Presley348

Does anyone here know how the BMW Advanced Battery Charging system actually works? I was advised by my BMW SA I need one to make sure my battery stayed fully charged and the idrive stayed fully functional. So I bought one and was told all I needed to do was plug it into my cigarette lighter and leave it always charging and not to worry because I could never over charge my BMW.

SO I put my BMW on charge tonight, but noticed there 4 light functions, and if a blinking RED one appear means my battery is not connected right. Does anyone here know how to make it go to there steady RED light charging light from the blinking RED light? (I did notice at first it was a fast blinking RED light, but now four hours left on charge, it has became a bit slower RED light. Does this mean something?)


Thanks in Advance!!


Eddie Presley aka Presley348

Iceman

AFAIK there is no way you can charge the E60 throughthe cigarette lighter!

There was a BMW accessory to charge the car when parked; a solar panel which you connect to the cigarette lighter. But BMW took it out of the accessories catalogue because the new generation of cars shut down everything and so a device that puts power into the cigarette lighter can cause trouble or damage.
I don't know what exactly happens, but that's what I've been told. So there is no way of charging the battery through the cigarette lighter.
Yo uneed to charge the battery directly on its poles (or on the poles under the hood).

pennetta

BMW does sell this charging unit and it has a cigarette lighter connector. There is no way to intuitively know what the light codes mean, didn't it come with a manual?
I would think that you would have to plug it into a cigarette lighter that stays hot when the car is off in order for the charge to work, the front center one and the under the footwell one both go off with the ignition. There are more on the back of the center console for the rear passengers but never used them.
Do you have the plug pushed in all the way, maybe take it out and rotate it 45 degress and push back in. I find some cigarette lighter plugs are sensitive to how they are plugged in.

Presley348

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Thanks for your advice, and yes I have the BMW charging system that suppose to work on my e60, but your right the front lighter is not hot unless the switch is turned on, and when I did that it did take care of my flashing RED light problem. But just as soon as I turn it back to the off position there goes the RED light back to blinking again!! Also I noticed now my drivers side airbag switch is tripped!!

I don't really know how to solve it, but you can bet you bottom dollar I will be back at my BMW dealership to my SA that told me to buy the BMW charging unitm and it would work on my e60 and not overcharge...(in most American cars I can switch my lighter to remain hot with switch in off position, unless I get advice how to do it properly on my e60, I am not touching these hi-tech BMW e60s!!!)


Eddie Presley aka Presley348

Rudy

I'm pretty sure that even though the salesman claimed it was compatible with the E60, I don't think it is...

westcoast550

Rudy is right , I went through the same process, You need a battery charging unit that connects to the terminals under the front hood. I bought one from Garry , but there are several others chargers that will do the job.Good Luck

Presley348

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You guys here at the forum are right!! I took my advance BMW charger back today, and the guy that sold it to me said, oh yea I forgot you got an e60, and they don't like the cigarette lighter method! He said, then you need the one that connect direct to your front remote battery terminals and your hood!! He did take the that cigarette light charger back, and other me the other one and should be in on WED. I wish they would had told me this last Friday whey they said that!!

Thanks Iceman, Pennetta, Rudy, Westcoast550!!

Eddie Presley

Lomag

I used the cigarette lighter version a few times over the years and it's worked fine but it does need to be plugged directly to the battery terminals under the hood. Radio Shack sells a cigarette lighter to battery terminal converter cable which I bought to accomplish that. It's been years but I assume they still sell it. I wasn't aware BMW made a different trickle charger other than the one that plugs into the cig lighter socket. You really don't need to use a charge though unless you're going away for 1 week or more IMO.

Presley348

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Thanks Mark for you reply to my BMW battery charger problem,

Today, I picked up the BMW charger with Battery clips with a 10 yr warranty from my dealer, got home, and I hooked and plugged it up, and so far it works great!!

Now two weeks ago, I too was totally unaware of BMW selling their advance battery charger with battery clips for the e60, but I was told first by Bav Auto Sport that BMW does makes them with both either the: 1) Cigarette lighter plug, and the one with 2) Battery clips, and I was told how Bav Auto just so happens to carry them both too, and I can see and order either unit one from their Bav Auto catalog for $69.95 + S&H. But I chose not to wait, and not pay S &H, and get mine today, from my local BMW dealer for 69.95, + Sales TAX, but no S&H!!!

Now for anyone here that might need a BMW Advance battery charger with Battery clips for their e60, the actual BMW part number is: 82 11 0 406 881.

If I had a few days to wait on my charger being delivered, I would had purchased my BMW Battery Charger with battery clips from Garry of BMW Newport as I buy most of my other BMW parts, and get our e60 forum discount of 25%, and pay no sales TAX buying it off the web!! (I have found out that Garry of BMW of Newport are great giving us 25% discounts off MSRP for our Genuine BMW Parts for e60 forum members!!)

Sincerely,

R. Eddie Presley ask Presley348