Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig
It was -4 here the other day, mine ran a little rough until the engine warmed up. One of the worst things, the X5 does not have a temp. gauge.
The dealer and BMW both told me to keep mine on a battery tender. BMW said I need to drive it on the highway in order to keep the battery charged. I find it unacceptable, but have taken their advice...
Craig
|
Craig, your dealer is mistaken and probably knows nothing about what chemical reactions take place within a battery.
Keep your RPMs above 1k for over 10 minutes per day, and you'll be fine. If you're at idle or not above 1k for more than 10 mins. per day, maybe consider the battery tender.
Most modern vehicles cycle their alternators on and off at specific RPM ranges to lessen the load on their engines, creating smoother idle performance.
I have no idea what BMWs set their alternator to start at, but specifically driving on the freeway, is no different to the battery than idling the car at 2k rpms in the driveway for 10 mins.
The issue at hand is the amount of time spent driving the vehicle at a speed in which the alternator is charging the battery; that's it.
Find a new service advisor...