Battery question

[Craig in Alabam]

Hi Folks,

I got my 2010 128i about a year ago and I'm sure the battery is original. While it isn't showing any signs of dying (I use a battery tender about once a month) I think 6 years or so is not bad and I'd rather replace it before I have any problems. My local dealer (who I've always had great service from) will replace it and register it for about $400, which is not too bad. But if I replace it myself they will register the new battery for $70. I can get a new AGM battery for under $200. They did offer the caveat that that was "as long as the battery will accept registration."
Will all batteries accept registration or were they just covering their butts? Also, will it be OK to replace the standard lead-acid battery that's in there now with an AGM?
I know about Carly, but I'd rather the dealer register the battery for me.

Thanks,
Craig

[NorthernDancer]

You'll only ever need 1 more battery for this car unless you keep it for another 6-8 yrs so I would go to your good dealer for the extra $130.

[Craig in Alabam]

Hi Dancer,

That's an excellent point, and one I will certainly consider. I'm just used to trying to save money. However it would be easier to get the whole thing done at the dealer. Thanks for the input!

Cheers!
Craig

[NorthernDancer]

Best way to save money?
1. Join BMWCCA; huge source of best technical information. Mike Miller will give you best answers within 24 hours usually. Magazine every month. Discount on new car after member for 1 year.
2. Keep friendly with your dealer.
3. If possible, learn to do your own oil changes, plus air and cabin filters. BMWCCA people will help.
4. Look thru videos on bavauto.com also Pelican Parts.
Good Luck

[Ric in RVA]

The battery doesn't "accept" the registration.

All they are doing is telling the charging system how old the battery is, if it is agm or wet, and CCA.

The car then sets voltage and amperage based on charge acceptance rates for that battery.

Get the carly. So much more you can code!!!

[mr.fabulous]

You must replace your battery with one of the same physical and electrical properties as your OE battery, else the new unit requires coding. The same battery can be registered by you using https://www.autoenginuity.com/wordpr...ce-reset-tool/ ... or other more comprehensive scan tools available from several suppliers.

Honestly, $400 doesn't sound bad compared to some of the stories I've seen here. Me, I replaced mine with the OE equivalent (from a dealer, $240) and coded it myself with the little AutoEnginuity widget ($130)... a savings of over $100 from your dealer is asking. My battery is lead-acid, not AGM; I cannot comment on any price difference you might experience.

[MightyMouseTech]

For that price, just get the Carly app and code/register it yourself. Then you can do all sorts of other fun stuff.

[mackeroni]

There might be some confusion about whether a new battery must be registered to the car. My understanding is that a new battery should be registered, even if it is the same battery, or if it has the same specs as the one being replaced. The reason for this is that your car will charge an older battery differently than it will a new one. You don't want your car to be charging the new battery the same as the old one. The charging rates are different.

Just my opinion after reading about 5,000 battery replacement posts here.

Peace.

[mackeroni]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

For that price, just get the Carly app and code/register it yourself. Then you can do all sorts of other fun stuff.

Agree!

[Vigilante375]

Whats funny is BMW says the battery and the technology will allow the battery to last for, up to, 10 years. But then they recommend you change it every 5.....what is even the point of the whole dynamics behind the battery tech if they want you to change it every 5.

I just changed mine (5 years and it was dead) and it seems everyone has their own "opinions" on what to do. The independent shop I went to said for me to get the exact same specs (ever spec) for my replacement battery while the dealer said get the same CCA and you'll be fine. Independent shop said they would have to reprogram the car and charge more if I didn't get the exact same spec battery.

Stupid engineers making things way more complicated and more expensive with such an easy component to replace and maintain yourself.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Vigilante375

Stupid engineers making things way more complicated and more expensive with such an easy component to replace and maintain yourself.

+1.

[Craig in Alabam]

+2

I just replaced the battery in my '64 MGB this weekend. $50 for a new battery and it will probably last 9 years like the last one did!

Cheers!
Craig

[JimD]

BMW batteries are rated in amp hours which is not a normally available parameter in the U. S. (at least where I live). But you can convert the reserve rating to amp hours. Google it for the formula. I agree you can get an equivalent battery for less but the gap narrows when you get the same amp hours that BMW installs. They are BIG.

There is nothing about the battery that would affect registration other than the amp hours. BMW has only half a dozen choices (might be less than that, I didn't look it up). So the dealer might be talking about a risk you could buy a "little" battery that there is no setting for in the software. I don't think a little mis-match would be a huge deal but it would be better to get something there is a setting for. Changing the setting is one more step but it wouldn't change the coding much. Changing to AGM requires the same change.

I will not pay a BMW dealer $400 for a battery. If I have to, I will get a battery at an auto parts store and code it later. It might take a little life out of the battery but I think we're talking about days at most (assuming you code reasonably promptly). BMW raised our cost for the replacement but I have a cable (somewhere) and can reinstall the software on the current laptop. Or I can get Carley. Even if it cost me the same amount with the software, I wouldn't get it from the dealer. But I also understand others are very uncomfortable with these things and might want to just spend the money. As long as you are spending your money, I don't see any issue.

[kioneo]

If you're concerned about money, also consider postponing the battery replacement until necessary. About the time mine was about to go out, the car still started after sitting for a while. But the clock was reset, my tell tale sign that the battery was about done for.

The point being, the system will do its best to protect the car to at least start itself. But if you absolutely can't afford the inconvenience of a no-start some morning, then proactive replacement is warranted.

With the above in mind, and using it on a tender when possible, my battery lasted nearly 8 years.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by JimD

BMW batteries are rated in amp hours which is not a normally available parameter in the U. S. (at least where I live). But you can convert the reserve rating to amp hours. Google it for the formula.

Just for fun I did a curve fit for batteries for which I had both RC and Ah.
RC * 0.473 + 14.492 = Ah. Very good correlation (0.995)

Obviously I have too much free time.

[cvandenhaute]

Originally Posted by Craig in Alabam

Hi Folks,

I got my 2010 128i about a year ago and I'm sure the battery is original. While it isn't showing any signs of dying (I use a battery tender about once a month) I think 6 years or so is not bad and I'd rather replace it before I have any problems. My local dealer (who I've always had great service from) will replace it and register it for about $400, which is not too bad. But if I replace it myself they will register the new battery for $70. I can get a new AGM battery for under $200. They did offer the caveat that that was "as long as the battery will accept registration."
Will all batteries accept registration or were they just covering their butts? Also, will it be OK to replace the standard lead-acid battery that's in there now with an AGM?
I know about Carly, but I'd rather the dealer register the battery for me.

Thanks,
Craig

Just replaced my original battery (6.5 years, 60K Miles), I started to have signes it was on its way out: DRLs and tail light not switching on as I unlocked the car, some warnings on cold start on the dash (yellow light showing the car on the lift), I cannot take the chance to be stranded here and we had some cold weather so decided to be proactive...

[sixburgh]

I have 67,xxxx on my 2010 BMW 128i. The original battery still cranks at sub zero temps. I will stay close to my dealer. I will use them for a battery replacement.
As a BMW CCA member will bring a 15% discount.
By far, this car puts a big grin on my face.

[Craig in Alabam]

Hi Folks,

Just to follow up, I decided to replace the battery myself and get Carly to code it. So I took the battery out and when they load tested it it showed up good as new. So I put it back in and decided to check for a parasitic draw.

Before I could get around to that, I noticed on Sunday that the parking lamp was still on, so the car wasn't going into sleep mode. Dang! Just for grins, I tried using my old key fob to lock it, and sure enough it went to sleep after ~ 16 minutes or so. I don't know if that was just a coincidence or not, but I don't see how the key fob could affect that. Anyway, I will look into that when I get a chance, and do some further experiments. I did get a new key fob this summer which I've been using almost exclusively. Still doesn't make sense, but electricals are not my strong suit.

I'll post back when I have more info. Hope it's not the general module (or whatever it's called).
Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Cheers!
Craig

[ianc]

I had a brief scare over the weekend when I saw the yellow battery symbol flicker briefly on the dash and panicked, as I'm on the original battery, which is about 7 years old at this point. However, the car cranks like gangbusters, still shows green in the inspection port and measures over 12V across the terms with the ignit off, so I think I'll hold off a bit. The climate here is very mild, and the car is always garaged over night, so I think it's got a bit more life in it.

I did do a little looking around though, and when the time comes, I'll probably grab a Bosch H7 or H8 AGM batt at Pep Boys for ~175$, with better specs than the OE Varta, although probably a bit heavier. I have confidence in Bosch, and they have a 3 yr free replacement warranty (pro rated thereafter), which I like. Coding can be done pretty easily with Carly, NCSExpert, Rheingold, or many others. No need to shell $400 at the dealer...

ianc

[jlc45]

This is my first BMW (2012 135i 6MT).
I have never heard anything about coding or registering a battery.
What does this mean?
On every car I've ever owned I just took out the old battery and put in the new one and everything worked fine. Can someone explain the process here for me please?
What's involved?
What happening technically?
What's different about the BMW process versus tradition plug and play?
Is the BMW battery from the dealer any different or any better than a battery from Costco e.g.?
Thanks for the info.
Jim

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by jlc45

This is my first BMW (2012 135i 6MT).
I have never heard anything about coding or registering a battery.
What does this mean?

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1101203

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1081902

[1N4ttro]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

For that price, just get the Carly app and code/register it yourself. Then you can do all sorts of other fun stuff.

Is this it for Android?

http://www.ivini-tech.de/en/adapter/...er-bmw/a-1017/