Electrickery problem!!

[Am Piobaire]

My 88 525I seems to be plagued by lots of electrical problems lately and I was wondering if any of the forum members can give me a few clues about my latest problem. I was driving around on Saturday and noticed that the fuel and temperature gauges weren't working and the message/service light thingy was also out of action. It was like this for most of Saturday and then the idle started becoming really rough. Aye aye, I thought - looks like the car is just running off the battery - by this time I was on my way home and it was dusk - I put the lights on and they were really dim. About 10 minutes later, everything came back on again and the gauges started working etc. It did the same yesterday, but late last night when I went to go home the battery was stone dead.

Obviously there is a problem with the charging system, but is the electrical problem in the dash, the cause or the symptom. I have had a few of the dreaded "trans prog" errors lately and the battery went flat after the car sat in the garage for 3 weeks waiting for brake pads to arrive.

Do any of the forum members have any ideas about what is going on. Does a dodgy alternator cause these problems when the voltage drops, or is there something in the dash that is stopping the car charge.

Thanks in advance.

Andrew
88 white 525i
91 K100 LT

[ryan roopnarine]

sounds like your alternator is dying, as all of those things will/can happen with a lack of power. my personal experience is of instrument failure, trans program, brakefluid abs srs lights lighting up, dim headlights, the car struggling to accelerate, hazards not coming on, et cetera.


My 88 525I seems to be plagued by lots of electrical problems lately and I was wondering if any of the forum members can give me a few clues about my latest problem. I was driving around on Saturday and noticed that the fuel and temperature gauges weren't working and the message/service light thingy was also out of action. It was like this for most of Saturday and then the idle started becoming really rough. Aye aye, I thought - looks like the car is just running off the battery - by this time I was on my way home and it was dusk - I put the lights on and they were really dim. About 10 minutes later, everything came back on again and the gauges started working etc. It did the same yesterday, but late last night when I went to go home the battery was stone dead.

Obviously there is a problem with the charging system, but is the electrical problem in the dash, the cause or the symptom. I have had a few of the dreaded "trans prog" errors lately and the battery went flat after the car sat in the garage for 3 weeks waiting for brake pads to arrive.

Do any of the forum members have any ideas about what is going on. Does a dodgy alternator cause these problems when the voltage drops, or is there something in the dash that is stopping the car charge.

Thanks in advance.

Andrew
88 white 525i
91 K100 LT

[Unregistered]

My 88 525I seems to be plagued by lots of electrical problems lately and I was wondering if any of the forum members can give me a few clues about my latest problem. I was driving around on Saturday and noticed that the fuel and temperature gauges weren't working and the message/service light thingy was also out of action. It was like this for most of Saturday and then the idle started becoming really rough. Aye aye, I thought - looks like the car is just running off the battery - by this time I was on my way home and it was dusk - I put the lights on and they were really dim. About 10 minutes later, everything came back on again and the gauges started working etc. It did the same yesterday, but late last night when I went to go home the battery was stone dead.

Obviously there is a problem with the charging system, but is the electrical problem in the dash, the cause or the symptom. I have had a few of the dreaded "trans prog" errors lately and the battery went flat after the car sat in the garage for 3 weeks waiting for brake pads to arrive.

Do any of the forum members have any ideas about what is going on. Does a dodgy alternator cause these problems when the voltage drops, or is there something in the dash that is stopping the car charge.

Thanks in advance.

Andrew
88 white 525i
91 K100 LT

My guess.......the alternator carbon brush is has reached it's usefull life.Can be bought.Comes together with the voltage regulator as a unit.

[Am Piobaire]

Found the problem!!!

The problem wasn't the alternator, it was the glove box light - it seems that the plastic clip had broken and the light was on continually, putting a constant drain on the battery.

However, the warning lights/message lights on the dash are still a bit on the dodgy side - don't have any clues about this - that's the trouble with intermittent electrical faults - they are so hard to track down.

[ryan roopnarine]

i'd still, if i were you, check the output voltage on the alternator and rule out problems. your cluster faults sound like they are charging related.

[Am Piobaire]

The alternator has been checked by an auto electrician and was found to be charging correctly - the battery is still low on charge and needs to be put on a charger to be topped up but in general, the system is working OK. I'll charge the battery up on the weekend and see what happens then. The car does have 240,000 km on the clock so it's no spring chicken - and could be prone to the electrickery gremlins.