I post rarely, but have benefited from this forum so very much! Thank you all for your continuous information and discussion!

CAR:
I have a 2007 R56 MINI "Justa" Hatch

PROBLEM:
Slow or not starting in the morning. CAN jump start it, and it runs fine and restarts better later.

STEPS TAKEN:

• Had alternator and battery tested at multiple auto shops (O'reilly, Advance, Carquest), including the more lengthy "parking lot" process - increase RPMs, turn on/off A/C fan, etc. All tested good.
• Battery terminals are tight and corosion-free.
• Had recent AC compressor/condensor/water pump and tensioner replaced (unrelated), but same problem occasionally occurred before.

QUESTIONS:

• Battery is 4-5 years old, but consistently tests as "good" as many ways as i can find to test it - is there a best way?
• if it starts better after running for a while does that indeed mean both my alternator and battery are fine? (since that means the battery is holding a charge)
• If I get a new battery, I'm sure the problem will go away for a while, since it will be charged when put in. Is there a way to make sure it's the battery before spending $100-200?
• What's the best way to see if it's a parasitic battery drain? (whether the battery is good or not?)
• is a trickle-charger/conditioner a necessity no matter what? It seems silly that some people say it's a necessity to constantly be charging your battery with an external source since modern cars have an alternator.

Thanks for any and all info. I know some of this is repetitive, but after reading many different cold start/starter/battery posts I couldn't find all the answers I need.

 

... I guess the real question is, what's the best method for me to see if it's a parasitic battery drain or a sneaky bad battery? It's got to be one of those, right?

 

I will bet its the battery. The life span of a battery is usually around 4 to 5 years. When you go to have it tested at Autozone or others is it when you have driven it to there store. Is there a way to have the battery tested after it has been sitting overnight and not recharged by the alternator?

 

^ this. Replace the battery; in any case, it's at end of life.