Battery life when car unused for 1-2 week+

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Nick1526

Member
I'm very aware that currently I'm leaving my 2011 Z4 23i (quite often since January) for up to 2 weeks without using it. Then doing one medium-long trip and leaving it again.

I put a new battery in the car in July 2018 so that's all good. It's never failed to start but it has got to a point where the side mirrors didn't auto unfold when I unlocked it once.

I know there is no precise answer and a lot of variables but in your own experience how long have you left your Z4 before it ran flat and how far have you pushed it with it still starting etc.

I have my alarm enabled and no idrive. I would think the battery has a good charge after I have used it etc. It's outside weather mostly cold (UK).

I'm not able to disconnect the battery and obviously using the car more would solve all my concerns haha.

Any anecdotal experience appreciated.

Edit: Thanks for the answers so far. A few mentions of solar chargers. Not sure how well that would work in the weak sunlight but a good idea. I imagine it just trickles away charging over time so probably quite effective to top up the battery. I will look into them.
 
I haven’t had any issues leaving my car for a week at a time. Anything longer and I use a trickle charger. :thumbsup:
 
+1, haven’t had any problems with leaving it for 1-2 weeks. The longest it’s been left with no charger is 3 weeks on an old battery and it started first time With no hesitation. I’ve recently invested in a solar powered trickle charger that plugs into the cig socket, not sure if your e89’s cigarette socket will be live all the time but obd and croc clip versions are also around.

What you want to avoid is the up down cycle leaving it as it is for a week / two weeks as it will shorten its life.
 
My ///M, with tracker fitted, last around 10 day to two weeks. Temperature makes a difference. If I forget to put it on charge, then happily the tracker pages me, to warn me to do so. :)

Interestingly, my son's MK2 mx5, sat outside on the drive, last far longer, on it's knackered old battery, no tracker draining the battery on that one. :wink:
 
I often left/leave my E86s parked for 1 or 2 weeks and they were both fine, although after having an issue with my E91 battery in January I have invested in a solar charger (no mains power where I park sadly).

Then again we left my 57 plate E87 and the OH's 56 plate R56 Mini on the drive for 5 weeks in 2010 while we were on holiday in OZ and they both started just fine!

I think you'd only have a possible issue if the battery was getting tired, but it obviously isn't!
 
I think the easiest thing to do, is to pick yourself up one of those portal car battery starter packs. Its always handy to have you wont really have to worry too much, and also itl allow you to buy additional add ons such as a portable air pump etc etc. Its just a glorified battery pack for cars.

That should keep you at ease to be fair
 
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