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Help! Car idling for 20-25 mins? More than I asked for. :(
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01-03-2011, 09:41 AM | #1 |
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Help! Car idling for 20-25 mins? More than I asked for. :(
I am on vacation and my car is parked in the car port. It has been 3 weeks since I left, so I asked my housemate to start the car and let it run for a bit (5-10 mins max), so the battery would not die by the time I get back into my car next time.
He let the engine run for 25 minutes. He drives an old Honda Civic and I would not let him drive my car, and he is careful not to do that either (to the best of my knowledge). My E90 has Anti theft alarm which I thought would consume battery to some extent, while running all the time. I was initially not anticipating a long extended vacation (the duration kind of out of my control at the moment), so I did not disconnect the battery. I left the gas tank full with upto 10% ethanol mix of fuel from 76. Any insights? What would this super long idling do to the car? EDIT: The car has 1570 miles on the ODO Thanks guys.
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01-03-2011, 09:43 AM | #2 |
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you did more harm than good letting it idle at all.
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01-03-2011, 10:00 AM | #4 |
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01-03-2011, 10:08 AM | #5 |
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I wouldn't call you an asshole, but a bit more trust towards a roommate doing you a favor wouldn't be a bad new year's resolution to make?
Just busting your chop... The 30 minutes of idling is no big deal. But also not needed. A car can sit for several months before the battery might discharge enough to not start the car. And even then, a boost to start it is no big deal to arrange from your friend's Civic. If gone for 4 months I would ask your roommate to disconnect the battery and even remove it from the trunk (bring it indoors and place on a tricklecharger ideally). Basically, you are on vacation... Don't sweat it. |
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01-03-2011, 10:11 AM | #6 | |
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If you have a house mate whose 11 year old car's engine hood is all rusted from outside and the car has never been vacuumed from the inside for 3 years, with all the dirt piling inside and sticky thing on the manual transmission gear shift knob, you would not say so. Some people are wonderful but they just don't like cars or are not good at keeping their things proper. Thanks for stopping by and spitting out the divine words in the this beautiful decade.
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01-03-2011, 10:15 AM | #7 |
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01-03-2011, 10:16 AM | #8 | |
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Car is a different story, as he is pathetic with taking care and keeping cars properly (he says himself all the time). Even if tell him, he is most likely to refuse that he wont take the car out for a spin for a 20-30 mile ride. And if you read between the lines you would know, someone who knows cars won't keep the car running idle for 25 minutes, perhaps I am stupid about asking this thing in the first place, but oh well, 10 minutes got translated to 25 minutes. He went an extra mile And right here on this forum I have seen people who would not even let their family members drive their cars. Great advice about removing the battery though, I greatly appreciate it! I will also work on the new year's resolution Flame on, if that's how we are starting the new year Last edited by bavarianboar; 01-03-2011 at 10:31 AM.. |
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01-03-2011, 10:29 AM | #9 |
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You should search on storage and find many posts on the subject. Maybe we should post a sticky on the subject...
It's nice to be in a situation that you don't know how long you will be on VACATION (I'm jealous). But considering your car seems to be new based on the mileage, the battery is strong enough to keep your car parked for at least a month. The things to know about batteries are the worst thing to do is start the car and let it idle for a period of time. The battery actually does not regain the amount of charge lost by starting the engine. So if you do this repeatedly without an extended drive, you will shorten the life of the battery, rather than help it. The best thing to do is just let the car sit. If you are on an extended cycle of inactivity the next best thing is to get a battery float charger (not a trickle charger), such as a Deltran Battery Tender, and connect it to the under-hood battery terminals with the Battery Tender's clip-leads. The Battery Tender will keep the battery fresh without overcharging it. BTW, I agree with your assessment of your RM. Sounds like a squid to me (when it comes to cars at least). |
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01-03-2011, 10:41 AM | #10 | |
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Idle for that long is no worry. Its not like dropping the toothbrush in the toliet. Your worrying about this is more wear and tear. |
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01-03-2011, 02:58 PM | #12 | |
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My roommates not allowed to drive my car either but thats because my insurance CLEARLY states that I am the only person who is allowed to drive it. So for me its not an ass hole move, its the law. |
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01-03-2011, 03:30 PM | #14 | |
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Shit i think we could open a school with all the scholars here.
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01-03-2011, 03:36 PM | #15 |
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Best post of 2011...so far
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01-03-2011, 03:42 PM | #16 |
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I remember a thread a while back where someone lent their car to their girlfriend/wife for work, and they left it idling for hours.. could try to find the thread and see if the guy reported back on any damage!
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01-03-2011, 03:45 PM | #17 |
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25 minutes, super long? You obviously have not been stuck in NYC traffic.
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If no codes are being thrown use Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner (concentrate). It solves rpm fluctuating upon cold start-up. Also, for most BMW problems start off by scanning your car with the Peake Research Tool. It contains the actual BMW codes. If you want to register a newly installed battery for free (just buy a $10 cable) and google/download BMWLogger
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01-03-2011, 03:46 PM | #18 |
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haha at all the comments. You have nothing to worry about and even if you do itll be under warranty so why would u even worry. i left my car sit without disconnecting my battery for 4 months ( totally forgot before i left) and it started up right away. Best thing to do is disconnect and drive before for 10 min
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01-03-2011, 04:09 PM | #19 |
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01-03-2011, 06:57 PM | #21 |
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My car gave me the yellow battery icon when it was 19F in Dec. and I had been talking on the bluetooth for 35 min. Thought I needed a new battery, SA told me should be 5-6 years before replacement so I left it. I just let the car sit from the Thu. before XMAS and drove it for the first time today to work. No incidents. I think people should not worry so much about the battery. When it fails someday, either DIY, or pay the dealership $300-$500. But there's no need to constantly worry. Or get a tender for $47 and keep it plugged in. my .02 When my car was new it sat 3-4 wks. at a time and always started on the first try.
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01-03-2011, 06:59 PM | #22 | |
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