Dead Battery... Replacement Options?

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 07:08 PM

Well... today when I went to go leave work... I got in the car, turned the key and probably the wierdest thing ever happened. Normally I just flick it straight to the starter position, she fires right up and off I go...

Not this time.

This time I get to accessory II position and the car starts freaking out as if I were to turn the key from accessory II to off and back and forth rapidly... like really fast. The car is going on and off, I hear relays clicking like crazy and I'm like crap, what the hell. It sounds like an electrical gremlins. So I turn it back to accessory I and the car seems OK. SO I check the voltmeter... It's reading on 8 volts. I was like aww crap... I turn it back to accessory II and the car starts freaking out again. I'm thinking the car doesn't like being low on power... it's sucking too much power and causing things to freak...

So I turn it off and call a service vehicle to give me a jump... hoping he's got something that's strong enough to crank the car. We hook it up. I jump back in the car and turn it to accessory II and the car is no longer freaking out. I check the voltmeter... it reads 11 volts.

I hit the starter... car starts up. I drive it home, about 20 miles, keeping the RPMs high to charge the battery. I get home, turn it of... then turn it back to accessory one. Voltmeter reads 8 volts. Crap, battery is toast...

Now I need a replacement battery.

I found in the archives that Interstate makes a replacement battery... MTP-91. But I can't find an Interstate dealer in my area that has it readily available. So tomorrow, I'm going to have to wake up early and go to BMW to buy a BMW battery

: and get raped at the dealer

: unless somebody has a better idea.

I tried finding something from Optima, but I couldn't even find a model number for that battery. Oh Fun...

**UD///M** · 05-09-2002, 07:12 PM

You can also get a replacement at Sears. Check the water leve in the battery first. If its low you could hae reduced voltage. Are you still running the original battery? Just grab a penny and open the cells. The water should at least cover the plates in each cell. Best would be filled to the bottom of the plastic.

Use distilled water!

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 07:17 PM

Originally posted by UD///M
You can also get a replacement at Sears. Check the water leve in the battery first. If its low you could hae reduced voltage. Are you still running the original battery? Just grab a penny and open the cells. The water should at least cover the plates in each cell. Best would be filled to the bottom of the plastic.

Use distilled water!

I have the OEM Battery in the car... which I guess is 4 years old now. I thought the OEM Battery was a service free battery with no water.

I tried calling Sears... they said they did not have a battery for my car.

**UD///M** · 05-09-2002, 07:29 PM

They do have 91 frame batteries. I bought one there for my 318. The BMW oe battery is not maintenance free. Check it out.

Oh and the batteries are the same size for both cars.

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 07:49 PM

Originally posted by UD///M
They do have 91 frame batteries. I bought one there for my 318. The BMW oe battery is not maintenance free. Check it out.

Oh and the batteries are the same size for both cars.

I added water to the battery... i don't think it was low tho, it looked like there was alot of water in there.

I'll try calling Sears again and see what they say ab out the 91 frame battery... they seemed pretty non-responsive when I asked them about the Interstate MTP91 battery.

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 08:38 PM

I just tried jump starting the car with a VW Jetta, Ford Explorer, BMW 540i and all of them can't deliver the power needed to jump the car.

The volt meter reads 11.5 volts when the car is in accessory I, volts drop to 8.5 volts when I turn to accessory II... but raise to 9.5 volts after the systems initialize (air bags etc.) I just think it's not holding a charge.

When I hooked it up to the 540, the voltmeter read 13.5 volts, but when I tried to start it up, it just made an awful clicking noise... like the car couldn't get the necessary voltage to start up.

It was close... but no luck. I guess tomorrow I'm going to buy a battery tomorrow.

**umnitza** · 05-09-2002, 08:43 PM

whoah...the 540 is definitely capable of giving you the juice

I know because my wife's car jumped mine only two weeks ago without a start up.

Sears is a good place - about the same price as the Interstate one. a Group 91 will fit well, the Group 93 that Sears sells doesn't fit easily because you have to use the very first hole to secure it and my hands were too big!

**fourfa** · 05-09-2002, 08:44 PM

the OE batteries were open cell batteries that required water (leading to the death of a lot of unserviced batteries). The current BMW replacement batteries are sealed.

You can fit an Optima red-top with minimal modifications. Great batteries that truly are sealed.

If you're replacing though, I'd look for a lighter one. Lots of options there.

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by umnitza
whoah...the 540 is definitely capable of giving you the juice
I know because my wife's car jumped mine only two weeks ago without a start up.

I would have thought it would be able too... but apparently, the wires aren't big enough to carry the juice. We hooked it up, we brought the RPMs up to 4000rpm in the 540, I got in my car, turned the key to accessory II and had a whopping 13.5 volts. I went to go and use the starter and it made a clicking noise like it was trying to turn over, but not enough juice.

I called Discount Auto Parts, Pep Boys, Napa, Bennet, Sears ... no luck. Nobody carries Interstate or Optima batteries as a replacement. I'm going to try Sears again in the morning before I got to BMW to get the OEM battery.

I must say... this is the weirdest car I have ever driven when it comes to dead batteries. No warning... just compeletely dead. And then when the car was freaking out cause it didn't have enough power... really weird. I thought there was an electrical gremlin or a short somewhere the way it was freaking out.

Ultimate driving machine yes, but it's ultimately the hardest car to jump start.

**SI///M3** · 05-09-2002, 09:41 PM

Hey, if your gonna replace the battery and don't have a system in your car or anything I'd go with a lightweight battery. Check it out: http://www.rogueengineering.com/Merc...gory_Code=BATT

**Hellrot** · 05-09-2002, 09:44 PM

I just bought a MTP91 from a Firestone service center about a month ago. One thing that was different was the vent port was at the center of the long side instead of the end like the OE battery. It was also oval. I happened to have some latex tubing that could stretch over the port. Then I just connected it to the existing tube.

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 09:46 PM

No dice. The stereo would chew that battery up and spit it out. Plus I think that application was for the Ti, not the M3.

**umnitza** · 05-09-2002, 09:54 PM

I got the interstate from a distributor of Interstate.
My wife's car actually gave my car enough voltage without starting - I think hers is a Group 95

Make sure you check with Sears, theres is a little cheaper - 30 bucks I think.

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 09:58 PM

I think it may be the cables that wouldn't allow me to jump the car... the cables couldn't carry enough power to jump the car. When I had to car jumped this afternoon at work, the security guy used one of those jumpstart boxes (the kinda with a huge box that has jumper cables coming out of it)

That did it... but the 540 coudln't

... I was suprised.

**BMLRacer** · 05-09-2002, 10:00 PM

Kevin,

You really should look into the Optima "Red Top" battery. Making one fit isn't that much work and, it's lighter and cycles much deeper than the stock battery. I'm using one in my M3.

BTW, most Interstate stores sell Optima.

Brian

**Kevlar** · 05-09-2002, 10:03 PM

I've been looking for Interstate and Optima batteries... I had no luck today, but most places were closed by the time I got home this afternoon.

Do you guys have part numbers for the Optima batteries?

I only know the part number for the OEM battery and the Interstate MTP-91 battery.

**Jim O.** · 05-09-2002, 10:43 PM

Anyone know how much an Optima Red Top weighs? Or the Interstate in a size that fits in an M3?

Jim

**jsp98m3** · 05-10-2002, 12:59 AM

For cars with big stereo's it may be worth while to get the square Optima and drop two of them in there with one of those switching devices. I'm thinking about it.

**e36-er** · 05-10-2002, 01:37 AM

sears does have a battery that fits e-36 M3's.

I got one. Actually they sell 2 that fit altought it is not group 91. They do not list the M3 in the manuals or on their charts for the E36's so thats why they say they dont have it for BMW's.

Mines is a group 48. Called the International GRP 48. Part # 22831248. Much shorter and lighter than the OEM one, but same hight and width and fits perfetly when the mounting bolt uses the 3rd hole (farthest from the trunk opening). It has about 860 CCA and also has a higher RC than the OEM. It is not maintenece free.

its been in the car for about a year now. no problems.

cost me about $99

There's also another one (i forget which grp#)that is longer than OEM, and the mounting bolt is supposed to fit in the 1st hole.. but i wasnt sure if that one fit since using the first hole may have been too close to get my hands in there.

good luck

**JasonJ75** · 05-10-2002, 01:47 AM

I'm running an Optima I bought from PepBoys...:shrug:

**mikeinsanmarcos** · 01-31-2004, 07:43 PM

This forum is GREAT.. I went out to go for a drive this afternoon and the Exact same thing that Kevlar experienced happend.. Ticking relays, half lit lights, buzzer sounding sick.. I really thought I had a major problem.. I came in here and did some creative searching and found kevlar had the same symptoms. I just got done putting over half a gallon of distilled water into my battery... Everyone keep this one in the back of your heads, a dead battery makes your car act VERY weird.

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