Is there any sign of a SIB for Excessive Battery Discharge?

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by emcman

It is a pain when you want to get to work or say at an airport parking lot.

Unfortunately, it appears that this is the only sure answer for those having the problem:

Amazon.com: Clore Automotive ES5000 12 Volt Portable Battery Booster Pack: Automotive

BMW will probably get this figured-out in 3-4 years or so. That's about how long it took them to fix a similar problem on their motorcycles in the early 1990's.

For a while the battery problems on their motorcycles were so bad they were automatically giving a free battery charger with every new motorcycle sold in the U.S. OF course, BMW denied there was any problem, and it was the owner's fault for not riding the bike enough. But, oddly enough, after a few years they stopped with the free battery chargers and there were no more complaints about dead batteries. I guess all of a sudden the US motorcycle riders started riding their bikes more often and on longer trips!

[RedRockin]

Thanks Penguin,
It amazes me that I might have to buy one of these if I want to leave my car at the airport for a week or two. The unit you linked is 1500 peak amps. this one: Amazon.com: Clore Automotive ES2500KE 12 Volt Portable Battery Booster Pack: Automotive is 900. Being mechanignorant, as I am, have to ask: is the 1500 needed or would 900 suffice to get an X5 started?

I was amazed at some of the statements coming out of the mouths of Sales associates during the sales process. Now, to hear service departments making statements like "user error for opening the doors too often with a 100 mile commute"?...

Edit, Penguin, do you know how long those units will hold a charge (weeks, months...?). Thanks again.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

Thanks Penguin,
It amazes me that I might have to buy one of these if I want to leave my car at the airport for a week or two. The unit you linked is 1500 peak amps. this one: Amazon.com: Clore Automotive ES2500KE 12 Volt Portable Battery Booster Pack: Automotive is 900. Being mechanignorant, as I am, have to ask: is the 1500 needed or would 900 suffice to get an X5 started?...

Edit, Penguin, do you know how long those units will hold a charge (weeks, months...?). Thanks again.

The 900 amp would work, but... (a) as the battery in the jumper pack gets older, it will begin to fail. If you start with 1500 amp capacity, it will continue to work as good as the 900 peak amp version when it has lost 40% of its capacity, (b) the battery pack will slowly discharge, particularly if it is kept in a hot vehicle in the Summer. A top-off charge of the jumper pack should be done every 90 days if not used. If you were to forget, then the 1500 peak amp model would still work, even if it was considerably down on a charge, while the 900 might be too low.

For those reasons, I went for the 1500 peak amp, in spite of the extra cost... you cannot have too much capacity, but if you have too little, it defeats the purpose. The only reason I would go for the 900 version would be if I was really short of cash, or if the lower weight and somewhat smaller size of the 900 was important for some reason.


P.S. Having one of these in your vehicle also gives you the opportunity to be a good Samaritan to others, without the necessity of hooking jumper cables to your X5, which I would prefer not to do, in view of the complexity of the X5 electrical system.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Unfortunately, it appears that this is the only sure answer for those having the problem:

Amazon.com: Clore Automotive ES5000 12 Volt Portable Battery Booster Pack: Automotive

BMW will probably get this figured-out in 3-4 years or so. That's about how long it took them to fix a similar problem on their motorcycles in the early 1990's.

For a while the battery problems on their motorcycles were so bad they were automatically giving a free battery charger with every new motorcycle sold in the U.S. OF course, BMW denied there was any problem, and it was the owner's fault for not riding the bike enough. But, oddly enough, after a few years they stopped with the free battery chargers and there were no more complaints about dead batteries. I guess all of a sudden the US motorcycle riders started riding their bikes more often and on longer trips!

The funny thing is, since purchasing my new Lexus GX 460 premium , I haven't had to plug it in once LOL!

Craig

[RedRockin]

Thanks again. If I can pull off an X5, I can manage the extra $40. Of course, these little add-ons do add up more than with other vehicles but thanks for the advice! I don't travel more than a few times each year but if this will save me a major hassle...

[RedRockin]

BTW, haven't had "the problem" but don't want to come back from a trip to a dead battery and have to sit next to my car waiting either...

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

BTW, haven't had "the problem" but don't want to come back from a trip to a dead battery and have to sit next to my car waiting either...

Likewise. I have not had the problem (yet), but I plan to go camping a lot this Summer and can see it happening due to "doors opened and closed to many times between starts," since opening the door seems to wake up the vehicle and start the glow plug.

I might mount one of those CTEK "Comfort Indicator" battery charger cords permanently, so the flashing LED will give me an indication that the battery is getting low before it gets "too dead."

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I might mount one of those CTEK "Comfort Indicator" battery charger cords permanently, so the flashing LED will give me an indication that the battery is getting low before it gets "too dead."

I'd like to know more about this, if you don't mind elaborating - keeping in mind my relative machanignorance I often can go a month without traveling more than 2 miles/trip from my home. If I buy the unit you linked: Amazon.com: Clore Automotive ES5000 12 Volt Portable Battery Booster Pack: Automotive I should be fine (even tho my SA recommended driving 20 or 30 miles at least every 2 weeks).

I cannot help but wonder if this is a problem on all BMWs or exclusive to the X5. Mine is not diesel so I don't have glow plugs. But, I do hear a bunch of stuff kick on whenever I open a door. Mine is also a comparatively low build with only Prem, tech and heated seats as electrical extras. Other X5 (and other models) often have way more electronics. Also find myself wondering if this issue is truly statistically prominent or an occasional glitch we see as forum followers. X5 has certainly suffered reliability ratings drops but then again, Service departments are pretty quick to claim "driver error" for things like opening doors too.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

I'd like to know more about this, if you don't mind elaborating - keeping in mind my relative machanignorance

Check-out page two of this brochure, under "Comfort Indicator."

http://www.ctek.com/PDF/folder_USA_low.pdf

The appropriate LED blinks, sorta like the alarm LED on the mirror, so I don't think it would drain the battery (since the indicator is always "on" if you wire one in.) It's also discussed a bit in the "Battery Charger" thread of the past couple of days. If I added the indicator, I would probably hook it to the jumper terminals/bolts in the engine compartment and route it to be near the grill/hood opening in the front.

[emcman]

Just for information my X5 is a gas 4.8 liter with comfort access, cold package, premium, and premium stereo. I wondered about the comfort access being an issue but now think it is a bad design or construction. I would not trust any car built in SC but have had loaners for weeks on end and have no issue with 1 series, 3 series and 5 series. More than one of each too. Been in two different 5 series since Feb 8th. No reply from BMW NA so now will write to corporate.

Yes I should get an emergency battery and already have a trickle charger but after paying $66,000 for a SUV we should not be having these discussions and the company should be more responsive. Being in service a lot I do notice more X5, X3 and Z4 than anything and all are made in SC. Sometimes I get control message but other times just a dead car that worked fine and had no messages the day before.
How could anyone own one off warranty?

As any of you who have had one die it is a pain. Everything is electronic, transmission, emergency brake, rear hatch. Just push you BMW assist button? Well that is dead too. Like I said before I would never drive out of cell coverage.