Xoutpost.com - Won't be driving for 30 days or so.

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Won't be driving for 30 days or so.

I'll not be driving my car for about a month or so...I will be out of town. My battery is about 10 months old. I replaced it last april. I was wondering, Is it ok to have my car sit for 30 days or so? I have a 2001 3.0i sport package. Do I need to unhook the battery? (to prevent a dead battery) Is that going to affect anything if its unhooked for 30 days? What are the potential problems that could arise for letting my car sit for 30 days? I can't imagine many issues coming from this but I want to be sure. Thanks.

you should be fine, we let our m3 sit in the garage for 3 months with just a cover on it... started up fine.

Anybody else have any thoughts? I've heard horror stories about people leaving their X5's untouched for a week or two, and the car not starting and then them getting a new battery and the car not starting a few days later after the new battery has been installed..

Imo, that 30 days is a crap shoot, totally dependent upon the
real state of charge in your current battery...but, worth a shot.

I would not disconnect it, if it were mine.

A new batt., if needed in a month, does not/should not cause
any problems.

No chance to hook up a Battery Tender or low amp charger?
GL,mD

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid

Yeah, I agree..I just want to be sure. Will unhooking it for a month cause any problems?

I would just leave it; I often left my '03 3.0 in airport parking lots for 3+ weeks. If you have any aftermarket accessories installed (radar detector, phone charger, etc) then those are what I would disconnect, not the battery.

When I left various sports cars parked for three months, I used a battery tender.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Alright..sounds like I got enough input..Thanks a million..I will most likely just leave it then!

A starting battery does not go from a state of discharge to full charge very well. If the battery does reduce to a low level of charge it will have a reduced life and capacity, your best bet would be a battery tender.

While sitting, if you have a locking garage (I would imagine you do), I would not lock the car. Thereby leaving the alarm off - and drawing less power.

Stabil in your gas tank is also your friend

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eurosport

Stabil in your gas tank is also your friend

Whats Stabil?

Quote:

Originally Posted by primetime

Whats Stabil?

http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/index.htm

IMHO, you MAY be ok with the 30 day sit, but I've always used the BMW battery charger for idle periods of over 2 weeks - the X5 is an electrical hog as the computer is always monitoring everything, especially if the a/c is setup for autoventing - if the battery fails then startup is a real chore

If an X sits for two weeks, how long a drive does it usually take to rejuice the battery to full?

did you have any problems?in the future get one of these may help out:

Solar-Powered 12V 1W Battery Trickle Charger

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Product Features

Keep your battery topped up with solar power, even if the weather is overcast or dull
Interchangeable connectors: cigarette lighter plug and crocodile clips
Durable ABS outer casing
Built-in diode prevents reverse charging
Suction cups for easy mounting
Ideal for cars, caravans, boats etc

Designed to trickle charge 12V lead acid batteries with no additional running costs. Ideal for cars that will be left standing for long periods, as well as for maintaining batteries in caravans and boats. The built-in blocking diode prevents reverse charging from the battery to the solar panel at night.
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Technical Specification

Technical specifications: Peak output power:1W Voltage (@max. power):17.5V Open circuit voltage:21V Short circuit current:90mA Tested under standard condition: AM1.5, 100mW/100cm² @25° Cigarette lighter plug fuse rating:0.5A Cable length:2.7m (9ft) Dimensions:354mm (l) x 100mm (w) x 14mm (d) Weight:500g

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Frequently Asked Questions
Q- Not a question, an answer for someone who was querying if these items will charge a 6 volt bettery. Yes they will, I have used one succesfully (1.5watt) on my old 2CV 6v battery. As they are current limiting (short circuit), they are self-protecting. - Paul Hope
Answer- Thanks for the feedback.
Q- Can this be used on bmws? - demetri
Answer- Yes the product does support that.
Q- is this product suitable for charging caravan batteries whilst the caravan is in storage. - Ian Halley
Answer- Yes the product does support that.
Q- As the panel charges my battery, can I use it at the same time? - Thomas
Answer- yes you can (although for it to be effective it is recommended that the device you use does not consume more power than the panel is outputting to the battery).
Q- Does it charge gel cell batterys - M Dowsett
Answer- No sorry this product does not support that.
Q- This unit works great charging up my 20 amp 12volt lead acid battery and was a great buy!! :-) - Victor
Answer- thank you very much for the feedback
Q- Will the unit be effective through the windscreen, if placed on the dashboard of a car. - Jim Smale
Answer- Yes it will.
Q- I intend to use this for my boat.It will be exposed to rain, wind and salt water. Can it resist all these elements. - cammy
Answer- The item is not going to be suitable for exposure to salt water i am afraid.
Q- i see its not resistant to salt water but what about rain? - Rich
Answer- the item is ok for use in light showers but in heavy rain etc the item would need to be taken indoors.
Q- hi will this charger cut out when the battery is fully charged and is there a warning light to tell you so. richard. - richard
Answer- No, with such a low wattage it is not neccessa

I use a battery maintainer on my Boxster and recommend it for anything over a week. I plug my almost 6 year old battery in every time I park the car in the garage unless I know I'm going back out.

It is not so much whether the car will start after X number of days. It is everything about battery life. And as has been said, these vehicles are electrical hogs.

Batteries hate the discharge/charge cycle. The more recharge required the less life.

BMW could have made the maintainer easier to use had they left the lighter plug "hot" with the ignition off.

I agree on the batt maintenance; Battery Tender, or a solar gizmo, anything is
better than not using one, unless you are driving it nearly every day and, at
highway speeds for some time. Cars today of any brand, are not my '52 Ford
flathead V8 I had way back, or even your old man's cars from the '70s/'80s.
GL,mD

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70Sixter (Post 656533)

I use a battery maintainer on my Boxster and

BMW could have made the maintainer easier to use had they left the lighter plug "hot" with the ignition off.

ta for replies

Anyone know if this dc ports in BMW's are live "hot" even when the car ignition is off? I am sure i have read posts that they are live and advice not to leave gadgets plugged in like mp3tuners etc as devices will stay on and drain battery.

I plan to use a solar charge to keep the batt topped up when car is not driven....any advice would be great...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70Sixter (Post 656533)

Ok dug up some of my earlier posts re leaving mp3 s etc plugged in and the dc sockets are live according to many:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ition-off.html