13 deisel and battery charging..worry?

[triodesteve]

I'm looking remotely at a 2013 X5 diesel. Still under warranty. The carafax shows that 4 times while it has been in for service the battery was charged.
Is that a thing? Does the battery normally need charging in a diesel X5 or is it a sign of a problem?

Thanks,
Steve

[wfwright2]

Originally Posted by triodesteve

I'm looking remotely at a 2013 X5 diesel. Still under warranty. The carafax shows that 4 times while it has been in for service the battery was charged.
Is that a thing? Does the battery normally need charging in a diesel X5 or is it a sign of a problem?

Thanks,
Steve

Usually a sign of not enough use, or a lot of short trips with all of the electrical accessories in use. These things try to control charge to maximize fuel economy and have a tendency not to fully charge the battery under light use.

Sent from my SM-T337V using Tapatalk

[triodesteve]

[QUOTE=wfwright2;1111308]Usually a sign of not enough use, or a lot of short trips with all of the electrical accessories in use. These things try to control charge to maximize fuel economy and have a tendency not to fully charge the battery under light use.


Thanks for the reply...thats what I figured.

[wfwright2]

Do get a pre-purchase inspection by a knowledgeable independant bmw mechanic. These things are complex and can hide other problems until you use it on a daily basis.

[triodesteve]

Originally Posted by wfwright2

Do get a pre-purchase inspection by a knowledgeable independant bmw mechanic. These things are complex and can hide other problems until you use it on a daily basis.

I've always done this in the past. I've passed on a few. This one is under warranty for a bit which helps. Thanks for your help.

[ard]

4 batteries in 4 years?!?

This does not sounds like a run of the mill 'doesn't get driven enough'...

Hard to say, but a parasitic drain from a module, door lock, etc, could drain the battery every night- the next day it is charged- but this drain/charge/drain/charge leads to a dead battery quickly.

It is diagnosable, just a PITA. Not a lethal condition.

FWIW...

[triodesteve]

Originally Posted by wfwright2

Do get a pre-purchase inspection by a knowledgeable independant bmw mechanic. These things are complex and can hide other problems until you use it on a daily basis.

I need an independent to inspect a 35d in Atlanta....I'd swear there used to be a list of independents on this site. Now I can't find it...Am I imaging it?

Thanks
Steve

[wfwright2]

Not from this site, but linked list from bimmer's

https://www.bimmershops.com/search?q=Atlanta%2C%20GA%20

[triodesteve]

Thanks.

[ard]

Originally Posted by triodesteve

I'm looking remotely at a 2013 X5 diesel. Still under warranty. The carafax shows that 4 times while it has been in for service the battery was charged.
Is that a thing? Does the battery normally need charging in a diesel X5 or is it a sign of a problem?

Thanks,
Steve

Sorry, just read this again and now see CHARGED not CHANGED

Very often a car will automatically be attached to a charger when the tech is doing work on the car. It is surprising to read you have found maintenance records that even LIST 'charging'. I am assuming you are looking at carfax or similar? These are almost useless as they totally rely on what the dealer/service center enters into their system. It is NOT a snapshot of the read "BMW Records".

Can't help with ATL shops. Try searching for "Atlanta" and "Indy" or "shop". Also look over on Bimmerfest.

GL!