Hi Everyone,
This is my 1st post, have been reading a while since we bought our car and all very interesting and this forum has already answered many of my questions.
We have bought a 1999 2.0 Z3 as a day out car for the summer next year. It is cosmetically tidy, but I have little mechanical knowledge. We have had it since September, garaged in our flat blocks communal garage since then, taking it out on a few short trips since.
We went on holiday in November and when I went to start it up nothing happened so I believed the battery was flat. I bought a charger and hooked it up overnight. The indicator on the charger showed that the battery was charged when I plugged it in which I thought was strange but I left it charging anyway.
I fitted the battery back in the car on Saturday morning, and tried to start it up. At first it made a rapid repeating clicking sound from under the left hand side of the bonnet, but did fire up, only for what I assume is the alarm (a solid shrill sound for approx 10secs followed by a repeating sound in the same pitch). This however stopped of its own accord after one cycle and I assumed it was normal for the 1st time after the battery had been disconnected.
On Sunday we thought we would have a drive out of town and when I went to start it up this time, there is nothing except the alarm. The dashboard lights illuminate but the car doesn't show any sign of turning over. The only way to stop the alarm is to disengage the battery.
I am quite a practical guy in other fields and have done a couple of cosmetic touch ups on the leather seats and interior generally, however auto mechanics is an area I have very little experience in. I am beginning to feel like the Z we have bought may have a few bigger issues than I hoped electronically. (power windows have never worked and the central locking has also never worked.
Any advice would be massively appreciated as we were hoping to get away in it over the Christmas break.
Cheers in advance, Nick
This is my 1st post, have been reading a while since we bought our car and all very interesting and this forum has already answered many of my questions.
We have bought a 1999 2.0 Z3 as a day out car for the summer next year. It is cosmetically tidy, but I have little mechanical knowledge. We have had it since September, garaged in our flat blocks communal garage since then, taking it out on a few short trips since.
We went on holiday in November and when I went to start it up nothing happened so I believed the battery was flat. I bought a charger and hooked it up overnight. The indicator on the charger showed that the battery was charged when I plugged it in which I thought was strange but I left it charging anyway.
I fitted the battery back in the car on Saturday morning, and tried to start it up. At first it made a rapid repeating clicking sound from under the left hand side of the bonnet, but did fire up, only for what I assume is the alarm (a solid shrill sound for approx 10secs followed by a repeating sound in the same pitch). This however stopped of its own accord after one cycle and I assumed it was normal for the 1st time after the battery had been disconnected.
On Sunday we thought we would have a drive out of town and when I went to start it up this time, there is nothing except the alarm. The dashboard lights illuminate but the car doesn't show any sign of turning over. The only way to stop the alarm is to disengage the battery.
I am quite a practical guy in other fields and have done a couple of cosmetic touch ups on the leather seats and interior generally, however auto mechanics is an area I have very little experience in. I am beginning to feel like the Z we have bought may have a few bigger issues than I hoped electronically. (power windows have never worked and the central locking has also never worked.
Any advice would be massively appreciated as we were hoping to get away in it over the Christmas break.
Cheers in advance, Nick
to the forum from Southport nr. Liverpool
