Advice for a colleague - starting/battery problems.

[havoc]

Car is a 2003 BMW MINI Cooper S convertible.

They went on hols for 2 weeks, came back to a flat battery (not new battery, but not ancient). Call breakdown cover, car jump-started and driven around for 10-15 mins.

Next morning won't start - call breakdown again, diagnose dead battery.

Replace battery. Two days later car won't start. Call breakdown again, jump-start again. Drive around (still dark, so lights on etc.), come back, as she's pulling onto the drive the EPS fails (!!!*).

Goes into BMW, who diagnose the problem as the Parrot bluetooth kit that the company had fitted to her car. BMW recharge battery and leave it for Parrot installer to come and remove kit. 2 days later when Parrot chap turns up the battery is dead** (car not used in the interim).

So BMW are now saying it's a duff battery (npt a BMW battery fitted). Parrot are refusing to touch it as they don't think it's their kit. And she's without a car (no courtesy car either).


Any suggestions - it's got an OE alarm system (is that factory-fit or dealer-fit?), and the standard MINI sound-system (is there an amp?). Otherwise I'm stuck - unless it genuinely is two problem batteries in a row...

Thanks,

Martin.



* I thought 'alternator' at this point.

** OK, so probably not alternator!