BMW Advanced Battery Charging System - plugs into power outlet

• Genuine BMW Accessory
• Plugs into your car's cigarette lighter
• Reverse polarity protection ensures safety
• Temperature compensation ensures optimal charge voltage even in extreme weather conditions

I found out the hard way that BMW deactivates the cigarette lighter on recent BMW models, thus making it impossible for this product to work. You must buy a product with battery clips instead of the cigarette lighter version.

The vendor includes language on their website as follows:

The battery charger only works on the following BMW models:

3 Series 2009-Later (not 2006 Conv.)

5 Series 2004-Later

7 Series 2002-Later

X5 2007-Later

1 Series (All)

Z4-New Style Hard-top.

I was wrong in assuming that my 2008 528xi was "later" than 2004. When I contacted the vendor, I was told that this language means that any version "earlier" than 2005 is compatible.

You can get the battery clip version from your local BMW dealer and avoid the high shipping price charged by this vendor.

Buyer Beware.

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Modern cars have a host of electronic gear inside of them, gear that drains the battery even as your car sits parked in a garage. I lived in NYC for the entire time I had my 2003 M3 and didn't drive it very often. Result: The battery was often dead. Solution: A trickle charger. These chargers put a low current into the car battery and then, when the battery is fully charged, you don't have to unplug it. Instead you leave your car plugged in, and the charger keeps your battery topped off. Unplug when you're ready to drive and off you go! Great if you don't use your car often and want to have it fully charged when you finally do need to use it.

Not so great if you're expecting an instant charge. If you need to start your dead car soon, jump it or push it down a hill and pop the clutch. Note: try these solutions at your own risk.

The other great thing about this little baby is how you can just plug in to your lighter. So convenient!

On the downside you need a power socket somewhere in the vicinity and possibly a very long extension cord or 2.

And you'll need a car model that works with this. Newer cars can't be charged with this through your lighter socket, so make sure that this is the correct charger for your car. Newer cars need to trickle charge through the connection under the hood or through the battery. I haven't tried it so I don't know what's involved, except that you need some kind of adapter with allegator clips. Amazon's compatibility program doesn't seem to realize this and will happily tell you that your car will work with this charger without any adapter.

I used this for years until just recently, when I got a new car AND started driving more frequently, which was another way to solve the problem!

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I works well on my '02 M3 convertible. Usually it will take a while (e.g., overnight) to get it fully charged. The plastic shell on the cigarette charger plug got a crack when I accidentally dropped it on the ground, but it still works. Perhaps they could've used more durable material.