Make sure you drive enough!

[808@702]

So I bought an extremely low mileage CPO M3 3 months ago. Last weekend my battery discharge light came on. I took it in and they replaced it under warranty. My advisor Shaun informed me that if this had happened prior to April of this year it would not have been covered under warranty, due to the car being under driven, hence the battery had not been adequately charged. He could not remember the term for the condition, but he took care of me! Just another reason to get out there and drive drive drive!

[THE TECH]

Always a good idea or get a trickle charger so these things don't happen.

[1sikbmr]

[abehwang]

who doesn't drive their M3......... why not........

[nmehta211]

Sounds fishy. Warranty coverage is not dependent on under mileage!

That said, it is good to know. I walk to work, so the M3 is a pure weekend/toy car. I have had just over 3 months and have put less than 1000 miles on it.

[808@702]

Take it on a road trip! Ive had 3 months and have 3500 on it. The undercharge damage apparently happened when the previous owner had it.

[Titanium Silver]

LOL! Under driven... that's a new one.

[luis_m3]

Not even 4 months... 10k miles. I do plenty of driving!

[mkoesel]

This sounds like total BS to me because its not absolute mileage that will keep a battery charged. Instead, it is driving the car at a regular enough interval. In other words, there's no way they could know if the car were "under-driven" just by looking at the number of miles driven over its lifetime. They would have to know that the car had not been driven enough over a very specific period. And as far as I know, the computer does not store a date/time associated with the mileage driven. But maybe it does?

[persian54]

Actually what the SA is correct.... depending on the dealer, they can refuse a battery replacement if, under their 'professional' opinion, the car is under-driven

My battery died after not driving it for a couple weeks (we got a new Z4, effectively having an extra car, so I drove the old z4 instead of the m3 so that i could save miles on my m3)
but they changed it since my car has about 1k miles per month usage

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

I have to agree as someone said .... sounds a bit fishy ... , if the battery had to be replaced and could not be recharged it must have been defective perhaps had a leak ? I think your friendly SA gave you a line of bull

[Chrisfast]

It's called unfavorable driving conditions. That's what the car reports anyway. If you're not going to drive your car that often, it really doesn't take much to buy some battery clamps to adapt to the cigarette lighter part and plug it in. My M3 hasn't been driven since last week and is now being maintained by my charger. I use a Porsche one, because that's just what I have, but BMW makes a great one too.

[mkoesel]

Well if its true, then that's pretty damn mindless. So, if the car sits for a year, the battery dies, but then I just start driving the car daily, get a jump start for a week or so, take the car in, then I can get the battery replaced. Great system guys.

Bottom line is that unless they can prove the car sat for an extended period of time, they should replace the battery. I could put 500 miles on the car a year and the battery will remain absolutely perfect as long as I choose to put those miles on in exactly the right intervals. For that matter, I could have a trickle charger on the battery and have the car sitting in a barn - that'll register exactly zero miles.

Denying battery replacement based on odometer reading = trailer park science. Yes indeed.

Originally Posted by persian54

Actually what the SA is correct.... depending on the dealer, they can refuse a battery replacement if, under their 'professional' opinion, the car is under-driven

My battery died after not driving it for a couple weeks (we got a new Z4, effectively having an extra car, so I drove the old z4 instead of the m3 so that i could save miles on my m3)
but they changed it since my car has about 1k miles per month usage

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by Chrisfast

It's called unfavorable driving conditions. That's what the car reports anyway. If you're not going to drive your car that often, it really doesn't take much to buy some battery clamps to adapt to the cigarette lighter part and plug it in. My M3 hasn't been driven since last week and is now being maintained by my charger. I use a Porsche one, because that's just what I have, but BMW makes a great one too.

Great idea only one point of danger ... might it not lead to a eventual Porsche 911 purchase just thinking out loud here ... I mean seeing that Porsche name that often might manipulate your mind and have you stop at that Porsche Dealership in town

[persian54]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Well if its true, then that's pretty damn mindless. So, if the car sits for a year, the battery dies, but then I just start driving the car daily, get a jump start for a week or so, take the car in, then I can get the battery replaced. Great system guys.

Bottom line is that unless they can prove the car sat for an extended period of time, they should replace the battery. I could put 500 miles on the car a year and the battery will remain absolutely perfect as long as I choose to put those miles on in exactly the right intervals. For that matter, I could have a trickle charger on the battery and have the car sitting in a barn - that'll register exactly zero miles.

Denying battery replacement based on odometer reading = trailer park science. Yes indeed.

You do have to remember that it depends on the dealer

Dealers don't do work unless they can guarantee they'll get paid, they generally don't care about anything else; they are a business after all

I agree with you fyi

Same thing goes with the 15k mi intervals for oil changes...

[Chrisfast]

Originally Posted by Rolf-Dieter

Great idea only one point of danger ... might it not lead to a eventual Porsche 911 purchase just thinking out loud here ... I mean seeing that Porsche name that often might manipulate your mind and have you stop at that Porsche Dealership in town

Lol! Nah, that's why I have a Porsche trickle charger, because I've already owned one. They're great cars, but I'm kind of done for a while with Porsche. I really can't explain how happy I am with the M3 right now. It is the most mundane car I've had in the last 5 years and so far I really think it's my favorite. It just does everything so well and seamless. Your post did make me laugh pretty hard though.

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

...... have the car sitting in a barn - that'll register exactly zero miles.

Denying battery replacement based on odometer reading = trailer park science. Yes indeed.

so agree +100 why get a M3 in the first place if not driving it ... it be so lonely in the garage

[808@702]

Glad we all got our 2 cents worth. All I care about is I got a new battery.

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by Chrisfast

Lol! Nah, that's why I have a Porsche trickle charger, because I've already owned one. They're great cars, but I'm kind of done for a while with Porsche. I really can't explain how happy I am with the M3 right now. It is the most mundane car I've had in the last 5 years and so far I really think it's my favorite. It just does everything so well and seamless. Your post did make me laugh pretty hard though.

That was my intent to put a smile on your face glad I succeeded, I do agree with you about the quality of the M3 that is why I traded 2 Z4s in the past 12 months to get back into a M3 ... simply missed my 2002 M3 too much

Happy motoring and do stay clear of them Porsche Dealerships

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by nmehta211

Sounds fishy. Warranty coverage is not dependent on under mileage!

I was told by my dealer (only one in town) that if I drive less than 1K miles a month, BMW wouldn't replace the battery. At least they warned me, but that's crap IMO. I charge my battery weekly, so not driving the car is not an issue. Besides, driving the car for short distances each ignition cycle is a lot more brutal on the battery than not using it.

When I need a new battery I'll just get one myself, just like I pay out of pocket for all my services. Not worth dicking with a dealer about it .

[jmusser3r]

I bought my car last December. It was an '08 with only 7600 miles on it. Hardly driven. But don't worry i've owned the car for 10 months and have put 10,000 miles on it. Not bad considering my daily commute is a mile combined

[mmm def]

Originally Posted by luis_m3

Not even 4 months... 10k miles. I do plenty of driving!

How to be!