With winter season coming, cars tend to suffer, the most common case is to have troubles starting your BMW i3 in the morning with very low temperatures. In general this is related to problems recharging the battery of your BMW i3 . There are some factors that can describe why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and today we will try to help you to resolve this issue that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To accomplish this, first we will describe how recharging your car battery functions, then the different problems of recharging a BMW i3, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a BMW i3 function?
Before we describe the different complications of recharging the battery on a BMW i3 , we will describe to you how its recharging system works so that you can figure out the complications you are facing. A motor vehicle battery functions like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your BMW i3 , turn on your headlights, play music, lower your power windows… Nevertheless all these actions will consume energy and it might deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To get over this issue, the engineers have developed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy developed by the engine of your BMW i3 to create energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . Nevertheless, take into account that this process can only work when your car is running, using electrical elements of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your motor vehicle. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
Problems recharging a BMW i3’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging complications on a BMW i3 you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a issue in your electrical set up, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on BMW i3: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a specific charger
In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , obviously, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your BMW i3 to start, the problem most certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to create any more current.
Battery charging issue on BMW i3: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your BMW i3 but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the problem with recharging the battery of your BMW i3 is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging issue on BMW i3: My battery is discharged nevertheless it is new
.
If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges while you’re driving, the issue most probably comes from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to resolve the issue of battery charging on BMW i3?
We will now give you the solutions according to the issue you are facing. Here are the different complications and their solutions:
- Faulty alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to check it with a pressure gauge to find out if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best solution, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event that your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic solution. In actual fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be replaced, count between 60 and 100 euros based on your engine.
- Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your BMW i3 but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a check by a motor vehicle electrician is in such a case necessary.
How to recharge an empty battery of a BMW i3
Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a BMW i3 there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to begin.
In the event that you have any additional questions about the BMW i3, do not hesitate to consult our BMW i3 category.
