Re: Argghhhh, please help this is really getting on my nerves (electrical)

[Marc Leveille <leveizep@xxxxxxxxx>]

Looks like you might be having more than one problem at the same time so
it make it difficult to diagnose.
The erratic behavior of the car sounds like it's due to a dead
alternator. You didn't mention anything about the battery light coming
on or not but sometimes it doesn't.
Typically when the alternator dies you will not get anything right away.
The symptoms will start occurring after a while. The car then runs on
the battery. The more electrical components used the shorter your trip
will be. The radio will go in and out then as you mentioned the gauges
(being electronic) and so on. The final thing to go and this is why the
car stalls the electric fuel pump will not have enough juice to run. It
will start to slow down the pump rate (missing) to finally die. At this
point you will not be able to crank because you don't even have enough
juice for the pump.
The bad battery might have caused your alternator's life. Maybe by
somehow overcharging to compensate for the bad battery.
Normally after putting in the new battery you should be at least able to
start the car. If it starts and the alternator is dead you will go
through the same thing again, except that you would be able to get the
battery recharged and start all over again.
You might have fried the coil or something in the distributor with the
repeated boosting. This is probably why after putting in the new battery
it didn't start.
The first thing you need to do is to get the alternator checked. Replace
or on most Bosch units you can change just the brush assembly - a lot
cheaper ( I can check for you I have the Bentley). The battery is new,
so it's ok. Once you know the alternator is functioning you're set to
tackle the rest of the problem.
After that if it still can't find the problem, send me more info and
we'll see what we can do. You have to eliminate one item at a time. Your
on the right track with the battery.

Hope it helps

Marc
'84 318i 266000 km (rip)
'85 535i 377000 km (great shape)

------------------------------

End of bmw-digest V9 #1163
**************************