[DiscoMike]

OK, so anyone knows why my clock and trip odometer keeps getting reset? This happens when I turn on the ignition. The clock and trip odometer reset to zero.

I must have reset the clock about 10 times since purchasing it 2 months ago. Alternator issue? Battery Issue? I replaced the interior lights and sidemarker lights from stock to HPB lighting and the AE lighting to DTech lighting. I dont think the change in lights have to do with it, but it is something else.

Unplug the battery and replug it?

Time to go back to the dealership?

Thanks for al your help!

[galahad05]

Sounds like a battery issue to me.
Another alternative is a partial short and/or excessive current drain when starting.

Either way, you need to have it wrung out at a shop. Sooner is better.

[DiscoMike]

Should I have received a new batt when purchasing CPO? If it is an excessive drain when starting, how does one check for that?

Thanks.

[AddictedToBavarian]

That is a tell tale sign of a low battery/excessive drain.

[CUTigers]

The only time Iv had that problem was when I used the radio to long with the engine off. Car started but it freaked out the preset and electronic stuff, made sure I never do that again lol..... My CPO still had new car warranty when I got it and Iv had the original battery the whole time. Don't think they replace it if its working normal.

[gpb]

Originally Posted by CUTigers

Don't think they replace [battery on CPO] if its working normal.

My CPO had the battery replaced, but it was listed that the battery failed the CPO inspection test (whatever the wording was).

[JamesM3M5]

Probably a weak battery or bad IBS - intelligent battery sensor. You will have to get it checked out at a shop or dealer if you're CPO.

[DiscoMike]

OK, if I need a new batt, do I have to purchase it from BMW and have them install it, or can I install it myself without having to worry about warranty issues? I do not believe that BMW covers battery replacement when it is in CPO.

If it is an IBS, is this something that can be purchased and installed by the end user (hopefully easly), or does that have to go through BMW as well?

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by JamesM3M5

Probably a weak battery or bad IBS - intelligent battery sensor.

Good thing you explained what IBS stood for or this could have been interpreted very differently!

[temelj]

BMW Battery replacement - I have replaced mine due to same issue with aftermarket. (half price or even less then OEM).

I must say, i was worried due to some people claiming that "special coding" must be done to register the battery with vehicle. Therefore I purchased a battery suitable for my car and with the exact matching CCA (Cold Crank Amperes) I also made sure that my car is listed in the manufacturers book.

However once I installed the battery the "Low-batt" indicator remained. So I thought a nice long drive will sort that out. 30 minutes later the same indicator was still present. I stopped the car, turned it off and back on again and realised the clock was reset again and Low-batt indicator came on. Kind of freaked me out.

Well, once I got home I left car in garage for an hour or so and after that it was all fine. 5 months on and no problems.

Hope this helps.

[DiscoMike]

Originally Posted by temelj

Well, once I got home I left car in garage for an hour or so and after that it was all fine. 5 months on and no problems.

Hope this helps.

Now it makes me wonder - just leave the car on for an hour and see what happens. And if that does not work - replace battery and then leave car on for an hour.

Thanks everyone for your input!!!

[Dozhdbog]

If you want, I'll clean your clock.

/haha

[DiscoMike]

Originally Posted by Dozhdbog

If you want, I'll clean your clock.

/haha

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by temelj

BMW Battery replacement - I have replaced mine due to same issue with aftermarket. (half price or even less then OEM).

I must say, i was worried due to some people claiming that "special coding" must be done to register the battery with vehicle. Therefore I purchased a battery suitable for my car and with the exact matching CCA (Cold Crank Amperes) I also made sure that my car is listed in the manufacturers book.

However once I installed the battery the "Low-batt" indicator remained. So I thought a nice long drive will sort that out. 30 minutes later the same indicator was still present. I stopped the car, turned it off and back on again and realised the clock was reset again and Low-batt indicator came on. Kind of freaked me out.

Well, once I got home I left car in garage for an hour or so and after that it was all fine. 5 months on and no problems.

Hope this helps.

You really should register batteries. Matching battery spec only alleviates the need for CODING, not registering, which you should always do upon battery replacement. Here's an edited version of what I just posted on M3Post in a similar thread:

Originally Posted by jphughan

"Registering" is the process of informing the computer that a new battery has been installed, and while failing to do that won't prevent the new battery from working, it IS good to do and CAN make a difference in how the car manages the new battery and how long the new battery lasts. Dealers will definitely overcharge on labor for registration, because if you have a coding cable and the right software the process takes all of 60 seconds. There are DIY threads on this forum showing how to do this.

As for what exactly registering a battery does, the link I added at the bottom of the post shows a description of the process. Registering basically allows the computer to pull the proper amount of current from the battery and manage it properly, which it might not do if it thinks it's still dealing with an old battery.

I had first-hand experience with what happens when you don't register a battery recently with my wife's car. Her Mini Cooper S's moonroof would only close completely while the engine was running; when only the ignition was on, it would come forward but wouldn't pull itself all the way down to make the seal, and it moved much more slowly overall. I suspected the battery wasn't providing enough power, so we got a new one. The indy shop didn't have access to the computer they normally used to register batteries that day, so I told them to give me the car with just the battery and I'd DIY it. I tested the moonroof with the new battery BEFORE registering, and the problem remained, which I suspected was because the computer didn't know it could now pull more current from the battery. Registered the new battery, problem solved immediately.

Screenshot that describes battery registration: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=18

[401FlaGATOR]

Test

[MAZINGER]

I replaced a brand new battery for my car this afternoon. The battery has a green light on when I got it from the dealership.

The battery got installed and registered. No problem at all after I started the car. All I had to do was reseting the clock.

I drove it home for about 30 minutes and turned off the ignition. I went back to the car and re-started the car after 5 mintues. The clock and the odometer readings were set back to zero. I reset them again, I restarted the car 5 minutes later, the clock and the odometer were reset again.

The guy who installed and registered the battery for me was using the icom device. I watched the whole process of the registration. The only different that I saw compared to the DIY battery registration in e90post were: 6 digit number printed on the battery and the manufacture date were input in the software process during the registration.

I opened the trunk and tried to see the green dot and it was still there. Strange!!!

So, what is going wrong now? I opened the door and the interior lights inside were still bright.

Can someone please help? Thanks.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by JamesM3M5

Probably a weak battery or bad IBS - intelligent battery sensor. You will have to get it checked out at a shop or dealer if you're CPO.

I had this issue when i first got my cpo, turned out it was a bad IBS cable. It was fixed under factory warranty. Lucky for me it tossed a code which made it easier to fix. 6 years and 3 months and 79k miles on that original battery and it still works.

[MAZINGER]

Is the IBS causing the issues?

How can I tell I have a bad sensor, any symptoms?

[HHH]

My wife's 328 is giving me the same issue did you ever find out how to diagnose the IBS cable or sensor?

[Wilt]

Your battery could be failing...normal lifetime in the past, for most cars, is 5-6 yr. Some fail sooner, some last to 7-8 yr.

If you replace a battery, select same type (flooded vs. AGM) and same capacity. If you do not do so, you could be improperly charging (AGM has different voltage profile for charging), or you could over/under charge the battery because the car thinks it is larger/smaller capacity than what you installed. If you change battery type or capacity, you need to have battery 'coded' so the car knows how to charge it properly. An AGM in a car coded for flooded battery can be given too high of a charge voltage, and it is harmed. Flooded battery in a car coded for AGM could simply be chronically undercharged.

If you replace battery with same type and capacity, you should do 'registration' which tells the battery management module that "this is a new battery which is NOT the same behavior as the old battery"....otherwise you could find weird things going on (codes, warning lights) after the battery has been run down because the battery management module is improperly charging your new battery.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by MAZINGER

Is the IBS causing the issues?

How can I tell I have a bad sensor, any symptoms?

Tell us how you fixed this issue.

[MAZINGER]

Originally Posted by feuer

Tell us how you fixed this issue.

I asked someone to re-code the battery for me properly again. Problem fixed.