10-07-2011, 12:43 PM | #23 | |
First Lieutenant
25
Rep 383
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
2012 X3 35i | Mineral Silver | Oyster | Wave Wood
Packages | Sports | Cold Weather | Dynamic Handling | Premium | Technology | Premium Sound |
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-07-2011, 12:50 PM | #24 | |
Colonel
647
Rep 2,292
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
2018 340i xDrive M Perf Edtn Sunset Orange
Previous BMWs - 19 others since 1971. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-07-2011, 05:39 PM | #25 |
Lieutenant Colonel
45
Rep 1,876
Posts |
Your vehicle should work fine under those conditions. Any other suggestion from the dealer including the need to use a trickle charger is complete crap. Get them to fix it and start documenting to lemon it if they don't.
__________________
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-08-2011, 12:01 PM | #26 |
Enlisted Member
3
Rep 45
Posts |
More dealer BS.
My X3 is four months old, but it is my second vehicle and doesn't get used daily. Depending on my needs and whims, there are weeks when I might only drive it once. I live less than 10 miles from work (it's a 10-minute drive in the morning, and 15-20 at night). I have not had any battery issues. |
Appreciate
0
|
10-10-2011, 08:48 AM | #27 |
Private
4
Rep 63
Posts |
As mentioned in a previous thread, I have a particular problem leaving my X3 for prolonged periods in airport carparks.
I now think I have the answer. I purchased a 4.3W 240mA solar charger. It arrived very quickly from the supplier but the breakout box from China took rather longer so was unable to test it. In comparison with Lotus7's useful data, with the solar unit attached, the Time 0:00 voltage (as door is locked) is 12.44 V. It rises to 12.67 V after 15 minutes and 12.7 V after 30 minutes. This is on a very dull overcast October day at Latitude 56 with the panel laid horizontally on the dash so by no means the optimal position (I was trying to simulate the valet parking result!) If stuck to the window in sunlight (even at my Lat. and less than 2 hours before sunset) it was charging the battery at 12.81 V even when at an angle to the sun - see photo below. That seems to meet the need. The unit itself is fairly neat and plugs into the ODB socket so is constantly connected. The plug is elongated so is easily connected and disconnected. |
Appreciate
0
|
10-10-2011, 09:57 AM | #28 | |
Private
4
Rep 63
Posts |
Quote:
Unfortunately I won't get the voltage after the long term parking - the valet will have driven to the airport pickup. Hopefully I will have got a Equus 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor while in the US so will get a reading which should tell me if the charge is well down but I have no way of telling just how & where it was parked or what the panel orientation was (or even if the valet had connected it!). I am leaving this Fri. so won't get a chance to test further until Dec/Jan - then much will depend upon weather. Given the UK "press" reports I may be needing the X3 & winter wheels! |
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-23-2011, 06:35 AM | #29 |
Registered
0
Rep 1
Posts |
Battery Issues
My X3 started playing up at the beginning of September.
It is now is Switzerland, having broken down on holiday. They diagnosed a short cct on the cct from the battery to the bonnet, replaced a faulty component, but haven't yet given it the all clear! Six weeks of not knowing whether the car will start or not! |
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 04:04 PM | #30 | |
New Member
2
Rep 7
Posts |
Quote:
Do you have any update on how the solar panel worked out? Thanks |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 04:53 PM | #31 |
Lieutenant Colonel
116
Rep 1,772
Posts |
seems to me like there must be something wrong with these cars that will be the subject of TSB or something. There is no way that the electrical system is designed so that people have to go to these ridiculous lengths (solar panels, trickle charges, etc) just for their cars to start reliably.
Something has to be wrong here. I can leave my E90 parked for 3 weeks or 4weeks and I never worry about it starting when I get back. It fires right up with no hesitation. If I bought a car and the dealer told me this was normal, I'd tell him to take it back and refund my money. |
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 06:16 PM | #32 |
New Member
2
Rep 7
Posts |
Lotus7,
You are such an incredible resource to this forum, you are like the battery we all would like to have in our vehicles - always full of power. I am very grateful that you choose the X3, which will allow me to learn so much more on my vehicle I have read all your posts on the subject, and I am amazed that you always have some nice angle to add that makes all new post valueful. Many thanks really! And of course thanks to all questions that provokes those answers! |
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 06:19 PM | #33 |
New Member
2
Rep 15
Posts |
Battery status
Lotus - Do you leave the digital voltage meter you have recommended in a different post in the X3's ashtray outlet continuously or should it be removed when the vehicle is turned off and parked?
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 08:34 PM | #34 |
1st time BMW owner
0
Rep 80
Posts |
Boy! This issue just doesn't go away.
To my surprise, about two weeks ago, went to the garage to get our 2.8 X3. It was dead as a doornail. No lights, no response from the key, nothing. Access was only from the conventional lock on the drivers door. I put a multimeter on the underhood terminals and it read 3volts. The car had been used daily prior, albeit local errands only. No indication of any issues. No battery warnings at all. A call to the dealer brought roadside assist. The tech was able to start the X3 immediately with a jump. I drove it for 25-30 minutes and its been fine ever since. Now, after a check up two days later at the dealer, it was pronounced OK and the cause was a phone charger left in the console outlet!! The SA claims that although the outlets turn off they can be "woking up" or awakened if something is plugged in. Now I'm not sure what to believe. Anyone? |
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 09:00 PM | #35 | |
Private
7
Rep 51
Posts |
Quote:
I was always interested in the Energy Recovery from the ED Efficient Dynamics system, when it operates and how much. So I would like to try out the voltmeter system as you do. Is it easy to recognize when the system recovers energy? What is a typical voltage when driving with and without energy recovery? And for a more difficult question: how much power do you guess is generated by the system during energy recovery braking? Thanks for the help. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-30-2012, 09:20 PM | #36 |
1st time BMW owner
0
Rep 80
Posts |
Thanks for the reply Lotus. All the doors were locked. The dealer had the car all day and supposedly deep charged it. For the life of me I can't imagine what happened. maybe it was an electronic gremlin that kept the circuit on all night. I'd really like to understand. I'm not sure all these dealers are lying with the same story. They must believe it themselves. They don't seem to be getting any other clues either.
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 05:46 AM | #37 |
Private
4
Rep 63
Posts |
Solar charger.
This seemed to work - certainly I left the X3 at the airport for 2 months and it started first time even though covered in ice. I had asked them to leave it with the panel plugged in and exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately I have no proof that the valet service did not boost start it the day before. I had a 250 mile run to home before I could get Lotus7's voltmeter unpacked & connected so would have expected that to fully charge. When at the dealers, I discussed battery problems - their story was that there are a lot of battery problems They then came out with the story that the X3 needed to be run 40 miles a day to keep the battery fully charged! While I cannot accept the validity of that statement, I do wonder if BMW are suggesting to service managers that they warn customers about future battery problems - this could get expensive for BMW. I got the impression that they were attempting to lay the blame on the customer's driving profile. My own opinion is that if a 5 mile commute is not enough to keep the car serviceable, then the car is not fit for purpose! I live about 20 miles from the nearest anything so very rarely go for less than a 40 miles excursion - yet service manager was trying to suggest that my profile was of short runs! As mentioned I did get one of those voltage monitors used by Lotus7 - nice! I can see that the voltage readout does vary quite considerably while driving - from 13.4V to 14.8V. On engine braking it seems to vary between 14.62V and 14.80V - the lower voltages occasionally occur while under power. It would be interesting to know what, if anything, these voltages mean - do they give any indication about the state of charge? With the voltmeter only connected while the circuits are "active" it is difficult to get an actual static (unloaded) voltage - looks like I'm going to have to make up an OBD2-connector for the voltmeter. Last edited by Bill S; 01-31-2012 at 05:53 AM.. Reason: added link |
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 08:34 AM | #38 | |
Lieutenant Colonel
116
Rep 1,772
Posts |
Quote:
My point is that whatever is going on here, it ain't right. One gentleman here was saying that there was 7 X3's at the Edmonton BMW dealership (not a crazy volume dealer) just north of us after a cold snap. That is totally ridiculous and makes it clear to me that something is amiss with this model, at minimum, and possibly with our beloved BMW. The point of "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is to be able to drive it. Looking at that many X3's parked tells me there must be some sort of issue here that we aren't seeing... a bad relay design or something that is causing this that isn't normal. This may just be me hoping that it is a problem that can be fixed rather than shoddy design by the company I love. My E90 with a 6+ year old battery has more reliable start performance than these brand new vehicles. That is incomprehensible. Maybe Mercedes-Benz is still paying attention to the basics before getting too cute with these electrical systems? I am concerned because I have been seriously looking at the new F25 and the new F30 but if I can't be confident that they will be reliable, I will have to turn to something else and that will hurt me. And I take your point: The problem could well be the rules imposed by the government coming too fast. God knows they haven't got anything right in a long time. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 09:59 AM | #39 |
First Lieutenant
23
Rep 309
Posts |
Whilst I understand the points made on the causality of this problem (increasingly active electronics) I do not personally agree that these also justify it.
As technology moves on and we come to expect more and more advanced functionality from our cars shouldn't we expect equal measures of innovation to ensure that the basics (like the battery not going flat) keep up? Engineers can design an Internet connected navigation system that one can command via an iPhone app but they can't design in a big enough / good enough battery to keep the vehicle alive as long as its predecessors? I would not accept a flat battery after going on holiday for 2-3 weeks or through simply driving to the station and back each morning. I've never had to and I do not expect ever too. What am I missing...?
__________________
Current 2016 F80 M3 Saloon, Alpine White & Silverstone Full Leather. Love it.
Past 2015 F13 M6 Coupe, San Marino Blue & Opal White Individual Leather. Gone but not forgotten. |
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 10:06 AM | #40 | |
Lieutenant Colonel
116
Rep 1,772
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 12:28 PM | #41 |
Major
77
Rep 1,271
Posts |
Add me to the list with battery issues - left it out on the two coldest days of the winter and it didn't want to start the next day, but did, but it didn't want to...and got all kinds of error messages about shutting down electronics. We now have a new battery. This is actually the 2nd BMW that we had to get a new battery for (the old 335xi needed a new battery also, but after three years).
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 01:16 PM | #42 | |
Lieutenant Colonel
116
Rep 1,772
Posts |
Quote:
The type of customer you are talking about as the majority today is exactly the type that I believe will have the least amount of patience and understanding for this type of wimpy battery stuff. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 01:20 PM | #43 |
Brigadier General
94
Rep 3,855
Posts |
Any battery issues with our Central/Northern European forum members currently experiencing temperatures down to -30C? I know we have a few members from these regions so would be good to get your experience to add to the mix.
__________________
F25 xDrive20d SE __ professional multimedia package | dynamic package | climate package | 309s | xline | xenons | electric seats | folding mirrors | business speakers |
Appreciate
0
|
01-31-2012, 02:10 PM | #44 | |
Enlisted Member
0
Rep 33
Posts |
Quote:
The first manufacturer who fitted an electric clock into the dash - I'm guessing in the late 60's - started the rot. Since then we consumers have demanded more and more gadgets - who would buy a car today without a battery-draining remote? When neither oil prices or CO2 were an issue manufacturers just fitted bigger batteries. Unsubtle. Heavy. More expensive. No-one cared. Today we want good fuel economy, all the toys, and manufacturers are in business to make profit. So we get batteries and systems that meet the needs of the vast majority. For the few it affects - get a charger. inexpensive. Simple. Or maybe ( and I'm sure Lotus 7 will know) why not fit a battery with a bigger capacity? Make sure voltage and internal resistance are the same but add amp hours. My X3 is sill awaited so I can't see whether there is any space under the trunk floor to fit a bigger battery. But it would mitigate the problem.
__________________
X3 F25 3.0D MSport - Carbon Black, Black Nevada, Professional Media, 6NR, DAB, variable dampers, folding mirrors, heated front seats, extended storage. Delivered 1st June 2012
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|