[RideForeign]

Okay so I'm stuck on something and I'm getting stressed out from all the things I've seen in the last couple months regarding my car.

As of June my car was running perfect then I had a misfortunate family event and left the country for 45 days. I left my car alone as in just parked it and left. When I came back the car had a rough start of course because it hadn't been started in almost 2 months. I let it run for a bit then I drove it for about 2-3 weeks. I'm on the highway going home from king city (I live in Burlington) and as I get on the highway my car overheats and I had to get towed home. When I got home my battery was dead the car wouldn't start so my tow truck driver gave me a boost so it would start. After little diagnosing I came to the conclusion I needed a water pump and thermostat. I decide at this point to leave my car in winter storage and just fix it come spring. At this point I start my car once in a while just to keep the battery charge so it can start again.

NOW the best part where I stress...

I have recently read that the water pump needs a strong charge so it doesn't fail, I heard the water pump seeizes if you don't start your car on a day to day basis?

I'm stuck in this dumb situation and I'm still learning all the "neat" things our cars can do so now I have no idea what to do, if to order the water pump and change the battery or just change the battery myself.

Also I've been hearing about starters seizing up from not starting the car over period of time so now I have another headache if my starters going to go anytime.

PS. I start my car to this day once a week at least and it has a low voltage but it still does start, cars been sitting for 2 months now more or less almost 3 I have thermostat with me but I'm just trying to figure out what to order so I'm not wasting money for parts when I don't need them.

Car has 168.000km.

If anyone has any suggestion on what to do even advice wise that'd be great. I just feel like after losing a family member I've lost my car as well and its driving me nuts. Thanks for your help guys I do apologize for being a noob but we learn something new everyday.

[Treize]

It sounds like you're going through a rough time and I wish you the best. My advice is that you need to not think about this right now. Diagnosing an issue like this can cause a lot of extra stress especially if you end up buying parts you don't need. Go to a reputable shop (Ivo for example) and have them investigate.

Last but not least I know we love our cars but in the end, it's just a car. They will always have some issues and most of the time can be repaired. I know it's hard but try not to stress so much good luck!

[e90Cam]

It's hard to comment on whats wrong with the car without actually being there, that being said it's best to take it to a good indy and figure out whats wrong. To me it sounds like you need a new battery for the mean time among other things in the future. Good luck.

[KCX_335xi]

Sorry to hear about your rough times man.

I had Ivo replace both my battery and water pump/thermostat...

Thought the water pump/thermostat was only an issue for N54 engines, but give Ivo a call... PM me if you need his number.

[dassub]

Originally Posted by KCX_335xi

Sorry to hear about your rough times man.

I had Ivo replace both my battery and water pump/thermostat...

Thought the water pump/thermostat was only an issue for N54 engines, but give Ivo a call... PM me if you need his number.

Water pump definitely goes on the N52 too (had mine replaced last year).

[RideForeign]

Thanks for the support guys I think I'm going to keep gathering as much information as I can and then going through with a plan. If you guys have any place that'll help me out your more then welcome to through numbers. Thank you

[bimmette]

Sorry for your loss. It sounds like you should leave the car in storage and don't think about it until spring. Then have it towed to an indy to replace the battery and water pump. No point adding to your stress if you don't need the car urgently.

[RideForeign]

Thank you very much. I think that is what I'm going to do. I just need to find an Indy shop near me

[Tzu]

There is no dilemma. Get a battery tender. Replace your WP/Tstat in the spring.

[paintballdude05]

Originally Posted by Tzu

There is no dilemma. Get a battery tender. Replace your WP/Tstat in the spring.

This, those weekly starts aren't really helping you much. Get the tender to keep the battery alive (if it's not too far gone already) and get the car looked at by a shop.

[RideForeign]

Where do I get this tender

[paintballdude05]

These are good tenders. Canadian Tire has them too, so does Royal Distributing.

http://www.amazon.ca/Battery-Tender-...battery+tender

[paintballdude05]

There are other models out there. Just make sure it's a battery charger AND maintainer, not just charger.

[///Mposter]

If your battery was dead the computer probably load shed some items to keep the car running without destroying your alternator; one of those being the electric water pump trying to pull a ton of current. A lot of electrical items need a good ground plane to work. If your battery is gone then gauges and sensors tend to go wacky.
My suggestion is to replace your battery and see if the issue of the water pump goes away. I have had numerous people tell me " oh my goodness my car's battery/charging light came on , then the SES light , then my radio stopped working, and my headlights were flickering, and now I can't restart because the starter is broken. All these things are broken and I want to trade in my car ."
It's the snowball effect of one item, usually the battery first , and less commonly the alternator.

[uncle ben]

Bought my battery tender directly from bmw. They are cheap and easy to use. If you have a newer bmw, you need one of these. If I leave my car for a few weeks, the battery is always almost dead.

[///Mposter]

Also check the eye of the battery. Green =good; black= insufficient charge; yellow = replace. See picture.

[RideForeign]

I'm going to check the battery tonight thanks for that tip!

[RideForeign]

I'm going to be uploading a video later on recapping everything about the situation and in car view

[RideForeign]

This is the video I just took with me in the car explaining what's going on. Any suggestions would be appreciated

[RideForeign]

Just checked the code that the car threw and it says battery with a low charge which was a flunk I already knew that

[Tzu]

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. If your battery is white, it is lead-acid and old. Get an AGM, battery tender, and call it a day.

BTW, starting your car once a week for a minute or two is worse for the battery than not starting it at all. It doesn't have a chance to recharge in that instance.

[RideForeign]

Thanks for the suggestion I'm going to grab one today from Canadian tire or the dealership and one headache is out of the way. I'm just not trying to cause a snowball effect and screw my car up more. I'm 21 man I worked too hard to buy my car its like a baby to me