[jamesnmlaw]

2002 BMW. A 2002 model year, not model. 325Xi. I don't drive it but maybe once a week or so, really a back-up car. that I bought for $900 and have spent about $5,000 to make it nice enough for a 2nd or 3rd car. Puts the BM in BMW.

Was experiencing an issue with the car dying when driving, going soft in limp mode, soon unable to restart, would crank but not fire. Eventually towed to BMW wrench that, after a few weeks, announced the cylinder heads were crack and needed replacing, and that I had a turn signal light out. Another couple of thousand later, the BMW people pronounced the car fixed but for a bad battery. BMW wrench charged up the battery so I could get home.

Went to FLAPS, bought a Duralast Gold in October, battery is stickered as Jan, 2023 creation. Installed (does not need BMW coding). Car starts and drives fine. Checked alternator, OK. Checked for parasitic draw using an amp-clamp, OK.

Battery drained to 0% charged within a week of no driving. Took battery back to FLAPS, charged up. Clerk said battery is fine.

Re-installed. Drains to 70% charged. Brought the battery inside the house, took about 15 minutes to charge from 70% to 100% using my Duralast charger. Left battery in house, disconnected. Battery drops to 70% overnight.

Question: do new batteries, charged to 100% (whatever that means) usually drop to 70% charged within 24 hours of sitting inside, unconnected to anything? Volts say 12.4 pretty consistently when at 70% charged. 13.4 when charged to 100%.

The car hates me. I'm beginning to hate the car.