1 year old CM "14 stopped working. I was out of the Country for 3 weeks and I am not familiar about cars/battery needing to be used for it to not drain or die

All I was told when I started to lease the car a year ago was that I am covered by warranty for any issues.

Now, after getting it towed and having the service dep at the dealer diagnose it, battery turns out dead and was advised that I need to pay 450 for oem battery And 70 for trickle charger to prevent future issues.

I just feel so bad that I am in this situation. Had I known about this happening when driving less, I would not have leased or have bought a battery charger in the beginning. As stupid as it sounds , I was told when I was looking into getting a car that I have nothing to worry when I encounter a problem and it will always be covered by warranty and maintenance. Yes, I know I should have known better and that I probably did not do my research . I really am not familiar when it comes to technicalities about cars

Now they're telling me battery is not even covered. I wish I had a clue about this.

I know that this may be something every car owner is aware of... I'm sorry if I had no knowledge about all this now that I am frustrating about paying a lot

Now I am left with this burden of paying...Any advice on what I should do? Or just to suck it all , pay , and learn this lesson?
I just really feel bad having to dillently pay monthly for a lease with a car I rarely used due to my weekly schedule. I informed dealer about my driving schedule right when I was thinking of leasing/buting. No one told me about this at first. I even had no idea about a battery dying when u don't use the car for 3 weeks... That's how uneducated I am when it comes to battery

Should I buy a battery from some third party seller or something? Is there a cheaper way into dealing with this without having to put my car at risk? I know I was told that an oem bat is needed so it would be registered into the system or something to that extend


Any advice from you all would be appreciated. I just want to save every dollar possible due to my financial issues recently.

I know it is my fault for not knowing about this but I really had no idea and thought that leasing would always make it easy for me when it comes to maintenance and warranty


I even deposited 10k and pay 270 monthly for this 36 month lease.

I just feel bad having to deal with this.

Hope u all have suggestions that would help my situation . Thank you all!

 

Modern cars will slowly discharge their battery while sitting....
Features like keyless entry REQUIRES a small computer and radio receiver be running all the time...and yes, the issue is more acute with some makes/models....
So your options....
If the car is parked at home, get a "battery tender", this is a modern version of a trickle charger, and will keep the battery charged during long periods of lack of use....heck some folks who drive verybshort distances and run just a few minutes a day need them....cost...about $50 or so...easy to install, just plug the car in when parked.
A much bigger, higher capicity battery might help...a AGM battery, typically a " super premium " battery can last many weeks....my 2005 has gone 3+ weeks, parked in a garage, and still started, abet slower than normal...

 

P.S.
you can buy a battery from a non mini dealer...but it MUST be "regerstered" in most mini's...basicly the computer is informed of the new battery, the type and size, so the computer knows how to properly charge it to prevent it from during early....

 

Thanks. I told mini to get me a trickle and I told them tender but they said they don't know what the parts department recommends but whatever they do recommend, it is what mini recommends, they say. Cause I heard great reviews for the tender one.

I would rather invest in the best charger possible. I heard some use two or s higher voltage:

Is there a way I can just leave the charger on everyday? Or only when I don't plan to use it? Becsuse I don't know when I'll use the car after each time I use it.

I hope there is some new types of chargers that allows it to be placed inside always without having to put it only when I need to charge it.

What also do I do when I leave two months and not use my car? Any tips?

Thanks!

 

$450 is too much to replace and register a battery. Go to a reputable mini shop and it will be half that. Good trickle chargers can be found at most auto part stores or here: http://store.helix13.com/ctek-battery-chargers/.

 

A battery tender can be SAFELY left on the car anytime it is parked...they can be wired up with a hidden quick connect plug...so very easy to connect and disconnect... I would suggest you only need to connect it if going a week or more of not using the car.
One suggestion...DO NOT GET the type that back feeds through the cigarette lighter plug, on many mini's, the computer disconnects it from the circurt after a set time period, to prevent anything plugged in, like a cellphone charger, or dashcam, from draining the battery.....but it should be pretty easy to wire up a direct connection to the battery, with a quick connect plug, so you do not even have to open the hood.....
A old style "trickle charger" is actually pretty rare, just a 12v transformer, think, like a wall mounted cellphone charger....the difference between a trickle charger and a batter tender/matainer is a couple of computer chips that monitor the battery voltage and applies current as needed...a trickle charger is just on all the time, and can damage a battery in some cases.
And as stated, shop around....dealers can price some things very high....
Many "BMW" or Eurosport type garages have the tools to register the new battery, and can likely connect a battery tender for you for much less than the dealer will charge you if an independent mini shop is not around.

 

Seriously????
I am learning more and more from NAM about my cars...
Plus 1 on the posts about battery tenders/maintainers. They are a better choice for vehicles left alone at times, even with the newer AGM batteries.
If you were to get a AGM or Gel battery now or possibly in the future, it's best to get equipment/ Tenders that are rated or built to handle them correctly versus a older, regular flooded battery.
You may pay more to get a more complex or capable Charger, but it will work with the different needs of the newer battery types out there as compared to a simpler, cheaper unit that only really works with flooded batteries.
Now I need to go price out a battery for my Clubman......

 

mine (an 2012) died with a "bad cell" a few months back, had it towed to the dealer and everything was covered under warranty.