With cold months coming, cars often suffer, the most common case is to have troubles starting your Mini Cooper in the morning with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Mini Cooper . There are several factors that can show you why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to fix this issue that can prevent you from using your car. To do this, first we will show you how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Mini Cooper, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Mini Cooper work?
Before we describe the different problems of recharging the battery on a Mini Cooper , we will show you 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 Mini Cooper , 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 produced a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy generated by the engine unit of your Mini Cooper to generate energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . Nevertheless, take into account that this process can just 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 Mini Cooper’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Mini Cooper you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a issue in your electrical installation, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on Mini Cooper: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger
In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in truth, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Mini Cooper to start, the problem certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to generate any more current.
Battery charging issue on Mini Cooper: 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 Mini Cooper but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the issue with recharging the battery of your Mini Cooper is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging issue on Mini Cooper: 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 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 fix the issue of battery charging on Mini Cooper?
We will now give you the solutions according to the issue you are struggling with. Here are the different problems and their solutions:
- Defective 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, replacing it is the best solution, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In this case, the purchase of a new battery is the just realistic solution. Indeed, 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 Mini Cooper 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 Mini Cooper
At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Mini Cooper there are just few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can locate some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will just provide the energy needed to begin.
In the event that you have any additional questions about the Mini Cooper, do not hesitate to consult our Mini Cooper category.
