Battery Drain

[Smeeagain]

Hoping someone can help here.

I have 2004 E53 X5 3.0 D Sport

I've had issues in the past with dodgy battery and the starter pulling too much power so last year both were replaced and a Bosch Silver S5 battery installed.

I have just come back from holiday to find a completely dead battery - no ignition light, not even remote control working. Flattest I've ever seen. I checked before I left that everything was off, no interior lights etc.
I did not disconnect the battery nor attach a trickle charger/battery charger as I was curious to see how the S5 would perform when i returned as I've read many battery drain posts in the past.

The only thing that was 'on' , to my knowledge, was the alarm.

I believe the battery to have been fully charged before I travelled as I had driven it for ten hours on motorways the day prior to leaving.

I tired to connect my charger to the charging points under the bonnet but as the voltage was so low as it started to pick up power the lights and alarm were going on and off all over the place and couldn't really leave it like that while it charged up. Anyway the AA man duly pitched up - he couldn't get into the boot to access the battery direct (not enough power to open the tailgate) so he jump started off the charging points and hey presto.

He did some tests and declared the battery to be fine and once it was full charged up he continued with some tests. he has made the point that five minutes after everything has been shut down that the battery is still be drained by 1.5 amps and that is his opinion that was too much ans something hasn't shut down properly. he felt that that might be enough to drain it fully after 3 weeks.

So i need to take it to an auto electrician or BMW/local Indy etc to ascertain the source (and indeed confirm if 1.5 amps is 'too much').

Does anyone know what the acceptable drain should be after everything is shut down with just the alarm on?

Smee

[Raj]

1.5 is certainly quite a lot. I think mine was something like 0.05ish afetr the resolution of my electrical issues.

Full sleep mode I think is something like 20-30 minutes after shutoff???

[Smeeagain]

just read another  post that say full shutdown took 16 mins and draws 0.06amp

How do I know when 'full shutdown' has taken place?

How do i go about testing this myself - where/what equipment/how etc?

Thanks

Smee

[X5Sport]

See Post #2 here with one amendment......do not lift the battery -ve lead off the battery until the car has gone into 'Sleep mode'.  This reduces the maximum DC current 'range' required initially.

You do need a decent Multimeter with a good DC current range (at LEAST 20A plus, you can wind down from the highest range as you go) ammeter beforehand, so if you don't have, or want to buy one, or have someone with the right capability meter then best leave it to a Specialist. Decent meters are not cheap.  The minimum scale range required should be 100mA as the car should draw anywhere below 130mA (0.130A), and 60mA (0.06A) is good.

Whatever you do, DO NOT crank the starter!!  In this mode your meter will most likely melt, and don't switch anything on either.  You need to work from 'Sleep' mode, assuming it will go to sleep, and pull fuses.  If the car 'wakes up, then you'll have to start again.  I have been told that once pulled, you don't put the fuse back as this may 'wake' the car, but I don't know how 'good' that advice is.....it did not come from a BMW Tech, more a Vauxhall Tech... :-[

Take a picture of the fuse Board 'intact' so you know what colour went where!!  And note each one as you go too.  Of course you may get thoroughly p!ssed off doing this and hand it to someone else - BMW or good Indy.

BMW may be able to identify which circuit, an Auto Electrical Specialist with access to the BMW tools may also be able to help.  When mine was doing this, the Siemens built-in phone kept waking up, and that in turn woke the car up.  It was re-programmed to shut off after 10 mins and that solved the current draw.  It won't help if you don't have that...sorry.....but that's the sort of playing around that may be required..

A battery should last a month in the car.  I came back from holiday twice to this 'challenge', so I know how hacked off you probably were. >:(

Richard

[Smeeagain]

Thanks for this. I wasn't too hacked off as i was half expecting it and didn't need the car the day after getting home from a ten hour flight (nor had I left it at the airport fortunately). Interesting that you say it shoudl last a month - as it happens I had left it unattended for 25 days in total.

How do I know when the car has fully shut down - only by taking the readings?

Smee

[jaynana]

[quote="smeeagain"]
Anyway the AA man duly pitched up - he couldn't get into the boot to access the battery direct (not enough power to open the tailgate) so he jump started off the charging points and hey presto.

[/quote]

guess its too late for you but if anybody else ends up in teh same situation, there's a small catch in the upper boot lid,  inside the boot, on the driver side to manually open the boot lid.

[scooby1doo1]

Not 100% sure with out looking but I think mines green, a little plastic type stick.


Sent from the Iphone via talktapa

[X5Sport]

[quote="smeeagain"]
How do I know when the car has fully shut down - only by taking the readings?

Smee
[/quote]
The 'tell tale' LED on the 'P' should go out at that point.

One month is the recommended 'recharge time' for cars standing in BMW showrooms....or it was about 7 years ago.

[Smeeagain]

ok so I was close to a month so maybe i was just unlucky

Aside of tracking the drain, future solutions for long periods of inactivity are disconeect the battery or attach my CTEK trickle charger whilst away

Has anyone ever used one of these - any good? http://www.amazon.co.uk/SOLAR-POWER-BAT ... 939&sr=8-1

Smee

[Smeeagain]

no takers?

[Raj]

[quote="smeeagain"]
no takers?
[/quote]

Hadn't come across one before. Will it really generate enough electricity to charge the battery?

[RiDDO]

My 2001 4.4 used to eat batteries! Around every 9 months. A nice man from BMW used to bring me a free one, cos my car initially was under warranty, latterly ( I extended my new car warranty) and the nice man came and fitted batteries too. Apparently it was because the car didn't shut down all its cpu's properly!

[Smeeagain]

I guess with the solar powered chargers you're not necessarily using them to give a full charge just more of a trickle charge to overcome any power drains ?
Smee

[jaynana]

[quote="RiDDO"]
My 2001 4.4 used to eat batteries! Around every 9 months. A nice man from BMW used to bring me a free one, cos my car initially was under warranty, latterly ( I extended my new car warranty) and the nice man came and fitted batteries too. Apparently it was because the car didn't shut down all its cpu's properly!
[/quote]

nice men with a nice approach - keep changing batteries instead of sorting out the root cause  )

[jonnyivy]

Instead of starting a new thread, I'll just post on here if its okay.
I've had same problem for a few months now with battery drain on my own 2003 X5 diesel.
Its going into BMW dealers in Carlisle tomorrow  for a service and they will look to see if they can trace where the drain might be.
NOW,....this morning when I went out to work there was a sharp frost. All the cars in our street had rock-hard ice all over every window. My X5 was sitting covered in ice too,....except for about 6 inches of window at the top of the rear screen !! This was more like condensation, and when I took my finger across the top of the window it was wet (all else was hard frozen ) This was just under the little roof spoiler. I'm wondering if something was shorting out and getting a little current up to the rear screen de-froster ???
Hope the BMW guys can trace if thats where the problem is.
On a side note,...when I phoned to book the appointment and told them about the battery,...he said they have had many complains about X5's draining batteries when you are more or less just town-driving and the school run.

Jonny