Is Your BMW Having Electrical Problems?

Jan 15, 2023

The state-of-the-art electrical components in your BMW greatly enhance your driving experience. It’s very rare for a BMW to experience electrical problems. But over enough time, corrosion, rust, water damage, accidents, or other adverse events can interfere with the electrical systems of any car. If you experience the following five signs of electrical trouble, take your car to your nearest BMW dealer at once for repairs.

Misfiring Spark Plugs

The most important electrical components of a car are the ignition coils and spark plugs, without which your engine wouldn’t work. If your engine ever sounds like it’s struggling, emitting sputtering noises, then your cylinders might be misfiring as a result of faltering spark plugs.

Misfiring can be caused by faulty spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, or an issue with the underlying electrical system. Accelerative power is also reduced, making it difficult to overtake other vehicles. On top of that, your car will start idling roughly, and if multiple spark plugs are failing, your engine could stall altogether.

Non-Starting Engine

If you can’t start your engine one morning, then the problem is most likely electrical in nature. If everything was working smoothly the last time you drove, then your battery is most likely to blame. A dead battery might have failed to charge for one of three primary reasons. Either you left your headlamps on overnight, the alternator wasn’t working, or the battery is on its last legs.

You’ll need to jump-start your car to find out which is to blame. Once restarted, if the engine keeps going, then the alternator is fine. If the problem happens again, then your battery probably needs to be replaced.

Dimming Headlamps

Your headlamps require a steady supply of electricity to maintain maximum brightness. If they start to dim significantly, then either the bulbs are about to die, there’s a problem with the wiring, or there’s a larger underlying electrical issue.

Glitching Accessories

The many electrical accessories in your car include the power steering, automatic windows, air conditioning, windshield wipers, radio, and instrument panel. If one of these accessories falters, then that specific accessory will need to be fixed. But if many of them stop working at once, your alternator or battery is probably to blame.

Burning Plastic Smell

When a bad accessory or loose wiring causes an electrical surge, the plastic insulation of the wiring can sometimes melt. If this happens, you’re likely to smell burning plastic.

How Your BMW Dealer Inspects Your Electrics

While examining your car’s electrical systems, a technician will work their way down a thorough checklist of items. One by one, they’ll look at your battery, starting system, charging system, distribution system, and accessories. By the time they’re finished, they’ll have identified the exact problem and know what repairs need to be done.

Have your vehicle’s electrics inspected and fixed today at Valley Auto World BMW. We’re been proudly serving the BMW drivers of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg since 1964.