serious thumbs way up for the guy who invented portable power packs]

[bmwrp8]

under 11v!? thats too low.. check you alternator too

[Dr. evil]

watch your voltage and start pulling fuses till you find the one that makes the voltage go back up.

could be something else

[timandbim]

so the car started but only just barely this morning. i think the switch is 'off' now, and the battery is losing charge less quickly, although i think it's nearly dead all by itself anyway, which is going to make things difficult i think.

the switch and the button are wired to this mysterious black box, it's jammed in really tight behind all the wires behind the pedal trim panel. i think i can get it out but for now i am afraid to put too much pressure on all the wires... i can't really see all of it but i can see an rca type (yellow... video?) jack and two clip-plugs (pretty typical looking) with 4 or maybe 6 wires coming out of each of them... can't trace them yet, i will have to go in there more thoroughly. sorry for the blurry photo, my camera couldn't focus in such a tight space, but does it look familiar to anyone?

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5159&stc=1&d=1226372675http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5160&stc=1&d=1226372675
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5161&stc=1&d=1226372675

what is really scary is the third photo, don't you think? i am going to have to read up on my laws of electricity because right now the only way i know how to check for a live wire is with my tongue. i think i will curl up with a good bentley manual tonight.

could it have been some kind of dvd player or satellite radio? i found some cut leads behind the stereo the po had installed.... i don't think he did it himself and i bet he never knew what the stuff under the dash was, so it's been there for a long time

i will check the voltage and pull some fuses... thanks drEvil! electrical has been running 100% well since i did some basic maintenance (plugs, dist. and cap, icv, oxygen sensor)in july but now i can definitely feel the drain on the system from the battery going down to such a low voltage. (the engine idles much slower now until the battery is charged)

i haven't tested the alternator yet, but the system does recharge and runs at 13.8v with the engine running, then about 12.2 immediately after shut-down. and it doesn't lose power so fast now...

guess i won't be going on that shopping trip so soon:( i can't imagine exposed mysterious wires and black boxes go over too well at the border, and my carpet is pulled up on the drivers side to dry out the mess from (i hope) a plugged sun-roof drain. for now i'll be happy to make it to work tomorrow.

[indierthanthou]

maybe those loose wires are grounding against something. wrap tape around the ends. not together, of course, but each end separately

[Jon K]

Nevermind not what I thought it might be

[BimmerMeUp]

That red button is for the ejector seat mechanism. The cut wires look like Goldfinger's minions got to them. Don't hook them back up and press the button. Unless, of course, your wife/girlfriend is just out of control....

If it's not to hard to trace all the connections, I'd probably pull the black box.

[Dave M]

Nevermind not what I thought it might be

thats one way to get a post in :D

wait a second, what did I just do??

[///Sniper535]

flicked the switch on and off (or off and on?) and my battery died the next day but that must be a coincidence... it went below freezing for the first time (i think) last night too.
but if the switch kills the battery, i hate to think what the red button might do.

i must admit the check control message scared me a little bit.
but those secret obc codes are awesome... i didn't even need to break out the voltmeter to figure it out, i just used test 9 and watched the juice drain away.
i'll read more here on what battery to get but recommendations for a battery and/or supplier in the montreal area would be welcome.


Did you ever see Men In Black?

[Ross]

Definately not factory equipment and likely an alarm as everyone else has also said.
Start tracing and reconnecting wires, these things invariably end up causing problems it seems.
Anybody want the last one I yanked out?

[BMWDriver]

I like Norbert of BM Service Exclusif. He does mainly BMWs, some Audi and VW. Very thorough in mechanics. He knows those Bimmers very well. He's originally from Austria. I've left his coordinates in the "recommend a garage" section of this forum.

Not far from St.Denis and Rosemont streets, in the Plateau Mont-Royal sector of Montreal.

[Macv]

Nevermind not what I thought it might be

Lol, thinking NAWWWWZZZ?

[timandbim]

thanks for all the advice... i think it was those wires! i have taped them off for now and if i am reading the meter right there is about 50mA of current being drawn which is a bit much from what i read but maybe not enough for now to hurt a good battery if i am driving every day or two... the switch and button don't seem to make a difference. found a place here that sells the bosch battery for $120 and i might pick one of those up. i have plenty of stuff to get to on it before winter (i saw snow today...), i'm very much a sunday tinkerer and i'm all out of sick days, checking fuses next - will get to the black box and let y'all know what it is. (any more guesses?) and instead of disabling it, i'm thinking i'll try to reconnect that ejector seat.

[timandbim]

nice one, thanks!