Parking the x5 for an extended period

[Armand]

I'll be going away for four weeks and am wondering if I should do anything in particular to prevent potential problems when I get back - battery drain etc... I recall a thread on this but can no longer find it. It's a '10 35d and no prior issues with battery drain. It will be parked in the garage for the whole time. Many thanks in advance.

[Thunder22]

throw a battery tender on the battery and you should be fine. Other than that I wouldn't worry about it.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Thunder22

throw a battery tender on the battery and you should be fine. Other than that I wouldn't worry about it.

Yup, and be sure you get a Battery Tender or similar intelligent battery charger,,, not a cheap uncontrolled trickle charger.

FWIW, BMW recommends it be attached to the terminals under the hood, not directly to the battery.

[ard]

Plus you'll want to drain the tranny and diff when you return, flush the coolant and brakes- jack it up and put it on jackstands to prevent flatspotting of the tires.

A

Edit. Oh, 4 weeks? Thought you said 4 years.....




(kidding)

[bimmer_buachaill]

I would just lock & forget for 4 weeks. If it's a regular thing, add the BMW smart trickle charger that connects via the cigarette lighter (can't get any easier than that).

[sic06]

Battery charger for sure. Mine went dead after 2 weeks, about a month ago. Other then that you should be good.

[motordavid]

Agree with all on the Batt Tender; and, if you don't want it "going" for 4 weeks,
(though I wouldn't blink), I hook a cheapazz mechanical appliance timer, at the
wall socket, so my Tender comes on 1-2 times a week for 24 hrs.

The Tender's alligator clips go on easily, under hood, and the pigtail tucks in to
allow for hood nearly closed, tightly.

I've left cars for 5 months at a time for the past several seasons, hooked up,
and it has been problem free.
GL, mD

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by bimmer_buachaill

I would just lock & forget for 4 weeks. If it's a regular thing, add the BMW smart trickle charger that connects via the cigarette lighter (can't get any easier than that).

Except that your cannot use a battery charger via the cigarette lighter on an E70, since the cigarette light goes dead when the vehicle is off without the key.

[Marwan1]

FWIW, I left my 2010 X5d (with no prior battery issues) in an uncovered parking spot at the airport for three weeks in June. Came back and it started from the first try with no problems whatsoever. I did remember to press the start button twice when I turned it off though, just to make sure EVERYTHING is really turned off, not just the engine.

Now that I've read the above posts, however, I'm thinking maybe I got lucky. So, guys, any recommendations for a specific battery tender that you've used and liked would be appreciated. Thanks.

[motordavid]

Although I use, and pitch using a "battery tender", I used to park my "co car" at EWR, LGA or JFK, for weeks, and they always started, too.
Admittedly, they were domestic, low tech beasts, (but basically "free), and did not have the electronics and gizmos that BMWs have.
But, they always started...

Some battery maintenance products:
Battery Tender Plus - Batterytender.com

Battery Tender Plus...I see them for ~ < $50 bucks, all over the net.
Be sure to get the alligator clip part.

One raved about recently, here on the Board, though I have
no experience using this model:
MULTI US 3300 - CTEK SWEDEN AB

Happy shopping...
GL, mD