First Trip to the Dealership

**RealE60** · 06-29-2018, 04:32 PM

SO!...

My transmission error message came on the other day while I was having a pretty good run on the highway. I thought maybe I had just been using the shifter too much, so I pulled over at the nearest chance and turned the car off. I let it cool for a while, then I turned it back on and there were no issues. A week or so later, the error came back on while I was going about 35mph and wasn't using the shifter at all...

At that point, I knew I could have a major issue, so I set an appointment and took it to the dealership for a diagnosis.
Fast forward through the fanfare of a BMW dealership (which was pretty dope, might I add), they said that it was just my battery all along. Apparently, the battery is about to die and it's causing the alternator to work too hard and consequently overheating or overworking the electrical components; causing the transmission error to appear on the screen.

They also told me to replace and install the battery would be about $800, not to mention they wanted more to fix a rear differential leak.

I told them to just finish the diagnosis...

My plan is to buy a new battery and install/program it myself whenever I replace my coils/plugs this week. The differential will have to wait a little while, but that's going to be DIY as well.

Sound familiar to anyone? If so let me know how it worked out for you.

Peace.
Drive Safe.

**JayArras** · 06-29-2018, 04:36 PM

Yeah, weak batteries can cause a whole lot of wonky things to happen with our cars. I went to Autozone to replace my battery and had my indy code it, all for under $200.

**bluptgm3** · 06-29-2018, 07:14 PM

While I drive an ‘old’ E36, I recently had a ‘Christmas Tree’ of CE lights for O2 and SAP. Repeated over several days. After replacing both O2 sensor and getting more CE errors, I had my battery tested.
Interstate stated while their battery in my car was only three years old, they recommended a charge. So I went home and pulled the cell caps topping off each cell with distilled water, took way more water than expected. Charged it for most of a weekend and now it is good.
270,000 mile E36 M3, first owner …

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**RealE60** · 06-29-2018, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by JayArras

Yeah, weak batteries can cause a whole lot of wonky things to happen with our cars. I went to Autozone to replace my battery and had my indy code it, all for under $200.

Yea, seems like it. I'm still stunned that's what caused a transmission error/overheat message. Lesson learned, though.

As for all that for under $200, that sounds like a great deal. I'm looking for batteries now. And i'll install it when the Bavarian Technics cable/software arrives in the mail.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by bluptgm3

While I drive an ‘old’ E36, I recently had a ‘Christmas Tree’ of CE lights for O2 and SAP. Repeated over several days. After replacing both O2 sensor and getting more CE errors, I had my battery tested.
Interstate stated while their battery in my car was only three years old, they recommended a charge. So I went home and pulled the cell caps topping off each cell with distilled water, took way more water than expected. Charged it for most of a weekend and now it is good.
270,000 mile E36 M3, first owner …

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting...I've never heard of someone charging their battery that way. Maybe i'm just a rookie and haven't learned enough tricks...YET lol.

**jclausen** · 06-30-2018, 09:40 AM

You need to register the battery at install not later, you need to put the correct one in, if you had a lead acid battery and wanted to stall an Agm batterry you would have to update the battery software so the battery would register correctly

**RealE60** · 06-30-2018, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by jclausen

You need to register the battery at install not later, you need to put the correct one in, if you had a lead acid battery and wanted to stall an Agm batterry you would have to update the battery software so the battery would register correctly

Thanks for the tips. I plan on programming the battery as soon as I put it in. And after another diagnostic reading today, I'll add an 02 sensor to the maintenance list.