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      06-17-2013, 12:23 PM   #1
Teutonic
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BMW X1 Stand-by Battery life

I have a question for you guys.

I have washed my X1, give it a polish, some leather treatment and put it in the garage so I can drive my summer car. It's been three weeks since the X1 is sitting in the garage and Saturday afternoon, I decided to wash the garage since the weather was very nice. When I start the X1 the car on the hoist sign appear and then the battery sign appear.
I put the battery to charge with the OEM BMW charger Saturday night and today in the morning (36 hours later) the battery was close to charged since the green LED was blinking but it wasn't full yet.

I don't get it. My Honda was sitting in the garage for 5 months without being started and the battery was top notch. I used to keep my Jaguar for 4-5 months in the garage during the winter, maybe start it for 20 minutes once every 2-3 weeks and never got a problem, what is happening with the X1?
Can the alarm and red nose light suck all the juice from the battery?
It is something abnormal?

A friend use to have a Porsche Cayenne that was draining the battery every night and he need to charge the battery every night to be able to use the car next day. Porsche did not found the trouble ever and kept saying is nothing wrong with it, so he sold the car, never looked back.

Did you guys experienced something similar with your X1?
What is your opinion?
Thanks!
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      06-17-2013, 07:06 PM   #2
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There is nobody in here that didn't start his X1 for three weeks? In a holiday or something? Really?
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      06-17-2013, 07:28 PM   #3
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West coast port delivery is 26 days on the boat...
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      06-17-2013, 07:30 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edx1 View Post
West coast port delivery is 26 days on the boat...
ok, so how is the battery? Do the dealership recharge them? They come without having the alarm set?
It is something normal to lose so much battery juice in 3 weeks or not?
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      06-17-2013, 07:54 PM   #5
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The BMW battery runs down quick and runs when you don't lock the doors. My original battery on my 335 lasted almost 6 years but then I retired and mostly only drive 3-5 miles now which kills the battery. I got a new battery in April and just bought a trickle charger because the dealer told me the battery will never recharge with little driving or short trips. I now keep the trickle charge on all the time or my convertible top won't go up due to battery drain from sitting for days and little driving. Short answer is it can't sit weeks or it will run down and if you don't drive much (2,500 miles a year) it will run down.
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      06-17-2013, 08:32 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky13 View Post
The BMW battery runs down quick and runs when you don't lock the doors. My original battery on my 335 lasted almost 6 years but then I retired and mostly only drive 3-5 miles now which kills the battery. I got a new battery in April and just bought a trickle charger because the dealer told me the battery will never recharge with little driving or short trips. I now keep the trickle charge on all the time or my convertible top won't go up due to battery drain from sitting for days and little driving. Short answer is it can't sit weeks or it will run down and if you don't drive much (2,500 miles a year) it will run down.
Hello Lucky,

The X1 doors were locked so obviously the alarm is set as well (red nose running). I always lock the cars too regardless.

However, my Jag has an LED for the alarm as well and it was sitting even 5 months sometimes without loosing its battery power, Honda has an LED for the alarm as well, it seems odd to me that the X1 loses the power that easy.
My Jaguar, my Honda or my Acura never need a trickle charge or a charger, only Honda, after six years didn't make through the winter but I recharged it in spring and started (keep in mind the temperature is going really clow sometimes, however I have around +7-8 degrees C in the garage in the winter).

I have the OEM BMW trickle charger and I put it Saturday, usually the X1 charged full the battery on one night, but this time it was ON for over 36 hours and the battery was not fully charged which means the battery was really low.
What the heck?

Why the other cars have no problem for months and the X1 gave up in 3 weeks?
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      06-17-2013, 08:56 PM   #7
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Is there a reason that just throwing the trickle charger on there doesn't work? When I leave a car for more than a few weeks, I just consider part of that routine to hook up the trickle charger.

I'd imagine you have some comical flat spotting in the RFTs after a good period of inactivity?
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      06-17-2013, 09:16 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
Is there a reason that just throwing the trickle charger on there doesn't work? When I leave a car for more than a few weeks, I just consider part of that routine to hook up the trickle charger.

I'd imagine you have some comical flat spotting in the RFTs after a good period of inactivity?
Well, what I am trying to find out is why BMW needs this charge? or is my car that has an issue?
Because this is my first car in my life (and I had quite a few) that is almost 2 years old and the battery discharge tremendously in 3 weeks of inactivity, not to mention outside are +22 Celsius!
All the new BMW are like this?

I have no RunFlats anymore, remember? I bought the Conti that are installed on the M wheels.

Back on topic:
Are your cars the same? One of you experienced a similar issue due to few weeks of inactivity? It is normal?
If yes, why? What is sucking the battery juice?
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      06-17-2013, 11:28 PM   #9
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Garage List
BMWs tend to activity between computer modules while the car is off. Most cars don't have such activity and therefore don't need a battery charger.
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      06-18-2013, 05:00 AM   #10
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I left my BMW X1 for about 15 days since I am out of the country, left the keys with my roommate for him to warm it up and I believe there was nothing wrong w the battery
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      06-18-2013, 08:55 AM   #11
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This is interesting. My X1 is only a few months old and I noticed that cold starts in the morning are a little rough - takes a second or two or three to fire up, especially if the car has been sitting inactive through the weekend. I'll be away for almost a month and I'm curious to see if the thing starts up when I get home.
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      06-18-2013, 08:56 AM   #12
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I was out of the country for 3 weeks, started up fine upon return. Only thing was I had to use the remote to unlock it, comfort access didn't work as usual.
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      06-18-2013, 02:31 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danielj View Post
I was out of the country for 3 weeks, started up fine upon return. Only thing was I had to use the remote to unlock it, comfort access didn't work as usual.
Yeah, mine started too except the "low battery " sign showed on my dash and the battery was obviously discharged since it took 36 hours with the trickle charger and even then was not fully charged.
I am not really into that "activity module" explanation, it has no logical explanation from technical point of view, the car should stop any activity while locked. IT is an SAV, you go in the mountains for 3 weeks, come down and surprise, the BMW doesn't start due to some "activity" going on.
Really?

The Run Flat crap does not allow you to run more than let's say 100 km and no spare tire, no jack, NADA, the battery is discharging while the vehicle sits... what the heck?
Is BMW a City vehicle only ? An expensive bad joke?

The Honda was sitting at -45 Celsius outside for two weeks and started at first key without even thinking...
Can I leave my BMW "SAV" AWD ("made for outdoor trips")outside for 2-3 weeks in cold without having a surprise?

From my point of view this is a serious concern, I need to know how if this is normal or not.

Last edited by Teutonic; 06-18-2013 at 02:37 PM..
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      06-18-2013, 03:18 PM   #14
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It's an issue with the BMW batteries, go search the E90 threads. The dealer is the one that told me about the battery drain and need to use a trickle charger. My neighbors friend has a pretty new 6 series that has gone through several batteries because he drives it very little ( like me) and he doesn't use a trickle charger. The dealer replaced one or two but said no more. It's only an issue on cars that sit for long periods or don't get driven 20 minutes or so that the battery needs to recharge. I know I can drive to play golf 25-30 minute drive and its totally charged but the 2-3 mile trips to run, shop etc just drain it.
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      06-18-2013, 03:49 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky13 View Post
It's an issue with the BMW batteries, go search the E90 threads. The dealer is the one that told me about the battery drain and need to use a trickle charger. My neighbors friend has a pretty new 6 series that has gone through several batteries because he drives it very little ( like me) and he doesn't use a trickle charger. The dealer replaced one or two but said no more. It's only an issue on cars that sit for long periods or don't get driven 20 minutes or so that the battery needs to recharge. I know I can drive to play golf 25-30 minute drive and its totally charged but the 2-3 mile trips to run, shop etc just drain it.
The X1 was driven non-stop for over a year, and then I put it to rest for three weeks and the battery is drained.
The Honda is like new, I drive it 2000 km/year because it is a third car that just sits around and the battery never drained. How is that?
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      06-18-2013, 04:03 PM   #16
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I'd guess it's got to do with comfort access, bluetooth and other technology looking for signals that your older cars don't. However my old M Coupe was generally only good for about three weeks before the battery offed itself too.
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      06-18-2013, 04:14 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
I'd guess it's got to do with comfort access, bluetooth and other technology looking for signals that your older cars don't. However my old M Coupe was generally only good for about three weeks before the battery offed itself too.
This is not good anyway. I never heard other manufacturers having a similar problem except my friend with his Cayenne who drove him nuts and sold it few months later.
An article right here
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      06-18-2013, 04:18 PM   #18
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I guess you guys up north have more to deal with, but for me, the ten extra seconds it takes to pop the hood, find the release and connect a trickle charger already sitting on the counter just don't seem like a big deal.

Or you could, you know, just drive it every once in a while.
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      06-18-2013, 04:24 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
I guess you guys up north have more to deal with, but for me, the ten extra seconds it takes to pop the hood, find the release and connect a trickle charger already sitting on the counter just don't seem like a big deal.

Or you could, you know, just drive it every once in a while.
Your right, I got it down to about 10 seconds as well. If you don't do it the comfort access is about the first thing to go. I can stand at the door and it won't work and my convertible top won't close unless I give it a slight lift when it's lready open. Pretty sure they all use the same battery. We've never has an issue with our X1 because it gets driven a lot.
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      06-18-2013, 04:29 PM   #20
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How about disconnecting the battery for long term parking? Does the car require constant battery connection?
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      06-18-2013, 04:45 PM   #21
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Well, I don't know about you guys, but for me, when you pay lots of money for a car you should enjoy it not have one task more in plus.
Can I plug it for 10 seconds? Sure. But I don't want to.
This is the reason I don't like the smartphones one more task at the end of the day, to charge the phone, or worse, to not have power when I need it!
Terrible.

Same with the car. Now I learn that BMW has a problem. "Comfort access", "Whatever package", the vehicle should stop any activity when I lock the doors. PERIOD!

If this is the BMW, and when I am coming down from the mountain I have no power, I will say thank you, have a good day!

I don't know about you, but this is absolutely a big issue for me, it is the principle, I just don't need an expensive car that doesn't have a spare, and the battery does not last. I mean what the heck? An they have the guts to call it an "adventure vehicle"? Yeah, right, you will get some adventure alright especially at -45 when you might really rely on that car.

Wow, I am jus speechless.
Now, I will think twice about my next bimmer. Maybe I will pass...
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      06-18-2013, 04:45 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kbass View Post
How about disconnecting the battery for long term parking? Does the car require constant battery connection?
The way the batteries are buried on BMW's these days I'd rather just keep a trickle charger on it.

FWIW, my Evo X was supposed to have similar battery drain issues, and a number of fellow owners dealt with it, although my car never missed a beat, including just over three weeks sat in an open airport parking lot in the middle of winter.

Like most others here, I just ensure the my cars are hooked up to a trickle charger if I'm going to leave them for periods of two weeks or more without use. Is it ideal?...no. Is it manageable?....I think so.
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