listerone

I'm going to be away for over a month (January/February) and am considering the above action in order a) to avoid theft and b) to place the battery indoors hooked up to a trickle charger.I know that doing so will require a "reprograming" of the central computer...transmission,etc...and I'll lose seat settings,radio settings,etc.But am I missing something important,or even semi-important? For example,will the music stored on the hard drive disappear? TIA!

petee1997

If only gone 30 days, you are wasting your time. Lock the car and the system goes to sleep. I leave mine in that mode every winter for up to two months with no problems.

RSIKR

Real bad idea. I too have left the car sleep for weeks with no issues.

ImInPA

You do not have to remove the battery to trickle charge it. Just follow the instructions in the owners manual and use the jump start connections. Also, make sure you use a charger that is compatible with AGM/VRLA batteries.

listerone

What I failed to make clear is that I don't have access to a garage or an electrical outlet....I live in a condo.The trickle charger I have is an official BMW charger which,I read,is suited for AGM batteries.

Arrie

Other than to prevent the theft battery removal is unnecessary. It will not go down in a month, probably not in two months and removing it for long time will certainly cost extra to get the car running again. And if it goes down too much to start the car again it is just a simple jump procedure to get it going again.

Music on the HDD should not be lost.

For preventing the theft, couldn't you just boot the car?

YYZ-E55

I'd rather come home to a missing car than a car that was smashed up but still sitting there! It's tough to steal a Benz these days short of flatbedding it or obtaining the keys.

Worse would be throwing out your back trying to get the battery out!

theraven333

Hi ! If it is the Ctek battery charger(BMW own brand them) then it is an intelligent battery charger and is suitable for AGM batteries, as many BMW's have these types of battery including my last 6 series!!!!

Mbenz260e

I really wouldn't worry too much. My mother has a 2004 CLK she has left 3 months (unplanned extended overseas trip) and it started right up, even with an 8 year old battery. I think you may cause more issues than you are avoiding.

Other option, find a board member in the CT area to drive it for you

listerone

No,that can't happen.It's a diesel and several years ago I was officially certified as being the only person in the Nutmeg State who's qualified to drive a diesel automobile.

listerone

Yah,I'm almost certain that my "d" had an AGM battery and it worked fine.And it is a BMW brand,featuring the BMW logo and having been bought
at a BMW dealership.Too bad this charger can't be the solution to my situation.

listerone

Thanks much to all who replied. I think I'll just keep the battery hooked up and hope a) that the battery survives and b) that mBrace does,in fact,notify me if any attempt is made to steal the vehicle.It's worked in the past when I accidentally set off the alarm system so it probably would do so again.

mleskovar

I just read that a healthy car battery with no drain loses only 5% charge per month so you should be good to go.

telemakhos

I left my car for over a month - no issues. I too would leave the battery in.

rufmb

So why would MB sell a trickle charger accessory?

ImInPA

The battery in the E350 Bluetec is not a true AGM. It is actually a Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery (VRLA). It does take the same charge cycle as an AGM battery would.