Noob Storage Question

[VinnieAces]

When you guys hook your batteries up to the battery tender, do you take the battery out of your car or leave it inside your car?

[ANUSTART]

I have always left the batteries in my vehicles when using a battery tender. The cord is long enough and the car sits low enough that you can easily run the cord out, put the tender on the floor and shut the lid. Saw nothing adverse doing this. Just make sure there's no water on the floor.

[boydgti]

Keep mine in but its a heated garage. U should take it out if there isnt heat, shouldnt charge a frozen battery

[StigJ]

I have removed the battery from the car. It now sits in storage for the winter with no heating. The battery is stored inside my house, warm and comfy charging until april :-)

[MZHammer]

I kept the battery in the car too. Connected the tender to the terminals in the engine bay.

[Caddyshk]

Vinnie,

My battery is in the car in the cold garage - I run the the 12v adapter through the hatch and into the lighter. I've run this setup through 4 seasons and into 5 with no problems. I am getting a new battery in 2011 as PM; experience tells me they all die in year 5.

Dave

[FerRrari]

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

Vinnie,

My battery is in the car in the cold garage - I run the the 12v adapter through the hatch and into the lighter. I've run this setup through 4 seasons and into 5 with no problems. I am getting a new battery in 2011 as PM; experience tells me they all die in year 5.

Dave

I was told by a parts person in my dealership that charging through the lighter doesn't work with our cars.

[Caddyshk]

Originally Posted by FerRrari

I was told by a parts person in my dealership that charging through the lighter doesn't work with our cars.

I guess he's FOS

[Caddyshk]

I should add the car is dormant for 4 months setup this way.

[FerRrari]

Well given that I wanted to buy the battery tender and he said it wouldn't work I'd say he's not a very good salesperson...

[Caddyshk]

Originally Posted by FerRrari

Well given that I wanted to buy the battery tender and he said it wouldn't work I'd say he's not a very good salesperson...

A very good friend has been a BMW sales guy for three years and I'm astounded on a regular basis with his lack of knowledge of the vehicles. Must be just me, but I would hope if you do something for a living you would develop some passion and subject matter expertise in the area?

[GomboRombo]

I probebly drive my Z only once or twice every other week (approx 60 miles) during the winter months. Do you guys think I should use a battery tender?

[VinnieAces]

Thanks everybody for the responses! My garage is not heated however it is insulated so i may just leave the battery in the vehicle

[wildag]

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

Thanks everybody for the responses! My garage is not heated however it is insulated so i may just leave the battery in the vehicle

There is never a reason to remove the battery for a battery tender; especially if the car is stored under a roof.

[VinnieAces]

Originally Posted by wildag

There is never a reason to remove the battery for a battery tender; especially if the car is stored under a roof.

Reason as to why?

[dekaliber]

Mike Miller's recommendation:

"Use of a Battery Tender Plus (www.batterytender.com) or the equivalent BMW
Advanced Battery Charging System is required, or your battery will be history long
before you return from a trip or military deployment. A modern BMW will discharge its
battery in a couple of weeks, rock dead. This is due to the number of electronic control
units that are powered up all the time even when the car is in sleep mode.

If you store the car outdoors, Battery Tender makes a waterproof version if you have
shore power handy. If not, BMW makes a solar-powered battery charger that sits on the
dashboard or between a sunscreen (advisable for outdoor storage) and the windshield.
Very handy for military base use but quite expensive -- you can just replace the battery
for less, but then the car will be without power during storage, and that can spell future
electronic problems.

If you have no outdoor power source, you really need to get the BMW solar powered
battery charger UNLESS the car is going to be stored for a matter of years, in which case
you really have no choice but to simply remove the battery.

I prefer to keep power to the control units, though. Modern BMWs don't like being
without their little electron friends for very long. Store a modern BMW without power for
a year, and chances are good you'll have electronic problems when the car awakens."

[RBull]

I can think of one good one. When the car is stored where there is no power available. Like mine.

Originally Posted by wildag

There is never a reason to remove the battery for a battery tender; especially if the car is stored under a roof.

[RBull]

Would be interested in hearing more about this. My car is being stored for 15 weeks without the battery.

Originally Posted by dekaliber

Mike Miller's recommendation:

"Use of a Battery Tender Plus (www.batterytender.com) or the equivalent BMW
Advanced Battery Charging System is required, or your battery will be history long
before you return from a trip or military deployment. A modern BMW will discharge its
battery in a couple of weeks, rock dead. This is due to the number of electronic control
units that are powered up all the time even when the car is in sleep mode.

If you store the car outdoors, Battery Tender makes a waterproof version if you have
shore power handy. If not, BMW makes a solar-powered battery charger that sits on the
dashboard or between a sunscreen (advisable for outdoor storage) and the windshield.
Very handy for military base use but quite expensive -- you can just replace the battery
for less, but then the car will be without power during storage, and that can spell future
electronic problems.

If you have no outdoor power source, you really need to get the BMW solar powered
battery charger UNLESS the car is going to be stored for a matter of years, in which case
you really have no choice but to simply remove the battery.

I prefer to keep power to the control units, though. Modern BMWs don't like being
without their little electron friends for very long. Store a modern BMW without power for
a year, and chances are good you'll have electronic problems when the car awakens."

[dazed^]

FWIW Mine is currently on a new CTEK charger connected through the lighter. I kept an eye on the charger, and it correctly went through the charging phases (now at the resting/floating longterm phase). So that seems to work just fine.

My garage isn't heated nor insulated, though it is connected to the house. If I encounter any problems due to charging the battery inside the car in this cold place I'll let you know.

[dekaliber]

Originally Posted by RBull

Would be interested in hearing more about this. My car is being stored for 15 weeks without the battery.

Probably best to e-mail Mike about it directly: techtalk@roundel.org / auspuf2002@aol.com

[RBull]

^thanks

[fastdad]

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

Vinnie,

My battery is in the car in the cold garage - I run the the 12v adapter through the hatch and into the lighter. I've run this setup through 4 seasons and into 5 with no problems. I am getting a new battery in 2011 as PM; experience tells me they all die in year 5.

Dave

This is my third winter using the BMW charger plugged into the lighter. Car is in the garage and no problems after being covered/stored since before Thnxging. I learned my lesson during my first winter with it: M + no driving + no tender > two weeks = no start + flatbed to dealer.