ReformedAustralian

Update: charge didn't work. Going to take battery out, drop off at workshop and get them to check and - if cactus - replace it.

Thanks for the help guys, hopefully all will be sweet in the AM.

Out of interest - obviously the car won't move and I certainly don't wan t to pay to tow it to the dealer - is a flat battery the same as a dead battery? IE: once I charge it, on the balance of probabilities will it be ok once charged and back in the car and if so, can i just remove the battery and drop that off at the dealer and have them charge it?

Ill go check it. In the meantime I have been looking at other replies on similar topics - most seem to suggest that my battery has gone to heaven. Sounds like it can be safely jumped though so may have to have a lash at that tomorrow if the charge fails.

Right, so i have located a fuse chart for an E65 2002... if i have a fuseable link issue where do I start?

Not super keen to remove battery from car in it's entirety given how fiddly they are pulling out of the boot and removing trim...

Charger is an Arlec 4 amp and belongs to mate next door. Seems fine. Weird that dash lights come up briefly every 30 seconds or so but then flash back off. Does sound (logically) like a flat battery. I didn't leave lights on or anything whilst away. Did leave GPS plugged in but wouldn't have thought that would be an issue... Unsure if battery is original from manufacture either as am not original owner. What about jumping it guys, would this likely start it and do i need any specialist jumping equipment?

Right - so we headed off for two weeks away and the 745i sat outside the house until we got back. Upon getting back I attempted to open the door with my key fob. No response at all. So I used the click out key to manually open the door. Once sitting in the seat I tried to insert the fob into the starter. To my great surprise the starter would not accept the fob and rather than clicking in all the way, it simply sat half way. I logged on here and started searching for answers. There was a topic around the fobs not staying in and the generally accepted answer was to disconnect the negative terminal off the battery, wait a period of time and then all should be right. Attempted that and no joy unfortunately. The net step was to log into an online BMW help line who suggested the issue sounded like a flat battery which required charging or jumping. As a result I hooked up a battery charger to the battery and it says the battery is fully charged. It does seemingly switch itself on and off intermittently (approx 30 second cycles) and while I am sitting in the drivers seat I noticed that where before the dash/heads up display was totally dead it now lights up intermittently as does my GPS screen which is plugged into the cigarette lighter. The charger has been on the car for an hour at this stage and the charger is still behaving in the same way. What do you think guys? Details on car: 2002 Schnitzer BMW 745i Cheers and thanks in advance - Steve

Hi Jochen, just recently bought a 2002 735i E65 which had been imported from Japan and as a result has the Japanese band limitations. I was about to go and get a band expander fitted but happened across this thread and wondered what (if any) more simplistic solution might work for this particular model? The drive back from Auckland to Wellington was torture without any music/radio etc so hoping you can help. It also has Japanese satnav but i'm less concerned about that. What I would really like is a solution that gives me NZ radio stations and the option to plug my ipod into an Aux. Cheers and thanks is advance - Steve

Hi all, purchased a 2002 735i E65 this week and drove it back from Auckland to Wellington. I am a previous owner of a 528i E39 so have had an appreciation for Bavaria for some time now and this new one is the end result of me telling my company where to shove the SV6 Commodore they wanted me to drive and asking for a car allowance instead. Everything I read prior to purchase tells me that this car is probably going to test me in terms of patience and finances, but that I will also enjoy every minute I spend driving it - and after all - isn't that the only thing that matters!? First impressions are really good - I love the power the V8 delivers as soon as asked and the comfort the E65 offers. An absolute joy to drive. No doubt as time goes on I'll be looking for advice from those of you who are mechanically minded or experienced across a range of issues and will also look to contribute as things happen or I gain experience. Cheers and thanks for having me - Steve.