ok, every once in a while, I get a "Battery Low Warning" on the bottom of the Nave display. But the battery is at 100% charge (tested with tester, and charged on a maintainer overnight...). Even when it says this, the car starts right up, doesn't sound like even a week battery at all.

Then, lately, about every 2 days my clock is reset to --. I have to set it, and it stays for the day, then the next day it's back to --. All other settings in the car, including the date stay ok.

Is there "clock" battery somewhere? OR....?

 

I'd start checking that the various ground connections are tight, starting with the battery.

 

you may need to reset the error codes. the mini computer prolly still thinks that your battery is low even when you charged it up yourself. if that doesn't work, then there's a parasitic drain somewhere.

 

There's no drain anywhere, the batterey is never dead. It jsut says the battery is dead, and looses the clock setting. Everything else is fine, and the car start right up (aka battery is fine).

 

AKA battery is fine - Totally incorrect.


A few things come to mind.

1. How old is the battery? If it is the original just replace it. most likely your problem will go away.

2. if the battery has been replaced there is a battery reset procedure that is supposed to be done to the car. Dealers and some aftermarket shops (but not all) should be able to do this for you. it is not something that can be done without special equipment.

3. Even though "you" think the battery is good does in no way mean that it is. Batteries these days do not show problems like batteries of old. Mine was charged out of the car over night and showed good on a battery checker but in the car I still had funny electrical related problems. So I changed the battery and ALL of the strange electrical problems are gone.

 

Thanks, but it's not a battery issue. I have a real battery tester, big expensive one, not a home type load tester. The battery is perfect. There is also no drain on the battery. The battery is at 100% charge when this occurs.

All that said, you can't tell me the battery is good enough to start a 200 HP turbo charged motor, but not good enough to hold a digital clock!!!??

This is another issue.... unrelated to the battery. Somebody told me last year their might be some sort of backup battery (watch type battery) to hold the cars cmos setings (or whatever type of memory the setting are held in?). I suspect it's something like that.

Anyway, the car is going to Mini for service on Saturday for the water pump fire recall work. I'm having them check this out as well.

 

I dont care how big and bad your battery tester is even the best ones at all the shops near me said mine was good and i had problems and when a NEW battery was installed all the problems went away. Also look at the 100's of posts about strange electrical things happening in these cars all with "good" batteries that were cleared up by replacing the battery.

Yes i can tell you that. Again look at the 100's of posts here where peoples cars would start just fine but have had problems "just like yours" and once the battery was replaced ALL the problems went away.

I know this car inside and out there is NO battery back up in the car as you are talking about.

Good luck I would be willing to bet they find nothing wrong and that if you replace the battery your problem will be solved.

My dealer has stopped "testing" batteries. If a car comes in with strange electrical problems like yours or many others they just replace the battery and the car is on its way. And does NOT return for the same thing until the battery is bad again.

 

Not buying it. A battery is either delivering 12 to 13 volts, or it isn't. There is no hidden secrets there. Mine is delivering 12.4 volts at rest after sitting for 24 hours, when the digital clock goes out. It does not get any better than that.

PS - I should have mentioned, my battery is now about 10 months old. I had the problem prior to changing it last year, and I still have the same problem. I did not replace my battery for this issue, it was just a standard maint. item at 5 years.

 

I'd look for a bad ground somewhere, not necessarily the ground lead on the battery, but one of the many chassis ground connections on the wiring harness.

Dave