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Old 05-15-2024, 11:04 AM   #16
MikeMcMo
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 111
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by dghii View Post
Yes, batteries can go dead in an instant! Had it happen to a 1999 Z3 in 2001. Drove to my Son's school to pick him up one afternoon...no issues. We walked out of the school, go in the car and nothing! Bad battery.
Did your alternator die at the same time that day? The only other battery problem I had was when I drove around Chicago, did errands for an hour, then 20 minutes back on the highway, then it died while parked doing errands locally and I had to bump start it. In the next two days I ended up replacing the battery and the alternator, and the shop that diagnosed it said they couldn't telll which took which out.
Now I wonder if in my case the alternator died first, took the battery to the grave with it, and then we replaced the battery. If I remember correctly, I think the new battery died the next day, indicating the alternator pre-deceased it. The shop charged me like $350 for what might have been a faulty diagnosos, the new battery, and installation, so then I swapped the alternator myself which was barely doable due to tight working conditions in there. But I also heard the battery and alternator often take each other out and you can't always tell which went first. I dunno, not a strong area for me..
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