Would you leave the doors unlocked in your garage?

[briandwlee]

Would you leave the doors unlocked in your garage to prevent from battery drain?

I heard if the car is left for a long period time locked, batter drains as the car monitors comfort access activity and alarm system as well, and that it's better to leave the door unlocked in garage so the car does not monitor anything.

What would you guys do?

I also heard that it's better to push on/off button one more time after turning off the engine to shut off monitoring activities. Is it the way the car was designed?

Thanks.

[hiren]

As for turning off you should HOLD down the start/stop button to fully shut off the car. Pushing it once will send it to accessory mode and a second time will turn off everything.

[spyderdoc]

I've sat in my 09 X5d with power off, radio off, and key out of ignition (no comfort access). Let me tell you, it is amazing how often it "comes alive" with the start/stop button lighting up, GPS DVD player spooling up and reading disk, then goes to "sleep", only to do the same thing a few minutes later.......It is constantly powering up and down. Now, I haven't sat in it with alarm set, so I can't verify that this does not happen when alarm is set, but I surely can see how the battery may drain if left unlocked for a long period of time......

Therefore, I lock it everytime I get out.....Had it for 13 mos and 13k mi, and no dead battery as of yet......

[briandwlee]

I left the car locked for two weeks without turning on engine, and battery died completely. If this is how the X5 has been designed, it means I cannot leave the car in the airport parking for two weeks. Weird.

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by briandwlee

I left the car locked for two weeks without turning on engine, and battery died completely. If this is how the X5 has been designed, it means I cannot leave the car in the airport parking for two weeks. Weird.

While mine is only a month old, I fear your experience. So, I bought this: 12-Volt 1500 Amp Jump Starter at National Tool Warehouse Credit goes to Penguin. he found and posted the product, I just found it cheaper!

Heading out of town next moth so I'll charge this puppy up and hope that I don't need it. But, with all of the posts about battery issues on the X5, and I do a lot of local trips (often a month without traveling more than a few miles from home each day), this just seemed a worthy insurance...

[Marwan1]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

While mine is only a month old, I fear your experience. So, I bought this: 12-Volt 1500 Amp Jump Starter at National Tool Warehouse Credit goes to Penguin. he found and posted the product, I just found it cheaper!

Heading out of town next moth so I'll charge this puppy up and hope that I don't need it. But, with all of the posts about battery issues on the X, and I do a lot of local trips (often a month without traveling more than a few miles from home each day), this just seemed a worthy insurance...

Here's a jumper that can basically do the same job, but that costs about a third of the one referenced above. Yes, this one is only 300 amps, but it should start any car or SUV, and if that's all one needs it for, there's no reason to pay for more expensive ones.
Amazon.com: Black & Decker VEC010BD Start It 300 Amp Jump Starter: Automotive

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by Marwan1

Here's a jumper that can basically do the same job, but that costs about a third of the one referenced above. Yes, this one is only 300 amps, but it should start any car or SUV, and if that's all one needs it for, there's no reason to pay for more expensive ones.
Amazon.com: Black & Decker VEC010BD Start It 300 Amp Jump Starter: Automotive

Thanks. Penguin and I discussed the 1500 amp vs 1200 amp and I realized there were others with lower amps. I live in Arizona and the excessive heat is known for draining batteries. If batteries drain, so does the power stored in a jumper. Starting with 1500 amps, I have plenty that I can afford to lose and still have enough to start the X. if I start with 300 amps, I risk losing enough that I won't be able to start my car.

If I leave my car at the airport for a week or 2 or 3 (especially in summer) it could be sitting, although shaded, in 110+ temps. @ $125 If I use this jumper once, it pays for itself just in the inconvenience and discomfort of sitting in possibly 110+ temps (probably after a long travel and knowing I still have a 2 hour drive to get home). If I try to save $60 for a cheaper jumper and it doesn't hold enough charge to start a dead X5, I have wasted the money to buy the jumper and I am still stuck sitting outside in 110+ temps waiting for Assist or AAA to arrive. Thanks but penny wise and dollar foolish seems worthy of consideration under these circumstances - at least for me.

[Marwan1]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

Thanks. Penguin and I discussed the 1500 amp vs 1200 amp and I realized there were others with lower amps. I live in Arizona and the excessive heat is known for draining batteries. If batteries drain, so does the power stored in a jumper. Starting with 1500 amps, I have plenty that I can afford to lose and still have enough to start the X. if I start with 300 amps, I risk losing enough that I won't be able to start my car.

If I leave my car at the airport for a week or 2 or 3 (especially in summer) it could be sitting, although shaded, in 110+ temps. @ $125 If I use this jumper once, it pays for itself just in the inconvenience and discomfort of sitting in possibly 110+ temps (probably after a long travel and knowing I still have a 2 hour drive to get home). If I try to save $60 for a cheaper jumper and it doesn't hold enough charge to start a dead X5, I have wasted the money to buy the jumper and I am still stuck sitting outside in 110+ temps waiting for Assist or AAA to arrive. Thanks but penny wise and dollar foolish seems worthy of consideration under these circumstances - at least for me.

I'm with you on this concept. Point well made.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by RedRockin

Thanks. Penguin and I discussed the 1500 amp vs 1200 amp and I realized there were others with lower amps. I live in Arizona and the excessive heat is known for draining batteries. If batteries drain, so does the power stored in a jumper. Starting with 1500 amps, I have plenty that I can afford to lose and still have enough to start the X. if I start with 300 amps, I risk losing enough that I won't be able to start my car.

Precisely and succinctly stated.

Out-of-the-box the ES5000 is overkill compared to many others. However, having purchased a lower amperage cheaper jump starter several years ago, I fund that the battery got weak in about 18 months (charge periodically as specified) and it became worthless. It also never hurts to have some extra power if you need to use it when it is 0 degrees out and the battery power is down, while the starting power required is up.

So this time around I went for a larger capacity jump starter as it will probably last three times as long, giving the same cost per year, and during most of it's life it will have a bigger starting margin.

But I don't really understand how simply telling people what you bought, and why you bought it, should result in any issues. One should just take it for what it is... a recommendation.

[bmwman3241]

I left the X5 (4.8) parked, locked, and untouched for 40 days while on vacation and had no problems with my battery.