R53 4.4 Battery starting issues.

[X5Andym]

Hi All

Sorry in advance if this is a old subject, I have a very nice E53 only 40.000 on the clock, but have had battery issues for a while, new battery fitted alternator test all seems fine, I only use the card for work and at weekends, but short distances, when the car is parked up at home or at work I do not lock the vehicle and set the alarm, could this be the issue that the sat com and computer are still switch on and live which in time will drain the battery.. or could it be the starter motor issue as well..

I have read that discounting the sat com, so it resets it self may be the answer, any more help would be great..

Thank you very much stay safe all..

Cheers

Andy

[X5Sport]

You can check the car is asleep using the little LED beside the ‘P’ on the gear shifter. It should go out after 16 minutes. If it does then the car has shutdown. If it doesn't then something in the electrics is keeping the car awake. Finding the ‘something’ takes patience and perseverance, and a multimeter so you can see which fuse being pulled dropped the power being used.

The only way of checking the starter motor is with a device called a current clamp. Vehicle electricians will have such a beast. The starter should draw no more than 180A when cranking. If it draws more then that it’s suspect, and if significantly more needs replacing. That issue was more common on the IL6 rather than V8 engines.

These cars need at least 20 miles to put a single starting charge back. If you are only doing short distances then the battery will not recharge. To usual solution is to buy a Conditioner/Charger and use it regularly. BMW supply rebadged CTEK units. Many of us have the 5A and 10A CTEK chargers. They aren’t particularly cheap, but they are good.

[X5Andym]

HI

Thank you very much for the info, I do not do more than 20 mile, I will look at purchasing a Conditioner/Charger, would you have detail of the item I need to purchase please which is suitable for my E53 4.4 v8 YEAR 2005, I have just looked on E-bay and there are several available but not sure which one would meet my requirements..

Thank you again for you help.. stay safe

Cheers

Andy

[X5Andym]

Hi

Found this one on E-bay 140.00.. is this suitable for my vehicle...


CTEK MXS 10 12V 10A Battery Charger and Conditioner MXS10

Cheers

Andy

[sapphireblack]

An MXS 5 will more than suffice, circa £70 too

[X5Sport]

MX10 is good kit but as said the 5A version is fine.

[X5Sport]

MXS10 is good kit but as said the 5A version is fine. The MXS 7.0 is another option. All of them are on Amazon as well, and often come up on a special deal. The 10A version will bring a dead battery up in about 8 hours and has a useful trick in that it has constant power mode and can be used to keep power on the car when changing the battery so you don’t lose any settings

[Alan Gunn]

This is the one i have and will do the job fine.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-MXS-10-Au ... 42HAA?th=1

[X5Andym]

Hi ALL

Thank you all for you help with my battery issue going to order CTEK MXS battery Charger and Conditioner on Monday...

Thank you again and stay safe..

Best Regards

Andy