[M5pnw]

During the week I mostly only drive to work which is 8 miles away. So, I'm definitely not driving enough to charge the battery. 16 miles a day sometimes more for random errands. In the spring and summer I ride my Ducati at least twice a week. So there are times where I'm not driving it for a few days. Should I hook up the m550i in to a battery charger every day when i get home from work to maintain it and keep it at optimum levels? I want the battery to last as long as possible. What's the best charger to get where i can just plug it in and not worry about anything?

Thanks

The OEM bmw battery charger is 150 bucks. Theres gotta be a CTEK equivalent without the bmw logo that cost less right?

[Dephead2004]

Recommend CTEK. First rate chargers. The BMW logo does not improve charging or longevity.

[AP]

Blimey, the car probably never gets warmed up.
My car is just used at weekends (for longer drives) and never an issue. I’ve left it for 2 weeks without any hint of the battery being low

The longest I’ve left a car was a previous f10 which I had left for just over 3 weeks which when I got back in did give me a warning about a low battery but started without any further issue

I’d try and use the car for longer drives so it gets up to temperature , I’d assume quite a lot of wear occurring as it’s mostly cold

[Joe-BMW33]

Right here, C-Tek makes this for BMW. This is the same thing without the BMW label but half the cost. Works well for me. You definitely need one that does AGM batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-40-206-5...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[M5pnw]

Originally Posted by AP

Blimey, the car probably never gets warmed up.
My car is just used at weekends (for longer drives) and never an issue. I’ve left it for 2 weeks without any hint of the battery being low

The longest I’ve left a car was a previous f10 which I had left for just over 3 weeks which when I got back in did give me a warning about a low battery but started without any further issue

I’d try and use the car for longer drives so it gets up to temperature , I’d assume quite a lot of wear occurring as it’s mostly cold

I only worry because I had an f10 m5 before this and if I didn’t drive it for a day or two the. I’d get the charge battery message or battery discharge. And I’d have to plug it in. Maybe I had paracitic draw or something.

[M5pnw]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Right here, C-Tek makes this for BMW. This is the same thing without the BMW label but half the cost. Works well for me. You definitely need one that does AGM batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-40-206-5...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Awesome thanks I was looking at this one as well. You think I should hook it up everyday after I get home from work? since my drives are so short everyday?

[Qsilver7]

Even the older (manufactured by Deltran) BMW charger will work...so I'd shop around for the best price for either the Deltran or CTEK battery charger with or without the BMW branding.

If you get the "advanced" versions...you won't have to disconnect the charger until you're going to drive the car. It will maintain the battery without overcharging it.


Deltran MFG

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by M5pnw

Awesome thanks I was looking at this one as well. You think I should hook it up everyday after I get home from work? since my drives are so short everyday?

No way, completely unnecessary if you are driving it everyday even short distances, you should be fine. I don't drive mine in the winter, so after a few weeks of it sitting in the garage, I slap it on.

You may not even need one if you are starting the car everyday. Of course it can't hurt anything by hooking it up, just may not really be necessary.

That said, pick one up whether you use it daily or not. It is great for vacations or when you are coding or have a remote coding session. Battery failure during coding is catastrophic. Peace of mind.

[M5pnw]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

No way, completely unnecessary if you are driving it everyday even short distances, you should be fine. I don't drive mine in the winter, so after a few weeks of it sitting in the garage, I slap it on.

You may not even need one if you are starting the car everyday. Of course it can't hurt anything by hooking it up, just may not really be necessary.

That said, pick one up whether you use it daily or not. It is great for vacations or when you are coding or have a remote coding session. Battery failure during coding is catastrophic. Peace of mind.

Yeah I’d also like one just to have. I’ll probably go with the one you showed me. CTEK MXS 5.0

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by M5pnw

Awesome thanks I was looking at this one as well. You think I should hook it up everyday after I get home from work? since my drives are so short everyday?

If I was in your position...I'd probably hook it up to charger/maintainer like once a month...or anytime you'll be riding your bike and the car will be sitting for a day or two.

Plus you can do the same for your bike...hook it up to the charger/maintainer when you're driving the car. This will more than likely increase the life of both batteries.

[M5pnw]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If I was in your position...I'd probably hook it up to charger/maintainer like once a month...or anytime you'll be riding your bike and the car will be sitting for a day or two.

Plus you can do the same for your bike...hook it up to the charger/maintainer when you're driving the car. This will more than likely increase the life of both batteries.

Will do. I wanna make the battery last as long as possible before I have to change it I heard it’s spendy to get it replaced.