Quote:
Originally Posted by gbalthrop
Did YOU change the battery, or did you have a shop do it?
Did you/shop note any loose or corroded connections at battery terminals or chassis ground?
Did you/shop check for battery acid or water in the battery well?
Did you/shop check for corrosion of the "Transfer Points" forward of battery?
Did you/shop scan DME & CAS for any Fault Codes?
WHAT WERE those FAULT CODES???
Did you/shop test old battery in any way, and if so what tests & results?
Did ANY warning lamps/icons ever appear on the Instrument Cluster before or after a "shutdown" incident?
I have seen batteries "flunk" an in-car "Load Test" where battery voltage read 12.5V or more with a voltmeter, but just clicked the Starter Solenoid and then showed ~ 10V instead of 12V+. That behavior is due to an internal fault or "Bad Cell" where once the voltage has dropped from the application of Load (Starter Cranking) the battery does NOT recover on its own and then crank the starter. You CAN recharge it and get a 12V+ voltage reading, but as soon as you apply load again, the same thing happens -- Starter won't crank and voltage drops to 10V range.
I'm NOT guaranteeing that a faulty battery can't possibly fail for several seconds and then work again, but I can't imagine that happening if you are cruising at 60, with alternator operating and suddenly "all electronics went black" for several seconds, with normal operation returning after several seconds. What I CAN state is that in 55+ years of maintaining my own vehicles, I have NEVER seen such a thing, and I have NOT seen any scientifically-explained reported case of a battery causing such a thing.
ANY loose B+ connection, or ground connection COULD cause such behavior. Also a bulging battery case suggests internal pressure, possibly from "Over-voltage" or system voltage in excess of 15V overheating the battery internally and "boiling battery acid.You can monitor System Voltage as you drive using "Hidden Menu 9.00". That is why I asked about liquid in the battery well, and condition of the "Transfer Points."
In short, a "bulging battery" which still cranks the Starter is likely to be a symptom of a "yet-unidentified" fault rather than the CAUSE of the "shutdown." You risk damage to expensive Electronic Modules if there is an intermittent "disconnection" of the battery while the engine is running, due to a loose B+ or Ground connection.
Please get codes read in DME at least (Generic P-Code reader at Advance Auto, etc.), and preferably ALSO in CAS module, and let us know the result of that Scan.
George
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I changed and coded/registered the battery myself. I got no warning lights on dashboard before/after and I did do most of the things you mentioned including voltage & load test on the battery (seemed ok). The bulging was likely a result of a previous voltage regulator problem I had on the alternator (I should have replaced the battery then). I don't have an explanation for the highway incident, do you know if E90's perhaps shut the car off if the battery disconnects even if the alternator is running?
I also did the hidden menu trick to monitor the voltage while driving and it hovered around 13.6-14. I got all these codes from the DME after it shut off:
CDA9, CDA8, CDA6, CDA0, CD9F, CD95, CD94, 2F4C, 2DEC, 2DC3, 2C9E, 2C73, 2AB4.
The problem was very consistent (would almost always shut off electronics when starting the car the first time) and I haven't seen anything weird since replacing the battery so i'm hopeful its gone.