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Thread: Battery discharge question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Evanston, IL
    Posts
    443

    Default Battery discharge question

    I have started a new job in Chicago and do not have to drive my car on a daily basis anymore. In fact it will sit in the garage from Sunday night until Saturday morning. Is there anything I should be concerned about battery wise or power wise after a five day a week sit? Should I get a charger to plug in or is this overkill? My new job is even paying for my transit costs on the Metra rail system so there is no reason to take the car into the city. I'll miss it but I will not miss the $200.00/month gas bills.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Bethlehem, PA
    Posts
    661

    Default

    No problem for a battery in good condition that has the opportunity to charge fully on the days you drive the car, especially since your car is in some kind of a sheltered area. As long as the car elex are operating properly, the standby drain is in the order of a couple tens of milliamps. This rate of discharge will drain the batter in a time scale of months, not days.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    4,150

    Default The normal parasitic draw on an e34 is around 40 milliamps, this is assuming that

    everything has shut down and the general module has gone to sleep mode. If it wakes up periodically the draw increases to 400 to 600 milliamps. The e34's were shipped over from the factory with battery isolating switches on them that are removed before the car was sold.. the switches increase the storage time from 6 to 12 weeks for the battery... but if it were mine and it were an older car I be most likely to get a float type battery charger like you use on a boat or rv to maintain charge and use that... Here's a typical float type charger strictly for maintaining a battery that sits for long periods




    Quote Originally Posted by Black 535i
    I have started a new job in Chicago and do not have to drive my car on a daily basis anymore. In fact it will sit in the garage from Sunday night until Saturday morning. Is there anything I should be concerned about battery wise or power wise after a five day a week sit? Should I get a charger to plug in or is this overkill? My new job is even paying for my transit costs on the Metra rail system so there is no reason to take the car into the city. I'll miss it but I will not miss the $200.00/month gas bills.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Long Beach, CA
    Posts
    2,563

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill R.
    everything has shut down and the general module has gone to sleep mode. If it wakes up periodically the draw increases to 400 to 600 milliamps. The e34's were shipped over from the factory with battery isolating switches on them that are removed before the car was sold.. the switches increase the storage time from 6 to 12 weeks for the battery... but if it were mine and it were an older car I be most likely to get a float type battery charger like you use on a boat or rv to maintain charge and use that... Here's a typical float type charger strictly for maintaining a battery that sits for long periods
    Good info.

    Ralph Mendoza Jr. - Long Beach, CA

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,843

    Default

    15 bux! good price, I had one of them battery tenders and it fried after 1 year...thanks for this link.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,843

    Default

    this sux...

    **THE ITEM ORDERED IS ON BACKORDER
    WE EXPECT TO SHIP IN APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS
    *
    The total amount of your order will be calculated
    and a copy of your invoice and credit card receipt
    will be placed in the box with your order.
    *
    In the event that your order contains any back-ordered
    or "special order" items that need to be manufactured,
    we will wait until the completion of your entire order
    before shipping your order.
    *
    If you have requested *express* shipping on back-ordered
    or "special order" items that need to be manufactured,
    we will wait until the completion of your entire order
    before express shipping your order, as stated on our
    order form.
    *
    Thank you,
    *
    The Sales Team at
    Lectric Limited, Inc.
    Phone: 708-563-0400
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

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