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Question

I have a 1984 633 CSI   and the battery keeps going dead, each time I get a new one, it lasts a couple months and then its trash, there must be a short or something that stays on. How can I fix this?

Submitted: 357 days and 4 hours ago.
Category: BMW
Value: $20
Status: CLOSED
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Optional Information

1984 BMW

Already Tried:
Nothing yet except replace 3 batteries

Accepted Answer

Hi the first thing I would ck is to make sure your alternator is charging the battery while it is running. Then you want to turn on all electrical loads that you have to turn on and see what the battery is being charged at. If that test good then you want to do a amp draw test. You need to install a amp meter inline with the postive battery terminal. And it should be less than 50 milliamps When you start getting higher than that there is a draw. After hooking up meter you have to wait about 20mins or so to start to get accurate readings you have to wait for the control modules to start to go to sleep. Then you need to start pulling fuses 1 by 1 and leave them out to find what circuit is causing the problem. Then sometimes if it can not be found that way you have to start unplugging control modules 1 by 1 untill the draw goes away. Thanks mike

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Expert: mike
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 11/30/2008

BMW Technician

bmw master tech ase certified

357 days and 3 hours ago.

Reply

1) How do I check to make sure alternator is charging the battery, I am a novice car mechanic.

 

2) what type of meter, i.e. brand, model should I put on the positive terminal?

Posted by mike 357 days and 3 hours ago.

Answer

Hi you need to use a normall multimeter and ck battery voltage at battery while it is running and then with all consumers on. see what battery voltage is. Then you can use same multimeter and switch it to mililamps disconnect terminal off battery and hook meter cables in sereris. Mike

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