my battery died today and end of warranty checklist
 

PART 1:

I missed my tee time this morning because my X5 wouldn't start :(

I guess I could have walked the 1/2 mile to the course. The GF was at the gym :confused:

I have it on a 2 amp charger right now and the battery is at about 62%. It seems to get stuck there for a while and, IIRC, needs to be charged overnight to fix it. One time I called Roadside Assistance and when the flat bed came the service guy had a difficult time getting my X5 to jump start. It took about ten or twelve attempts. This was about two years ago. I tried my cheap-o Sam's club charger's 70 amp mode and the lights in the X5 went crazy but the engine did not turn over, just a few clicking sounds. IIRC, the same thing happened with the flat bed until we got it going.

I am using the terminal in the engine bay and the grounding nut, as described in the manual.

Any tips for determining whether I need a new battery? (see part two on warranty expiration below)

I don't want to mess up the electronics just before it goes out of warranty.

PART 2:

It's an 04 4.4 and its warranty expires at the end of November. My mileage is about 17.8k.

There are a few things I know to get done:

- Change coolant (covered under maintenance 4 years after manufacturing date).

- Annual oil service (I still have four green lights from the last service ;)).

Minor stuff:

- Replace wipers.

- Will they add washer fluid as part of maintenance? It's getting a low but not critical. From what I read in the booklet, they cover this if it is in for service anyway. Don't they use some kind of specially formulated fluid?

Any TSBs or other stuff I should ask about?

Thanks :thumbup:

Update: I started the car after about four hours of 2 amp charging. Now I have an afternoon tee time with my old Wednesday group to make :thumbup:

Should I trust the dealer to determine if the battery is failing with two months left on the warranty?

Any thoughts on the end of warranty stuff in part two of my original post?

Take it to Advanced Auto/ Autozone. They will test the battery/charging system for free. If you need a battery they'll put one in for free if you buy it there.
You'll save a bunch of cash too!

How do you know it's the battery and not a result of bad engine wire harness or alternator? If there is a fault code recorded the dealer can diagnose it...

Thanks for the feedback K. & Z. I will take it to Autozone.

K: I am guessing it is the battery being low because the owner's manual describes what will happen in my situation: drive the car only short distances such as the 1/2 mile trip to the golf course and a few "long" ;) jaunts to the local stores which are a couple of miles away and the battery will slowly lose its charge. It also says that doing this over a long period can damage the battery.