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Battery, Starter, ~lternatorl
@ TO fuse & relay panel Battery Safety Terminal
A Battery Safety Terminal (BST) controlled by the Multiple
Restraint System (MRS) control unit was introduced for mod-
el year 1998
vehicles. The system will disconnect electrical
power to the engine compartment
in the event of a significant
impact. The MRS system fires an encapsulated pyrotechnic
device
in the positive (+) battery terminal that disconnects
power to the engine compartment, but maintains power to
the exterior lights and interior of the vehicle.
point
002125~1
Table a. Battery, alternator and starter troubleshooting
1-
/Starter motor or solenoid faulty. l~est starter.
Symptom
Engine does not crank
Engine cranks slowly or
not at all, solenoid
clicits
when starter is operated.
I I
Battery will not stay IShort circuit draining battery. l~est for excessive current drain with everything
Probable cause
Fault
in immobilizer system (EWS)
-Clean Battery cables loose, dirty or corroded.
Battery discharged.
Battery to body ground cable in trunk
loose,
dirty or corroded
Poor connection at starter motor terminal
30.
Corrective action
Try another ignition key. If problem persists, contact
your authorized BMW dealer.
or replace cables. See 020
~aintenance.
Charge battery and test. Replace if necessary.
inspect ground cable. Clean, tighten or replace if
necessary.
Checlc connections, test for voltage at starter. Test for
voltage at neutral safety or clutch
interloclc switch.
charged more than a few
days.
I~atter~ faulty. /Test battery and replace if necessary.
Short driving trips and high electrical drain
on
charging system does not allow battery to
recharge.
. I
I Battery cables loose, dirty or corroded. Iclean or replace cables. See 020 Maintenance.
Evaluate driving
style. Where possible, reduce
electrical
consumption when malting short trips.
Drive
belt@) loose, worn or damaged.
IAlternator or voltage regulator faulty. /Test alternator and voltage regulator.
Inspect
or replace ribbed
belt@). See 020
Maintenance.

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.
Battery, Starter, Alternator
Table b. Specific gravity of battery electrolyte at 27°C (80°F)
Specific gravity State of charge
1.265 Fully charged
1.225 75% charged
1.190 50% charged
1.155 25% charged
1.120 Fully discharged
if the specific gravity is at
orabove 1.225, butthe battery lacks
Dower for
startinq, determine the battew's service condition
with a load volta& test. if the average specific gravity of the
six cells is below 1.225, remove the battery from the luggage
compartment and recharge.
Battery open-circuit voltage test
Before testing, load battery with 15 amperes for one minute
with battery load-tester or turn on headlights for about one
minute without engine running. Connect digital voltmeter
across battery terminals. Open-circuit voltage levels are giv-
en in Table
c. Open-circuit voltage and battery charge.
If open-circuit voltage is
OK but battery still lacks power for
starting, perform a load voltage test.
If open-circuit voltage is
below 12.4 volts, recharge battery
and retest.
Table c. Open-circuit voltage and battery charge
Open-circuit voltage State of charge
12.6 V or more
12.4 V
12.2v
12.0 v
Fully charged
75% charged
50% charged
25% charged
11.7Vorless Fully discharged
Battery load voltage test
A battery load tester is required for a load voltage test. The
test is made by applying a high resistive load to the battery
terminals and then measuring battery voltage. The battery
should be
fully charged forthe most accurate results. The bat-
tery cables must be disconnected before
malting the test. Re-
place the battery if the voltage is below that listed in Table d.
Battery load test
- minimum voltage.

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Battery, Starter, ~lternatorl
WARNING-
Always wear protective goggles and clothing when perform-
ing a load test.
Table
d. Battery load test - minimum voltage
Ambient temperature Voltage*
27
" C (80" F) 9.6 V
-I 8' C (0"
F) 8.5 V
* Measure
after applying a 200 amp load for 15 seconds.
Closed-circuit current measurement
If the vehicle battery is discharged for an unknown reason,
perform a closed-circuit current measurement as the first test.
For diagnostic purposes, it is important to not disconnect the
battery. Disconnecting the battery may reset a faulty control
unit, preventing proper diagnosis.
The following test is generally completed overnight using a
multimeterwith a closed circuitcurrent measurement adaptor
with a recording function
- Check that battery voltage is 12 volts or higher. If lower,
recharge battery.
- Switch off electrical consumers (interior lights, telephone,
aftermarket equipment, or others).
- Open luggage compartment and remove battery trim panel.
Use screwdriver to lock latch on trunk lid or hatch, simulating
closed luggage compartment. Close other doors.
- Open driver's door, then close it, simulating driver entering
vehicle.
- Switch ignition to RUN position for at least five seconds, then
turn ignition to OFF position. This simulates driving vehicle.
- Open and close driver's door, simulating driver leaving
vehicle.
- Lock car and arm alarm.
- Wait at least 16 minutes for consumer cut-off.

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121-9
Battery, Starter, ~lternatorl
Battery charging
Discharged batteries can be recharged using a batterycharg-
er. Remove the battery from the trunk during charging.
Prolonged charging causes electrolyte evaporation to a level
that can damage the battery. It is best to use a low-current
charger
(6 amperes or less) to prevent battery damage
caused by overheating.
WARNING -
Hydrogen gas given off by the battery during charging is ex-
plosive. Do not smoke.
Keep open flames away from the top
ofthe batte~ and prevent electrical sparks by turning off the
battery charger before connecting or disconnecting it.
Battery electrolyte (sulfuric acid) can damage the car. If
electrolyte is spilled, clean the area with a solution
ofbak-
ing soda and water.
Always allow a frozen battery to thaw before attempting
to recharge it.
Always disconnect both battery cables and remove bat-
tery from vehicle during battery charging. Do not ex-
ceed
16.5 charging voltage at the battery
Battery safety terminal, replacing
If the battery safety terminal has been triggered, investigate
and correct the cause prior to replacement.
- Working in right side of luggage compartment, remove bat-
tery trim panel.
- Disconnect negative (-) battery terminal and cover with
insulator.
- Disconnect positive (+) cable from battery.
- Release positive (+) cable from cable brackets on luggage
compartment wall. Lay new repair cable parallel to positive
cable.
- Mark off length of new cable on old cable. Allow 10 cm
(2.5 in) of slack.
- Saw through old cable.
Do not use bolt cutters or similar tools to cut through cable.
A cable end that has been squashed
flat will not fit into the

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121-18
I Battery, Starter, Alternator
Alternator, removing and installing
(M62 TU engine, water cooled)
V-8 models produced after 9/98 are equipped with a water
cooled alternator.
CAUTION-
Allow engine to cool before removing alternator as coolant
will
escape from the alternator water jacket.
- Disconnect negative (-) battery cable
CAUTION- Prior to disconnecting the
battew read the battery discon-
nection cautions given in
001 General Warnings and Cau-
tions.
- Remove radiator cooling fan and fan shroud. See 170 Radi-
ator and Cooling System.
- Drain engine cooling system. See 170 Radiator and Cool-
ing System.
- Remove alternator drive belt. See 020 Maintenance.
- Disconnect battery lead (terminal 30 or B+) and two-pin har-
ness connector from front of alternator.
I < Remove bolts securing alternator to water jacket and remove
aling ring
alternator.
NOTE- If necessary, raise car and remove engine compartment
splash shield to access lower alternator mounting bolts.
The upper coolant hose can also
be removed to assist al-
ternator removal.

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Fuel Injection 1
Working in right rear of engine compartment:
Release interior ventilation filter cover latch
(A) and re-
move cover.
Release plastic locking tab
(6).
Rotate duct inward (arrow) to unlock from bulk head and
remove duct.
Release spring
lock (C) to remove lower iilter housing.
Slide filter housing away from inner fender to remove.
- Remove electrical box (E-box) cover fasteners and remove
cover.
NOTE-
OBD I1 fault memory (including an illuminated MIL) can
only be reset using an electronic scan tool. Removing the
connector from the ECM or disconnecting the battery will
not erase the fault
memory.
The BMW-dedicated 20-pin diagnostic linlc connector
(DLC) is in the right rear of the engine compartment.
The 16-pin OBD
I1 diagnostic connector (arrow) is located
inside the car on the lower left dash panel.
ECM relay, testing
Fuses lor ECM In E-bbx 502130488
4 The engine control module (ECM) relay is energized via the
ECM and supplies battery positive
(B+) power to many of the
engine management components and subsystems.
If this re-
lay is faulty, the engine will not start.
Relay positions can vary. Be sure to confirm relay position by
identifying the wiring in the socket using the wiring diagrams
in
ELE Electrical Wiring Diagrams.
NOTE-
The ECM relay is also referred to as the DME main relay.

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- -.
Fuel Injection
SIEMENS MIS 42.0 AND 43.0
When system faults are detected, a diagnostic trouble code
(DTC) is stored in the engine control module (ECM). The MIL
also illuminates
if an emissions-related fault is detected.
When faults arise, or
if the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is
illuminated, begin troubleshooting by connecting BMW ser-
vice tester
DISplus, MoDiC, GTI or equivalent scan tool. The
capabilities of OBD
II software has the potential to save hours
of diagnostic time and to help avoid incorrect component re-
placement and possible damage to system components.
CAUTION-
* The tests in this section may set fault codes (DTCs) in tlie
ECM and illuminate the MIL. After all testing is completed,
access and clear DTC fault
memory using an OBD I/ or
BMW compatible scan tool. See
OBD On-Board Diag-
nostics.
Only use a
dgital multimeter for electrical tests.
Relay positions can vary. Be sure to confirm
relayposi-
tion by identifying the wiring in the socket using the wir-
ing diagrams found in
ELE Electrical Wiring
Diagrams.
NOTE-
- OBD I1 fault memory. (including an illuminated MIL! can
only be reset using the special scan tool. Removing the
connector from the ECM or disconnecting the battery will
not erase the fault memory.
The BMW-dedicated 20-pin diagnostic
linlc connector
(DLC) is in the right rear of the engine compartment The
20-pin DLC is discontinued on models after
6/2000.
The 1 &pin OBD I1 diagnostic connector (arrow) is located
inside the car on the lower left dash panel.
The MS
42.0 and MS 43.0 systems manage the following
functions.
- Air:
Idle speed valve
Electronic throttle
Hot film mass air flow (MAF) sensor
Resonance-turbulence intake control
- Fuel:
* Fuel supply
Running losseslnon return
Fuel injection

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-
Fuel Injection
ECM relay, testing
The engine control module (ECM) relay is energized via the
ECM and supplies battery positive
(Bc) power to many of the
engine management components and subsystems. If this re-
lay is faulty, the engine will not start.
NOTE-
The ECM relay is also referred to as the DME main relay
ECM relay powers:
ECM
Ignition coils
* Fuel injection
Evaporative leak detection pump
Idle air actuator
- Camshaft sensors Evaporative emissions valve
Hot film mass air flow sensor
Fuel pump relay
Oxygen sensor heaters
4 Working in right rear of engine compartment:
Release interior ventilation filter cover latch
(A) and re-
move cover.
Release plastic locking tab
(B).
Rotate duct inward (arrow) to unlock from bulk head and
remove duct.
Release spring lock
(C) to remove lower filter housing.
Slide filter housing away from inner fender to remove.
- Remove electrical box (E-box) cover fasteners and remove
cover.
With ignition off, remove ECM relay (arrow) in electronics
box (E-box) at rear of engine compartment, right side.
NOTE-
Relay locations can vary Confirm relay identification by
matching wiring colors and terminal numbers.