Flat Battery - Help!

[cooa99]

I just got out of the office to be faced with a dead battery on my 3.0d X5 despite not leaving any lights on.

I have had the battery for a couple of years now (i think)  and only  in the last 7 days started driving the X daily.

My car is stuck in folkestone and need to get it back to London.

1) Assuming I buy a new battery would (and it turns out to be an alternator issue) will the can run for 60 miles home?
2) Can I us jump leads on the X since there are only posts in the bonnet?


cheers

[kkx5]

1.no
2.yes

[cooa99]

Cheers,

... was lucky to get a lift back home else it would have been another expense staying in a dingy hotel.

Is it possible to rule out the started motor as the problem as I had no previous issues?

or could there be something else I have not considered?


cheers

[Smeeagain]

There will be others who can probably contribute in greater detail but in my own experience
Cars built around 2004 had problematic starters (they pull too much power out of the battery) - I had one of the problematic starters but I didn't replace it til 2010 when I bought the car - at that point the battery was six years old and starting to fail and the starter killed it
Replacement/recon starters are fine
If you replace the battery use Bosch Silver with 5 year warranty - watch out for euro carpers codes and you should get one delivered for circa £100. Remember to vent it.
Recommend regular use of a CTEK. 8 stage charger conditioner (worth its weight in gold in my opinion)
Alternators aren't a common problem as far as I'm aware

But ........ All that said, you may simply have a battery drain. Circa once maybe twice a year I come out to a flat battery even though lights etc have not been left on. I have got very anal about checking everything is off and the car alarmed before walking away. I have found for example it is possible to leave the lower tailgate slightly open (it should click when shut) but have the upper tailgate closed and secured. This can cause the internal boot light to stay on.
My point is don't rush to change hardware/lumps of metal til you truly know
Even when I had a dodgy battery and starter the AA man, and others, tested both and found nothing with the readings ( which doesn't really help you, sorry)
Smee

[cooa99]

Thanks smeeeagain,

I bought The Bosch S5 from ECP this morning for £123,car starts well.

Since I have had the car for 6 of its 9 yrs, it is quite possible that this was the original battery from factory because it is labelled as BMW and I don't think I would have bought a battery from BMW.

Left the car at work tonight so expect it to start tomorrow morning!

[X5Sport]

9 years is good going if it was original.....6 is the usual.  You must have been very kind to it.

Richard

[cooa99]

[quote="X5Sport"]
9 years is good going if it was original.....6 is the usual.  You must have been very kind to it.

Richard
[/quote]

looks so ...in the last 3.5yrs at least. I  had to cut the usage down to weekends in the last 3.5yrs, when I realised I was burning money on 750miles weekly trip to work for 2yrs. And thats not counting the yearly tyre changes

[Smeeagain]

[quote="cooa99"]
Thanks smeeeagain,

I bought The Bosch S5 from ECP this morning for £123,car starts well.

Since I have had the car for 6 of its 9 yrs, it is quite possible that this was the original battery from factory because it is labelled as BMW and I don't think I would have bought a battery from BMW.

Left the car at work tonight so expect it to start tomorrow morning!
[/quote]

Did it start .......?

[briankerrys47]

[quote="Smeeagain"]
[quote="cooa99"]
Thanks smeeeagain,

I bought The Bosch S5 from ECP this morning for £123,car starts well.

Since I have had the car for 6 of its 9 yrs, it is quite possible that this was the original battery from factory because it is labelled as BMW and I don't think I would have bought a battery from BMW.

Left the car at work tonight so expect it to start tomorrow morning!
[/quote]Just add on to the thread,went to 'The Beast'started first time buuuut not a nice sound then the 'Dreaded 4x4 /TransFail safe (should have posted this for Newbies) you old sweats with have a laugh I know,moved it forward like stuck in 'glue'.switched off and wait for it ,slapped the old CTEK on for an hour.As I had not used car for a week and temp down to 10 last 2days I knew Batt had 'dipped' Moral of tale is if using only for short trip to shop 1-2miles keep battry topped up.Do not all laugh together.

Did it start .......?
[/quote]

[cooa99]

battery started fine this evening and i have put 60miles on it back home.

looks like its time to invest in this CTEK

cheers

[X5Sport]

Well worth it.  I've got two now, a little 3.6A one for the Mini...now gone so used on the 3rer, and a 10A one for the X.

A worthwhile investment.

Richard

[ChrisLux]

[quote="Smeeagain"]
There will be others who can probably contribute in greater detail but in my own experience
Cars built around 2004 had problematic starters (they pull too much power out of the battery) - I had one of the problematic starters but I didn't replace it til 2010 when I bought the car - at that point the battery was six years old and starting to fail and the starter killed it

[/quote]

Mine is a 2005 and had the same problem. The originals (for some unknown reason) were Magnetti Marelli
and they were sh1t  :'( I replaced mine shortly after I bought it in 2011 because it'd been standing and the battery was weak. THe new one is Bosch and had no problems since 

[briankerrys47]

[quote="cooa99"]
Thanks smeeeagain,

I bought The Bosch S5 from ECP this morning for £123,car starts well.

Since I have had the car for 6 of its 9 yrs, it is quite possible that this was the original battery from factory because it is labelled as BMW and I don't think I would have bought a battery from BMW.

Left the car at work tonight so expect it to start tomorrow morning!
[/quote]Euro Parts Sale on no codes req Bosch Batt's £74--£103 have a look everyone