With cold months coming, cars often suffer, the most general case is to have troubles starting your Bmw Serie 1 in the morning with very low temperatures. In general this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Bmw Serie 1 . There are some reasons that can explain why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to solve this problem that can prevent you from using your car. To get this done, first we will explain how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Bmw Serie 1, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Bmw Serie 1 work?

Before we describe the different problems of recharging the battery on a Bmw Serie 1 , we will explain to you how its recharging system works so that you can discover the problems you are struggling with. A car battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Bmw Serie 1 , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it may possibly deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To get over this problem, the engineers have designed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy created by the engine of your Bmw Serie 1 to generate energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . However, keep in mind that this process can only work when your car is running, using electrical components of your car when it is stopped will drain the energy reserve of your car. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.

Problems recharging a Bmw Serie 1’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Bmw Serie 1 you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a problem in your electrical installation, we will now see the different situations.

Battery charging problem on Bmw Serie 1: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger

In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in fact, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Bmw Serie 1 to start, the problem obviously originates from your alternator which should not be able to generate any more current.

Battery charging problem on Bmw Serie 1: My car shuts off and does not start regardless if I have charged the battery

If you have recharged your battery and you have managed to start your Bmw Serie 1 but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the problem with recharging the battery of your Bmw Serie 1 is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging problem on Bmw Serie 1: My battery is discharged although it is new

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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the problem most probably originates 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 solve the problem of battery charging on Bmw Serie 1?

We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are struggling with. Here are the different problems and their solutions:

  • Faulty alternator: You can try with simple mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to see 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 this case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic solution. Obviously, 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 Serie 1 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 verify by a car electrician is in such a case required.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Bmw Serie 1

Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a Bmw Serie 1 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. In any other case you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to start.

If you want more guides on the Bmw Serie 1, go to our Bmw Serie 1 category.