Looking for Best Trickle Charger and Set Up!

[abates49ers]

All, I know this has been discussed ad nauseam, but Im fairly new (got my 15 Comp in Dec) and the search function failed me, BUT!!!

Im going out of town for a couple of weeks and need trickle charger suggestions and the setup. The prev owner fcked me (in a good way) by never driving it and killing the battery.

If I leave it alone for a week, I know for a fact, Im coming home to a dead battery. Long story short, Help a Brotha OUT!!!

[Noggie]

I have used Ctek chargers for 15 years on my cars. I love them, I have a 7A and a 10A.
Have a quick connector on my cars, wires connected to the battery terminals and a plug that the charger connects to.

https://smartercharger.com

[abates49ers]

Why do you have two different AMPs? What is the adv/disadv to both??

and I read youre not supposed to connect the battery terminals in the trunk.

[AlisterB]

I would recommend a CTEK charger too.

I use the posts in the engine bay as per BMW's recommendation for periodically charging my battery (my M5 doesn't get a lot of use, particularly in these COVID times).

[thxbuff2001]

I use both battery tender and Ctek brands for all my cars. I buy the screw adaptors to the poles. For permanent, I use direct battery in the rear, temporary, I use the front.

[Barry_S]

Originally Posted by Noggie

I have used Ctek chargers for 15 years on my cars. I love them, I have a 7A and a 10A.
Have a quick connector on my cars, wires connected to the battery terminals and a plug that the charger connects to.

https://smartercharger.com

+2 for CTEK. It will also help recondition your battery in the way it works.
I also use the quick connector which is permanently mounted in the car. If I need to use the charger on a different car, it comes with the regular battery alligator clips.

[vafan13]

I also use a CTEK, works great. Do you have auto start/stop disabled? You probably need a new battery, but turning that crap off helps a lot if you do a good amount of city driving.

[thxbuff2001]

Originally Posted by abates49ers

All, I know this has been discussed ad nauseam, but Im fairly new (got my 15 Comp in Dec) and the search function failed me, BUT!!!

Im going out of town for a couple of weeks and need trickle charger suggestions and the setup. The prev owner fcked me (in a good way) by never driving it and killing the battery.

If I leave it alone for a week, I know for a fact, Im coming home to a dead battery. Long story short, Help a Brotha OUT!!!

I rent a public storage area for cars. Short term,1-2 weeks, ived left my F10 m5 in it and have never had a dead battery. I think 1 week is fine. 2 weeks, i had a low battery logo stating needing to be charge, but it still started.

But there is a recall on the F10 m5 for battery being discharge when not in use. My battery was replaced under warranty once.

[M5Rick]

Didn't think batteries came under the general car warranty.

[Qsilver7]

Just an FYI for those new to the idea of using a trickle charger…and WHY it is recommended to use the jump start terminals in the engine bay. The charging system uses an IBS (intelligent battery sensor) which monitors the charging system. Hooking directly to the battery terminals leaves the IBS out of the equation…so if there is a great enough change in the condition of the battery…it can interpret that as an issue and you could get unintended check control system warnings.

If you do connect directly to the battery AND you know this can happen…then no problem…you probably won’t be surprised or disturbed by any check control warning. But if you didn’t know…you may assume you have a problem when you don’t.

So for the most part…the recommendation is to hook any charger/trickle charger/battery maintainer directly to the dedicated jump start terminals in the engine bay. If you don’t know where they are located…your owners manual identifies them. If for some reason you don’t have a physical manual…there’s an owners manual built into iDrive. If you don’t know how to find it in iDrive…then press the TALK or MICROPHONE button on your steering wheel…which initiatives VOICE COMMANDS…and just say “OWNERS MANUAL”.