2013 BMW 328ix not starting.. battery issue?

Beam330 · 01-12-2022, 06:38 PM

Tried starting the car cold but wouldn't start. Was able to jump start it after a couple of tries, left it on and drove around quite a bit to let the battery recharge, but after switching the engine off it did not turn on again, only way to get it running again was with another jump start. I have linked a video of what happens when I try starting the engine:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEy...ew?usp=sharing

I connected a battery charger to the car and it was reading about 12.0v with the engine turned off, and I tried turning on the car again but it didn't start and the reading dropped to 11.4v. I imagine this is a battery issue, but I am unsure. Anything I can do to get the battery voltage back up or will I need to buy a new battery?

Billfitz · 01-13-2022, 08:08 AM

In the video I'm hearing the starter solenoid clicking, which means insufficient voltage. That's doesn't necessarily mean that the battery needs to be replaced, because there are a number of parasitic drain sources that can suck the charge right out of a battery. The last thing you need is to spend a few hundred on a battery to find the problem is still there. Disconnect the battery negative terminal, fully charge the battery, let it sit overnight and check the voltage again. It should have held steady overnight. If not it's toast. If it's OK hook it up and see it it drains over the course of a few hours. If so something in the car is killing it. A clamp on probe ammeter can measure current flowing out of the battery when it's been fully charged and the ignition is off to track down where the current is going.

01-12-2022, 06:38 PM	#1
Beam330 Enlisted Member 29 Rep 39 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW 330i xDrive M Sport Join Date: Mar 2020 Location: Toronto, Ontario iTrader: (0)	2013 BMW 328ix not starting.. battery issue? Tried starting the car cold but wouldn't start. Was able to jump start it after a couple of tries, left it on and drove around quite a bit to let the battery recharge, but after switching the engine off it did not turn on again, only way to get it running again was with another jump start. I have linked a video of what happens when I try starting the engine: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEy...ew?usp=sharing I connected a battery charger to the car and it was reading about 12.0v with the engine turned off, and I tried turning on the car again but it didn't start and the reading dropped to 11.4v. I imagine this is a battery issue, but I am unsure. Anything I can do to get the battery voltage back up or will I need to buy a new battery?
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01-13-2022, 08:08 AM	#2
Billfitz Lieutenant General 8243 Rep 16,081 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	In the video I'm hearing the starter solenoid clicking, which means insufficient voltage. That's doesn't necessarily mean that the battery needs to be replaced, because there are a number of parasitic drain sources that can suck the charge right out of a battery. The last thing you need is to spend a few hundred on a battery to find the problem is still there. Disconnect the battery negative terminal, fully charge the battery, let it sit overnight and check the voltage again. It should have held steady overnight. If not it's toast. If it's OK hook it up and see it it drains over the course of a few hours. If so something in the car is killing it. A clamp on probe ammeter can measure current flowing out of the battery when it's been fully charged and the ignition is off to track down where the current is going.
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