Stock Problems/Issues Discussions related to warranty related issues and repairs, or other problems with the OEM parts and software for MINI Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.

Dead battery

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  #1  
Old 01-07-2024 | 12:13 PM
ewgoforth's Avatar
ewgoforth
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Dead battery

Hi,

I just did the squib bypass modification and noticed my battery was dead overnight. The squib bypass seemed to fix my airbag light after I reset it with my c310+.

I'm wondering if the interior lights were left on overnight. It also rained a lot and the trunk mat is quite saturated. I wonder if that could have shorted the terminals. Any idea how the water is getting in? The hatch seal looks good.
 
  #2  
Old 01-07-2024 | 01:02 PM
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Here2Go
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Battery dying overnight is quite ironic after the BST squib repair/mod...

Although I haven't had the problem (yet) with water intrusion into the rear hatch compartment of my 04 R53 -
  • Have you noticed dampness or sagging at the rear of your headliner?
  • One possible point of water getting into the back hatch; might come from the antenna/rubber antenna boot. (Mine had started to split but replaced it promptly).
  • I've also read from other contributors that the seal around the upper third brake light has also been known to rot out and allow water to run inside of the hatch compartment.
  • Another point of entry might be the seal around the exterior hatch release handle that may have started to disintegrate (I think it's formed out of some sort of crappy foam rubber?).
I also couldn't help but wonder if the rear wiper seal might be prone to wear at some point in the car's lifetime?
 
  #3  
Old 01-07-2024 | 01:37 PM
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ewgoforth
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The Auto Parts store said my battery was bad and the warranty had expired so I got a new one.

I didn't like that there wasn't a boot for the positive battery terminal, so I made one out of a bottle of supercharger oil after trying one from the auto parts store that didn't fit. Now I don't have to worry about a damp carpet potentially shorting out the battery terminals anymore.

 
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  #4  
Old 01-07-2024 | 02:01 PM
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Yeah - my 4y/o battery failed recently without any notice. I found it so strange - Good one day. Bad the next.
I think I replaced it (Advanced) with the same one you show.
FWIW:
The only thing I would strongly recommend; would be to clean out the battery box and treat it with Ospho (Phosphoric Acid rust neutralizer/converter) and perhaps paint it or seal it with bed liner "spray paint".
I've seen battery compartments that had completely corroded to where the battery eventually fell through a rusted hole.

Just sayin"
 
  #5  
Old 01-08-2024 | 12:16 PM
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Yep, clean the box area out. Looks like previous water damage in the holder?
 
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  #6  
Old 01-13-2024 | 02:09 PM
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ewgoforth
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Originally Posted by Here2Go
Battery dying overnight is quite ironic after the BST squib repair/mod...

Although I haven't had the problem (yet) with water intrusion into the rear hatch compartment of my 04 R53 -
  • Have you noticed dampness or sagging at the rear of your headliner?
  • One possible point of water getting into the back hatch; might come from the antenna/rubber antenna boot. (Mine had started to split but replaced it promptly).
  • I've also read from other contributors that the seal around the upper third brake light has also been known to rot out and allow water to run inside of the hatch compartment.
  • Another point of entry might be the seal around the exterior hatch release handle that may have started to disintegrate (I think it's formed out of some sort of crappy foam rubber?).
I also couldn't help but wonder if the rear wiper seal might be prone to wear at some point in the car's lifetime?
New battery and the same thing happened. Advance Auto tested the alternator and it turned out my alternator had a bad diode. Here's an article on how this can cause a serious battery drain:
https://vehiclefreak.com/bad-alterna...d-how-to-test/

I guess that if one of the diodes in the regulator that's integrated into the alternator goes bad it can allow the positive and negative battery terminals to short to each other essentially.
 
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