Battery - Deta Douglas Batteries Redesigned
GROUP 61Electrical System
Bulletin Number
61 04 92 (3540)
Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Sept. 1993
Product Engineering
This Service Information bulletin supersedes the orange S.I. 61 04 92 (3540) dated March 1992, which should be removed from your S.I. binder and discarded.
SUBJECT:
Deta-Douglas Batteries
MODELS:
All
Situation:
BMW is cooperating with Douglas Battery Manufacturing, a U.S. based battery manufacturer, to provide BMW original equipment and replacement "spare parts" batteries. The affiliation Deta-Douglas will handle the U.S. distribution of Douglas batteries for spare parts use, with special "direct-to-dealer" programs. The full scale spare parts program is expected to start on the East Coast in 9/93, and for the remainder of the U.S. (including Hawaii) 10/93. Dealers have been provided with complete information concerning the plan in the form of the "Original BMW Batteries Specification, Procedure, and Application Guide."
BMW has phased in the use of Douglas batteries for original equipment (factory installed) batteries on several BMW models starting 5/93. These batteries have been completely redesigned, and offer a number of improvements ideal for use in the U.S. market:
^ Flat plates with wider plate gap
^ A larger reservoir
^ Thicker connections between plates
^ A redesigned lid
Note:
The Douglas battery should provide excellent service for BMW vehicles in the U.S. market. It should be understood, however, that all BMW batteries require maintenance for optimum performance. The Douglas battery is no exception. Refer to S.I. 61 07 88 (1717) for general information on required battery maintenance.
Parts Information:
NOTE
When using Deta-Douglas batteries for replacement of original equipment batteries installed in the engine compartment, the small expansion tank must be discarded and an elbow fitting substituted.
Warranty Information:
Consult the appropriate Service/Warranty Information Booklet for original equipment Battery Warranty Information.
Procedures:
Upon determination of a defect and coverage under warranty, replace the battery, attach a temporary identification tag, store the battery properly following all safety and legal regulations and submit a warranty claim.
Defect Coding:
Refer to the current Defect Code microfiche to determine which failure code best represents the defect. If the FAILED battery was manufactured by Douglas, use "DD" as the vendor code (9th and 10th digit).
Claim Comments:
Please provide a clear and concise description of the defect including cell readings, load test results, and any other pertinent information which lead to the battery replacement.
Further information on this program is contained in the Original BMW Batteries Specification, Procedure and Application Guide.