Solar Panel

[Greydog]

Can't answer for the use of a solar panel in an X5 but I did use a small solar panel (10 watt I think) in the horse lorry as it used to stand for months through the winter. We have a number of small panels we use for keeping the electric fence batteries going so I just used one of those.
After being caught a few times with the lorry I fitted a battery cut off switch and the solar panel sat in one of the side windows in the living area. 5 years and the lorry never failed to start luck or judgement ?? who knows.
We got shot of the lorry and brought the X5 to pull a horse trailer less maintenance and more fun when not towing.

[henrym3]

well, its been connected a week and dropped .2v which is much better than normal. By this time it would normally be at the stage where the radio will have dumped it's memory?? Another two days it would be a non starter. Don't know when it will be started, still waiting on bits.

[Smeeagain]

So you've said it's been connected a week and another two days and it would be a non starter, so nine days to flat? You either have an electrical drain or a dud battery. That is just wrong. I leave my car at the airport for two weeks and starts just fine. Car is 13 years old and battery (Bosch Silver S5) is two years old. The solar panel will only mask your issue.
Smee

[henrym3]

Fair comment Smee, when I've got it back together I'll try and see how much of a draw there is from the battery at rest. I've done this before but assume it will be more difficult on the X5

[Smeeagain]

X5Sport is the man with all the info on what the results should be, how and when to test (after the car has gone to sleep around 17 mins as I recall)

Thinking about it my car sat on the drive for ten days over Christmas, the day I went to start it it was -2 and covered in ice. Once it had gone through the pre-heating cycle and all ignition lights out, it started first time, with no hesitation from the battery so there is definitely something up.
The other option for long term parking is to lock it but not alarm it and engage the engine immobiliser code instead as a security option. I haven't done that for a long time as I have a booster but it is an option as the alarm does drain the battery too.

Smee

[X5Sport]

With the car asleep you should get a draw of less than 115mA, ideally around 80mA (or less).  If you have a tracking system then its charger may pull a little out, but not over the higher figure above.

The tricky bit is either getting the Ammeter in circuit without frying it, or getting a very sensitive current clamp.  If you have a 100A range Ammeter then you can wind it down once the car is asleep.  I don't think the E53 is as power hungry in 'radio ready' as the E71 is!  Mine exceeds 60A in ignition on, no engine mode.

[henrym3]

You will forgive my ignorance but how exactly do you measure and let the car go to sleep, connect and run the wires outside the vehicle to Ammeter. The difficulty is added to by the fact that the LPG tank will have to be raised to access the battery.

[Smeeagain]

Get access to the cables. X5sport will advise if you can do it anywhere else, but if not access the battery as necessary (ie lpg tank moved etc) and stick the meter on it and leave it in a readable position. With the tailgate still open, lock the car with the remote ie boot is in the open position but latch is locked which also switches off the boot interior light. Wait til the P light goes out on the gearbox (about 16 mins), then the car is asleep. If its not daylight then get a torch and look in the boot to see the reading on the meter. If you do anything that wakes the car you need to go through the process again for another 16 mins
Smee

[X5Sport]

You need to get on the battery unfortunately (don't know of a software check route).

Steps are:

Get to battery and take -ve lead off.
Connect Ammeter rated to at least 50A between battery and -ve lead.  +ve Ammeter lead on battery -ve, Ammeter -ve on battery -ve post.
Lock the car but leave the rear hatch open.
Wait for tell tale on gear shift to go out.
If the meter is autoranging it will adjust so take reading.  If not auto-ranging then adjust range down until you get a reading. Note figure
Disconnect meter completely
Reconnect battery

[henrym3]

[Smeeagain]

[quote="henrym3"]

[/quote]

And your point is ....... ?

Smee

[henrym3]

My post is aimed at yourself and X5Sport and I'll bet that if anyone read the last 4/5 posts, 95% of them would understand what my post ment. Surely Smee, you are not in that 5%?

[Horizon]

Sorry if i missed it, but have you replaced the battery recently ? ( I'm a weekend car driver as I use my van during the week, then swap at the weekend to whatever car I've got )
I find this a proper battery killer, so I generally replace the battery on everything I buy as soon as things start to play up. I can then leave them stood for a couple of weeks without worrying if it's going to be flat or not.

[Smeeagain]

[quote="henrym3"]
My post is aimed at yourself and X5Sport and I'll bet that if anyone read the last 4/5 posts, 95% of them would understand what my post ment. Surely Smee, you are not in that 5%?
[/quote]

Im special.
Smee

[henrym3]

The battery is about 2 years old, also, got my ABS module back today so when/if I get it fitted this weekend I'll see how much of a drain (cheers Smee ) there is.