Battery or gremlins

N

New2Zed

Member
 Wihite Peak, Derbyshire
My short experience of owning a BMW has not filled me with confidence so every little problem I have fills me with dread.
Bought the Z4 2.0i new, purely as a summer car for my wife, last May and it has been laid up in the garage for the last three winter months, being started occasionally but not going on any long runs.
Today, on taking it out for a decent run, an orange warning light of a car on an inspection ramp came up followed by an orange warning light of a battery. Despite this the car started normally.
The handbook says the battery symbol is because the battery has been discharged. The alarm was not set and the car not locked whilst in the garage for the last three months and I would have expected, what is essentially a new, high capacity battery to have coped better.
It looks like it may be necessary to connect it to a battery conditioner whilst it stands idle for any length of time but the only advice in the handbook, if I wish to do this, is that a BMW specific charger, which will not damage the car electronics, is available from the service department.
When using my conditioner/charger on another car I have, that has long periods of none use, I disconnect the battery, but my concern is that if I do this with the Z4 it will trigger all sorts of warnings and engine management lights on re-connection resulting in yet another visit to the dealers.
Anyone any experience of using a charger/conditioner on an E89?
 
I use a maintenance charger on my car (E89) over the winter when the car is laid up. Three months is a long time to leave it.

My charger is just a cheap one but its done the job for many years now. I used it on my previous E85 and that battery is now ten years old.
Do a search on here for battery chargers and you'll get loads of advice.
If you are going to lay it up for the winter, don't start the car until you intend to use it and then get it thoroughly heated through. The filth and water produced at cold start up is horrendous.
I connect my charger to the under bonnet posts leaving everything else connected. I leave the petrol tank brim full and the tyres 5psi over normal. The car is in the garage sheeted over and left alone.

Im sure there will be others who will add to the list but don't despair - just connect the charger and wait 'til the spring!
 
Thanks Ronk, I have an Oxford Optimiser which I bought for my now gone motorbike. I now use it to keep the battery on my Brera happy but I do disconnect things first. Will try it on the Z4 but is it not better and safer to connect to the battery direct rather than the emergency starting posts under the bonnet?
 
I don't and never have done - I leave it all well alone and all switches off.
At spring time, just don't forget to disconnect before taking it out of the garage !
 
Can I just check that whilst 'laid up' you have switched off the auto lights and wipers? These have been known to draw power even when the car is off so usually switching everything to off would be the best. Even though the car has hasn't really gone anywhere how long have you ran it for? Enough to actually have the altenator kick in or not? The clock and timers i.e. For servicing etc continue to tick so this also uses power derived from the battery.

Lastly how warm is the garage? It has got very cold recently and this will also contribute to battery drain. If having it laid up for a significant period of time a trickle charger is always recommended.

Alternatively you could just disconnect the battery to avoid unwanted drain but then you have to reset everything.
 
I think it's worth saying tho, that it would only take 0.035 amps/hr to completely flatten a 75 a/hr battery in three months.
As Angie has said there are all sorts of piddling little things using power and a maintenance charger is the best bet. They also slowly and gently cycle the battery to help prevent sulphate build up.
 
The CTEC conditioners come with two types of connector, one of which is short harness with a pair of eyelets that you leave connected to the battery terminals permanently. The other end has a rubber connector that allows you to hook up to the conditioner as and when required. I will dig out the official BMW guidelines on vehicle storage if you are interested?
 
Thanks Angie4m, just a quick response to the questions you raise.

I am careful that everything is switched off and I don't engage the alarm or central locking whilst the car is locked in the garage.
My garage is integral to my house so doesn't get too cold.
I am happy to disconnect the battery, especially to charge it, and have no problems with re-setting clocks and self closing windows etc and in fact do so with my Brera. I am just concerned that this may throw up all sorts of dashboard lights that only the dealer can turn off.

Anyhow, the latest development is that i have just connected an optimiser to the battery and whilst this does not have a voltmeter it does have a row of five leds which indicate the state of the battery. All but one of these has illuminated suggesting the battery has plenty of charge so I guess the gremlins have struck again.

Oh well, I guess even the Bavarian Motor Works turns out cars on Friday afternoon :(
 
Thanks E89_Gaz,

The CTEC seems to have the same fittings as my Oxford Optimiser and I have just ordered one on-line as my Optimiser is getting a bit long in the tooth.

I don't so much 'lay' the Z4 up for the winter, it just isn't used much but thanks for the offer of the info :thumbsup:
 
ronk said:
Absolutely no need to disconect the battery !
Click to expand...

It's OK Ronk, I have heeded your advice and left the battery connected.
I have connected straight to the battery though as I didn't like the thought of that tiny little ampage or wattage, or whatever it is measured in, struggling up four metres of cabling, with its natural resistance, to get to the battery.
 
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