Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK
All other electrics are protected by fuses, so if there's physical damage to another component which would cause a short, its fuse protected so the fuse blows.
HOWEVER: the alternator and starter are NOT!
So physical damage to those causing a short would start a fire or battery explosion. Thats the reason for this device, so its function makes perfect sense from an engineering pov.
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Point very well taken, and as an EE I'm embarrassed that it didn't cross my mind. Regardless, I'm pissed off that it went without provocation, and that a replacement is going to cost me a fortune. I agree that I won't screw around with trying to bypass it.
I have asked the mechanic to test the alternator. I am concerned that blowing this thing may be because of a failing other component. I did change the battery out last year.
Can anyone confirm: there is no "coding" required on these vehicles if the battery is changed? I'm pretty sure I researched that issue to death before switching out the battery, but I want to ensure that the battery isn't being overcharged or something which could have cause this thing to blow.
UPDATE: I have ordered PN 61127841239 from the local BMW dealership through the mechanic. $318 CAD+tax. Mechanic tells me that it calls for 2h of labor. Apparently you need to lift the car up and unbolt a bunch of frame bolts to get to the bloody nut that holds the positive terminal to the floor of the vehicle.
I want to have the codes scanned first in case there is something there that may indicate why the bloody thing fired in the first place.
UPDATE 2: I brought the car home because the parts need to come from Germany and will take over a week. I can confirm 100% that the BST (sometimes referred to as SBK - Safety Battery Terminal) has deployed. Manually reassembling it allowed the car to start like normal, with only the airbag light on as expected since the BST module is toast. I drove the car home on a booster.