Battery Life While Parked

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Silenus

I'm not condescending, I'm an excellent source of information.

It's those kind of remarks that make others unwilling to accept any statements you make, even if they might be true.

[Silenus]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Any BMW with intelligent alternator control has an AGM battery.

Completely untrue. My car has a lead-acid battery and an Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS). Where do you get your information from?

[Silenus]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

Where is the switch/sensor that knows that the hood is open? I don't think there is one.

View post on imgur.com

That's not what the service advisor told me.

Service Advisors don't go to school to learn about parasitic draws, technicians do. They will say anything to make you happy.

[Silenus]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

It's those kind of remarks that make others unwilling to accept any statements you make, even if they might be true.

That's fine. I have all the credentials and experience, you can learn a lot from me or not. You say there's no hood switch on a BMW because "you don't think it's there". The other guy has barely touched a battery in a BMW but "all BMWs have AGM batteries" (which turned into another false "IBS cars all have AGM batteries"). If you had to listen to people like you guys from my perspective you'd lose patience pretty fast. But I know I can't teach every consumer who gleans knowledge from message boards.

[methodz]

[mr.fabulous]

AGM batteries are lead acid

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Silenus

View post on imgur.com

That hardware isn't in the engine compartment of my E82.

Service Advisors don't go to school to learn about parasitic draws, technicians do. They will say anything to make you happy.

I don't see how the service advisor telling me that my battery died because I left my car unlocked too often makes me happy at all.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Silenus

That's fine. I have all the credentials and experience, you can learn a lot from me or not.

Why should be believe you just because you say you have all of the credentials and experience?

[mr.fabulous]

I'm having a very interesting email discussion with one of the guys at GetBMWParts (they are a dealer). His comments along with one of the docs previously posted in this thread ("07_Battery Basics.pdf") have me wondering if my June 2010 build date E82 has an AGM battery (and if it does not, that creates even more confusion for me as to how my car works relative to alternator control and battery registration).

I'd be grateful if somebody here with a 2012 or newer N55 car with a factory battery could tell me if their battery vents or not.

TIA

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Silenus

Service Advisors don't go to school to learn about parasitic draws, technicians do. They will say anything to make you happy.

This x eleventy billion!

[JimD]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

I'm having a very interesting email discussion with one of the guys at GetBMWParts (they are a dealer). His comments along with one of the docs previously posted in this thread ("07_Battery Basics.pdf") have me wondering if my June 2010 build date E82 has an AGM battery (and if it does not, that creates even more confusion for me as to how my car works relative to alternator control and battery registration).

I'd be grateful if somebody here with a 2012 or newer N55 car with a factory battery could tell me if their battery vents or not.

TIA

I don't think that a vent is a good indicator. AGM batteries have vents that open at 1.5 psi (above atmospheric) to prevent over pressurization during charging. I am no expert but I would think these would be routed outside the passenger compartment. If you have AGM, you could tell it by looking at the car's programming (like you were changing the battery type) and if you had it out, it wouldn't slosh around like a flooded cell. It may say something on the battery if it is AGM. They cost more so I kind of doubt they come as standard equipment - but again I am no expert.

[mr.fabulous]

Clearly I'm no expert either. And you are correct about the vent. There is a link a few pages earlier in this thread to "Intelligent alternator control IGR used on 2007 models and onwards (1).pdf" that *clearly* says all cars with same have an AGM battery. The factory battery from my car (I still have it) sloshes around, and so is this a regular lead-acid battery? Huh, that would seem to contradict info in the aforementioned doc on alternator control.

Confused (just in a thirst-for-knowledge kind of way )

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Clearly I'm no expert either. And you are correct about the vent. There is a link a few pages earlier in this thread to "Intelligent alternator control IGR used on 2007 models and onwards (1).pdf" that *clearly* says all cars with same have an AGM battery. The factory battery from my car (I still have it) sloshes around, and so is this a regular lead-acid battery? Huh, that would seem to contradict info in the aforementioned doc on alternator control.

Confused (just in a thirst-for-knowledge kind of way )

Pleased see links below, which might help some, though they won't answer your question about the alternator control feature.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a..._glass_mat_agm

http://www.ehow.com/how_7146519_tell...batteries.html

[JimD]

I looked up what RealOEM says for the OP's battery. It shows both AGM and flooded batteries:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...99&hg=61&fg=30

I looked for my e88 n52 and I didn't write down the numbers but it looked similar.

The test that Silenus posted about earlier is a good thing to do when you have a car draining batteries. Both my step daughters old cars do this. There is probably a bit of a short somewhere. I tested the younger daughters with a $30 Walmart multi-tester (you need one that measures current) and found out there is something going on with the radio circuit. I haven't tested the older daughters old Jeep yet. She has a new RAV 4 but we haven't got rid of the old Cherokee yet and when I went to move it the battery was dead. Well under 12V. But it took a charge. It had set for ~3 months but shouldn't have been that dead. But I need to test it.

My e88 has set for a month or so before and started right up. No trickle charger. As long as there is nothing wrong, I think a car should.

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by JimD

I looked up what RealOEM says for the OP's battery. It shows both AGM and flooded batteries:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...99&hg=61&fg=30

I looked for my e88 n52 and I didn't write down the numbers but it looked similar.

The test that Silenus posted about earlier is a good thing to do when you have a car draining batteries. Both my step daughters old cars do this. There is probably a bit of a short somewhere. I tested the younger daughters with a $30 Walmart multi-tester (you need one that measures current) and found out there is something going on with the radio circuit. I haven't tested the older daughters old Jeep yet. She has a new RAV 4 but we haven't got rid of the old Cherokee yet and when I went to move it the battery was dead. Well under 12V. But it took a charge. It had set for ~3 months but shouldn't have been that dead. But I need to test it.

My e88 has set for a month or so before and started right up. No trickle charger. As long as there is nothing wrong, I think a car should.

What I thought was weird though in both of the earlier attached pdf's, the documents somewhat state/imply that BMW is installing AGM batteries in all of their vehicles, which must really mean that all models have AGM batteries installed, but not every vehicle produced has an AGM battery.

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

What I thought was weird though in both of the earlier attached pdf's, the documents somewhat state/imply that BMW is installing AGM batteries in all of their vehicles, which must really mean that all models have AGM batteries installed, but not every vehicle produced has an AGM battery.

That would seem to be the case. My factory battery looks AGM (sealed), but it sloshes. GetBMWParts says it is not AGM, and the only replacement for my car is also not. My new battery has been in the car now for a few weeks (I registered it), and to this point it hasn't gone dead or exploded.

Curious.....

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Curious.....

It is.

Now I've got run out and check what type my battery is.

EDIT: Battery part number is 61-21-2-353-808... Not marked AGM or anything like that. It does have fill caps and the magic eye, though.

[JimD]

Fill caps means flooded cell - not AGM. Another name for a AGM is a sealed battery. It only vents if it is charged incorrectly. It doesn't have fill caps - no need for them.

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by JimD

Fill caps means flooded cell - not AGM. Another name for a AGM is a sealed battery. It only vents if it is charged incorrectly. It doesn't have fill caps - no need for them.

And that's part of my confusion. My factory Exide battery has no fill caps, it is entirely sealed. And it sloshes. 80AH 640A (which it seems is not AGM for BMW?). Plus all BMW doc posted here seems to say 2007+ cars all have alternator control and an AGM battery. So what the heck.

I think I'm tired of talking about all of this... but I learned a few things here and so thanks for all the inputs

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

My factory Exide battery has no fill caps, it is entirely sealed.

So was my original battery, which I happened to have taken a picture of.



Hmm, now that brings up a question: Since the new battery has fill caps, does that mean it's not maintenance-free?

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

So was my original battery, which I happened to have taken a picture of.

< ... snip ... >

Hmm, now that brings up a question: Since the new battery has fill caps, does that mean it's not maintenance-free?

That's my factory battery, too. Sealed tight, has an eye, sloshes. And I'd imagine your new battery is what I have as well. Dealer charged me $240 for just the battery, I coded it for $145. Wow, did you get ripped-off. Sorry that happened, man, wow.

[JimD]

Many flooded cells do not have obvious fill caps. I've managed to find them before, however. If you look for a little seam in the case where the fill caps would be, they are often there. It doesn't mean you are expected to add distilled water but it means you can. On an old battery, I like to look and add if it needs it. I think it prolongs life. But the huge cable and clamp make it an unusually large challenge on a bimmer.

AGM batteries should not slosh at all. The whole idea is the electrolyte is in a mat, not free to move. If I heard the electrolyte moving, I would conclude it is a flooded battery. The AGM batteries are supposed to last longer and be even more maintenance free but I've had good service out of old flooded cells. The one in my boat is around 15 years old and worked last year. I need to charge it up and try it this year. (2 cycle outboards are notably easy to crank, however)