[X5plug-in]

Does anyone know if solar 12volt 1.5w trickle charging to the power socket in the boot works? If so, will it work all the time the charger picks up light, only whilst the car electrics are live (around the first 15mins after switching off the engine?) or only when the ignition is on? My dealer reports I have a low battery voltage due to only making short trips with all my gizmos on and Maplin are selling these at £9.99 at the moment. Thanks.

[VikingOne]

I was wondering about this also, the official BMW battery tender says it feeds via the boot power socket.

[Dukat]

You cant charge through outlets because once the car shuts off, the circuits are disconnected after a timeout (approximately 15 minutes).

[VikingOne]

Originally Posted by Dukat

You cant charge through outlets because once the car shuts off, the circuits are disconnected after a timeout (approximately 15 minutes).

The official BMW Battery charger shows a power socket connector, does this mean you need to leave the electrics enabled in order to charge?

[X5plug-in]

Thanks Dukat. However, for repeated stop start driving these 15 min periods might overlap, so in effect trickle charge could still be useful? I guess the clue is in the name tho - trickling takes time. And of course trickling would work during driving I presume? Also, does anyone know if the circuits that disconnect after 15mins only reconnect if the ignition button is pressed or would unlocking the car or opening a door trigger another 15 min of live time?

I got the impression the low voltage issue was generating a number of complaints, as functions such as the clock or even door locks stopped working to allow a reserve to be maintained to enable stop / start. A bit disappointing if so. Further advice was to brake more often rather than glide to a stop, although this defeats the point of ED technology. First time I have been accused of driving too gently / efficiently!

[X5plug-in]

Oh and how would you leave the electrics enabled and would that not consume more power than trickled in anyway?

[VikingOne]

Originally Posted by VikingOne

The official BMW Battery charger shows a power socket connector, does this mean you need to leave the electrics enabled in order to charge?

Battery conditioner:

[Dukat]

Originally Posted by X3buyerScotland

Oh and how would you leave the electrics enabled and would that not consume more power than trickled in anyway?

My understanding is even if you leave the car in the power on mode (but no engine running), it will automatically turn off after the timeout period, or if you have comfort access, when you lock the doors from the outside.

I bought a CTek charger. If you look at the photo, it comes with a lead you can screw into your battery terminals making it each to charge as all you need to do then is open the hood and snap in the charger (no alligator clips required). I think some of the Battery Tender models come with a similar quick connect.

I don't know if having a lower power solar trickle charger plugged in while driving will do much as you're already getting power through the torque converter in between certain gear changes, regenerative braking and when the alternator turns on.

There was a recent thread where someone got an adapter for the code reader port under the steering column that is always live and jury rigged it for a charger.

From what I've read, the battery shouldn't have a problem if you drive it regularly. It should only get low if you drive it very little, not at all or run devices like the radio a lot when the engine isn't running.

If you drive regularly and it is constantly running low the battery may be defective or the wiring or one of the car devices could be faulty and draining more power than normal.

[Dukat]

Originally Posted by VikingOne

Battery conditioner:

That's a re-branded CTEK charger that they'll charge more for. Search Amazon for CTek battery charger and save some money.

[sfax]

More importantly you need the sun for solar power to work and you're in Scotland!

[X5plug-in]

Very sunny here today Sfax. We have more hours of sun that most of Uk actually - look it up buddy!

Driving had been a 6 mike commute so not many miles.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by X3buyerScotland

Very sunny here today Sfax. We have more hours of sun that most of Uk actually - look it up buddy!

Driving had been a 6 mike commute so not many miles.

Haha, I know it can be nice and sunny up there. Very picturesque too. Done some walking in your hills

I wouldn't bother with trickle charging unless you don't use the car at all for a long period. Or get one if it becomes a problem

[X5plug-in]

Noted. Dealer says it is a problem in my case and is asking HQ to advise. Looks like a direct connect to the battery is needed tho, if the power socket cease to be live, which would be a major pain.

[02420X3]

There's a recent thread on this. The "cigarette lighter"-style sockets will be disabled within fifteen minutes of the X3 being turned off. Bill S has found a solar trickle charger that works through the OBD-II connection. Lotus 7 has verified that the OBD-II socket stays active.

Seehttp://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=534338 The link to the Solar OBD-II charger is on page 3 of the thread.

[AJWilson]

I have the CTEK battery conditioner it is exactly the same as the BMW one but without the badge and £30 cheaper.
I used to leave it connected to the terminals under the bonnet for up to 3 weeks at a time. It works a treat, well worth the money.

[X5plug-in]

So the solar proposal I made is no use for the X3 unless hard wired to the data bus port (ugly!) or through the front bulkhead to under the bonnet (difficult?). What I need is the CTEK smart charger or similar hard wired into the under bonnet terminals and a mains power supply. As the car would not be secure like this, hopefully I could close the bonnet if there is room? Or maybe the cable could exit somewhere safely?

[Beyu]

Originally Posted by X3buyerScotland

Also, does anyone know if the circuits that disconnect after 15mins only reconnect if the ignition button is pressed or would unlocking the car or opening a door trigger another 15 min of live time?

I haven't tried trickle charging but I believe the socket in the boot stays on for a specific amount of time (15 minutes maybe) and restarts the 15 mins or so cycle when you start the ignition in addition to opening the doors.

I base my assumption that there's a cycle on my experience while charging my phone. So I was charging my phone in the boot yesterday during class and was gone for about an hour or so. I came back, unlocking the doors w/ the key fob and the fan built into my car lighter power adapter was audible even before I opened the tailgate. When I took a look at my phone I saw that it only charged about 10-15%, much lower than the if I were to plug it into a wall socket so the car must have switched off after a certain amount of time.

If you're away from home and if you want to X3BS, I guess you could restart the 15 minute cycle by just unlocking and re-locking your doors assuming you're close enough to the car, if not then it might be easier to just purchase the trickle charger that Lotus has.

[X5plug-in]

Thanks for the evidence. Going to see if the 1 hour daily solar session (which should be typically 2x15min commutes + 2x15min live after park locking) make any difference.

I wonder how much juice it takes to lock and unlock the car and how this compares to the feed from a 15min 1.5watt trickle solar charge?

Why did they just not make the sun roof cover a solar panel? Would have been so cool (I can see Lotus installig the panels tonight!).

[cooldude00]

i have the ctek charger with the optional cigarette lighter adaptor for my Cayman... it doesn't work though using the cigarette lighter (doesn't show full charge even after 24 hours) though it's recommended by Porsche (same Ctek rebranded).. so i'm charging from the battery in the bonnet instead..

wonder if it's the same issue here?

it's deffo worth the money... had the same for my z4 previously

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by X3buyerScotland

Thanks for the evidence. Going to see if the 1 hour daily solar session (which should be typically 2x15min commutes + 2x15min live after park locking) make any difference.

I wonder how much juice it takes to lock and unlock the car and how this compares to the feed from a 15min 1.5watt trickle solar charge?

Why did they just not make the sun roof cover a solar panel? Would have been so cool (I can see Lotus installig the panels tonight!).

The power needed to lock and unlock the car is trivial. That's not the cause of the battery drain over time. The battery drain on the X3 and many other modern vehicles is due to the electronics that are always on. That includes some processors that are in a standby mode, the radio receiver for the Key Remote, the alarm system and various vehicle "preference" memories. The load on a X3 (depending on options) is (estimated) at between 0.63 to 1.2 watts total once the accessories are shut down. That's on a 24 hour/day constant basis. That amounts to about 20 W/hr per day.

A X3 battery has a storage capacity of approximately 1000 W/Hr., but will probably not start the vehicle if it's down to 20% charge. That gives (800 W/h) / 20 W/hr. = a maximum of 40 days if the battery is (1) new, and (2) fully charged. If it's sitting at 60% charge (which is completely possible) that gives a storage limit of (400W/hr)/20 W/hr = 20 days.

A 1.5 w solar panel charging for 15 minutes will supply 0.375 W/hr or less than 1/50th of the needed daily energy.

That same 1.5 W panel in bright sunlight for 8 hours a day would not quite equal the battery discharge rate, but would greatly extend the time until the battery could not start the car.

Even a larger 4.5 W panel would have to charge for about 4 hours a day to "break even".

For comparison, a CTEK 3300 connected for 1/2 hr per day or a Battery Tender connected for 1.5 hrs. per day will keep the X3 fully charged.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by Lotus7

The power needed to lock and unlock the car is trivial. That's not the cause of the battery drain over time. The battery drain on the X3 and many other modern vehicles is due to the electronics that are always on. That includes some processors that are in a standby mode, the radio receiver for the Key Remote, the alarm system and various vehicle "preference" memories. The load on a X3 (depending on options) is (estimated) at between 0.63 to 1.2 watts total once the accessories are shut down. That's on a 24 hour/day constant basis. That amounts to about 20 W/hr per day.

A X3 battery has a storage capacity of approximately 1000 W/Hr., but will probably not start the vehicle if it's down to 20% charge. That gives (800 W/h) / 20 W/hr. = a maximum of 40 days if the battery is (1) new, and (2) fully charged. If it's sitting at 60% charge (which is completely possible) that gives a storage limit of (400W/hr)/20 W/hr = 20 days.

A 1.5 w solar panel charging for 15 minutes will supply 0.375 W/hr or less than 1/50th of the needed daily energy.

That same 1.5 W panel in bright sunlight for 8 hours a day would not quite equal the battery discharge rate, but would greatly extend the time until the battery could not start the car.

Even a larger 4.5 W panel would have to charge for about 4 hours a day to "break even".

For comparison, a CTEK 3300 connected for 1/2 hr per day or a Battery Tender connected for 1.5 hrs. per day will keep the X3 fully charged.

I love reading your posts Lotus. I'm seldom disappointed

[X5plug-in]

Some say a team of scientists are quietly studying how Lotus replies with such detail so fast. They were tipped off when it was noted that he could get a beer out if the fridge so fast he was gone before the fridge light triggered, defeating E=mc2