"Discharged Battery: Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed

Bulletin number

M610607

Component

Electrical system

Summary

"Discharged Battery: Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed. MINI electrical systems and advancements in vehicle technology have resulted in an increased demand on the vehicle battery. This SI will help the dealer handle ""discharged battery"" complaints. A discharged battery can have various causes, most unrelated to the battery. A failed battery is often the symptom and not the cause. A fully serviceable battery fails when an electrical component causes the battery to discharge; the battery becomes internally damaged and must be replaced. For more information, refer to http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-42B.htm. For this reason, replacing the battery is not usually a permanent repair. The cause of the discharged battery must be analyzed in order to guarantee a proper repair. To repair the vehicle properly the first time in the workshop, the diagnostic test plans must be performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of the discharged battery cannot be identified. This increases the chances of a repeat repair. Discharged battery."

Owners of these vehicles have filed 406 complaints in the electrical category.