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Goll-durn Bimmer's down again.....

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Banjo

Banjo

Yoda
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Jeesh, I just got the fuel pump sorted out, and now I've got some goofy electrical bug. The other day I noticed several of the idiot lights on dimly, and all kind of changing intensity in unison. Hmmmm sumpin goin on here I thought, but then they went out and all was fine.
Then thismorning I fired it up and it cranked really slow. Started up, and ran fine. Cold drizzle today, so headlights, wipers intermittantly, heater and radio on. Bout a mile from home the radio shuts itsself off. I hit the wipers and they slowly chugged across the windshield.I glanced at the dash, and the ABS and Check engine light are on dimly again. Not good. I shut sown all unnecessaries and promptly turned back twards home. Keeping steady conversation with the creator I begged to make it home, guages jumping around unsteadily, before all went quiet. as I pulled up to my garage door that was it. engine died.(thank you, thank you, thank you)
Of course all my tools are at work, so diag has to wait till tomorrow. My first suspicion is Alternator or wiring to the alt.
Man... this car's gotta straighten up. My commute is about to get much bigger.
 
Alternator or regulator issues. Is the battery in good nick? The "usual suspects" first. Connections, etc. Sounds as if the voltage isn't constant. You know EFI is hypersensitive to low voltage. Radio would have been the first clue. If voltage drops below an approximate 12V it'd be likely to cut out.
 
Is this the one that had been sitting for so long that a green fungus had grown on the red paint?
 
That's Vinnie's 5 series. Ben's has been "in service" and a 3-series.
 
Doc, yup. I'm suspecting power supply. The radio winking out is what got my attention. I know from running modern radios in old cars that if the voltage drops (I.E. sittin at a red light with a generator) the first thing to turn itsself off is the radio.
Battery is good. Came back to the car a few hours later to check it out and it had re-generated enough to start the car. so far any connections look good. so I'm bringin home the test equipment tonight.
I'm calling round for alternators today, just to be ready.
 
Testing's in. Alt is bad.( or at least the regulator) Batt reads 10.67 volts while running. then I rev it up to bout 3500 rpm or so and it "kick starts" the regulator and then I read 14 volts after that.
Local channels are horrible for BMW parts. I found on in an ebay store for half the local shop price. going there now to order.
 
The Bimmer from the Black Lagoon. How it looks now-Sharp!
 
Good on ya "V"! drive the wheels off 'er!
Meanwhile... still waiting.... Part ordered. It may be here by this weekend. I have an easier time finding parts for my '54 TR2! Jeesh.
 
We should have a sub-forum for those of us who drive Bimmers, or at least those who drive the German stuff. Tony and The Doc have Benzes, and there are a few VW owners on the boards too. I have, in addition to the BMW, two VWs in the household.
 
Here here for the GCF. :smile:
 
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