[DLerner]

For those of you in the "keeping your car for the long haul" camp - how long did your car battery last? I'm in a 2011, drive about 50 miles roundtrip to work every weekday, but I'm starting to get low charge warnings if I go away for work and don't drive the car for 5 days.

I'm going on 5 years with the original battery, which seems totally reasonable - but wanted to see what others are experiencing.

And how much did your dealer charge for replacement? (let's not discuss the pros and cons of dealer vs. walmart batteries to save $ - there are already numerous threads about that)

[BlackWidow]

$689 is what they wanted and what I DIDN'T give them

$150 diagnostic fee (apparently they have to verify its the battery that's bad in the charging system, even though the car tells you it is)
$350 for the battery
The rest in labor + tax

If you're under FACTORY WARRANTY there is an SI B that covers battery replacement on the N63 and it's supposed to be replaced every other oil change, so you may want to look into that.

[snj1013]

I got 3.5 years out of the original battery on my 2011. I think the heat in Texas takes its toll on battery life here, but if you got 5 years from what I've read, you did good. Luckily I had mine checked just prior to my warranty's expiration, so that worked out well.

As far as cost, I believe you can find the battery for around $300 online. The battery does need to be registered for the charging system to be optimized, so I would guess an hours labor, whether it be at your dealer or independent shop. Bottom line, I think you would be doing well to keep the total cost under $400.

[ezmaass]

Five years is a very decent length for a battery. BMW replaced my 550's battery this past December (only 2 years old). It didn't have any issues, but I think they were looking to short-circuit the potential of an issue.

If you've managed 5 years, I think you've done well. No idea what the dealer would charge.

[Teddylongtooth]

My battery was 4 years old when it was replaced, I had it done by the dealer and it cost $549.00 (rip off)parts and labor. That included the registration process which I think is bullshit since the charging system will never fully charge the battery because it's not designed that way, the car only charges the battery to 80% from the alternator while driving and then it uses the lame efficient dynamics (while braking and coasting) to charge it above 80% which usually never happens unless you drive over 50 miles a day. So with that being how it works, next time I will just buy an equally sized xs power battery and put it without the bullshit registration process since the car will never fully charge it anyway, I won't have to worry about it being overcharged like on the older bmw's.

[Alcenos]

The batteries on both my E60 and E70 lasted about 5 years and 65k miles

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by Teddylongtooth

My battery was 4 years old when it was replaced, I had it done by the dealer and it cost $549.00 (rip off)parts and labor. That included the registration process which I think is bullshit since the charging system will never fully charge the battery because it's not designed that way, the car only charges the battery to 80% from the alternator while driving and then it uses the lame efficient dynamics (while braking and coasting) to charge it above 80% which usually never happens unless you drive over 50 miles a day. So with that being how it works, next time I will just buy an equally sized xs power battery and put it without the bullshit registration process since the car will never fully charge it anyway, I won't have to worry about it being overcharged like on the older bmw's.

Teddy, so you really think skipping the registration process will be fine in the long run? batteries are easy to install...i just can't believe i would have to have it registered in order for it to be optimized? i have a 2011 CPO but i'm pretty sure it's still the original battery?

[BlackWidow]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

Teddy, so you really think skipping the registration process will be fine in the long run? batteries are easy to install...i just can't believe i would have to have it registered in order for it to be optimized? i have a 2011 CPO but i'm pretty sure it's still the original battery?

I skipped the registration process for my DIY battery install, I know for a fact the battery doesn't charge like its suppose to because even after a 2+ hour drive of constant coasting (when our vehicle charges the battery) the car will show the charge battery symbol after about 5-10 minutes of playing music with the engine off. I know it's normal for the battery to discharge while listening to music with the engine off but it shouldn't be that quick. When my OEM battery was on its last leg, I could go almost 30-45 minutes on my lunch break listening to music with the engine off before I would get the vehicle discharge warning.

There's registering the battery and then there's programming the battery i.e if your battery is a different CCA than OEM.

If the battery isn't getting fully charged due to not registering and programming that a new battery was installed, undercharging your new battery will shorten it's life drastically. So once I get my new battery (3 year Autozone warranty) I will register/program it with ISTA

[DLerner]

So far, we've got OEM batteries that needed replacement after 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. As I expected - that's a wide range - but with different climates and driving habits, it makes sense. But good to note for newer owners that 5 years+ of battery life is attainable.

Also worth noting is SNJ1013's point to have the dealer check the battery before you go out of warranty because they may cover it on BMW's dime.

I had already come to the conclusion from reading other threads that battery registration by the dealer was a must for it to function properly, although there still seems to be some folks who maintain it's not necessary.

Let's keep this thread running so we can pull in more data about how many years people are getting and how much their dealers are charging. And the 550i and diesels with active steer have a second battery in the trunk, has anyone had to replace that yet?

[The Beast]

Originally Posted by YodaSyrup

So far, we've got OEM batteries that needed replacement after 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. As I expected - that's a wide range - but with different climates and driving habits, it makes sense. But good to note for newer owners that 5 years+ of battery life is attainable.

Also worth noting is SNJ1013's point to have the dealer check the battery before you go out of warranty because they may cover it on BMW's dime.

I had already come to the conclusion from reading other threads that battery registration by the dealer was a must for it to function properly, although there still seems to be some folks who maintain it's not necessary.

Let's keep this thread running so we can pull in more data about how many years people are getting and how much their dealers are charging. And the 550i and diesels with active steer have a second battery in the trunk, has anyone had to replace that yet?

My previous E70 battery lasted 5 years, it was an AGM battery... Dealer quoted some ridiculous amount to supply, fit and code. I think it was around £550-£600!

I bought an Exide 90 amp AGM battery and fitted it myself, really easy to do if you have very basic DIY skills and some basic tools. Note after you change it your dashboard will light up with all sorts of error codes, drive it for a while and these all switch off as all the sensors 'check in' with the cars computer.

I then got a local coder to programme it in for me, he charged me £50 and it took 5 mins, still cheaper than the £120 BMW would have charged. All he did was hook up the car to his laptop and enter the milage at which the battery was changed, what type of battery it was and the power output of the battery.

So in all cost me £230-£250 to change the battery, not a saving to be sniffed at!

[andrewtanko]

Originally Posted by YodaSyrup

For those of you in the "keeping your car for the long haul" camp - how long did your car battery last? I'm in a 2011...

2011 here as well, had mine replaced last November.
Not bad at all I guess, since I don't use a battery tender and
live on a small island so don't drive daily that much.

Originally Posted by YodaSyrup

And how much did your dealer charge for replacement?

I've had two choices, replace the 92ah battery or upgrade with the 105ah.
The 92ah with installation and registering cost $438.
The 105ah with install and software update would've run over $600.
Since it was on my dime, I've just opted for the 92ah battery.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by YodaSyrup

I had already come to the conclusion from reading other threads that battery registration by the dealer was a must for it to function properly, although there still seems to be some folks who maintain it's not necessary.

Let's keep this thread running so we can pull in more data about how many years people are getting and how much their dealers are charging. And the 550i and diesels with active steer have a second battery in the trunk, has anyone had to replace that yet?

BMW's comment is...

After fitting a new battery, the service function 'Register battery replacement' should be run. The battery change has to be registered in order to tell the power management system that a new battery has been fitted to the vehicle. If the battery change is not registered, the power management will not function properly, with the result that Check Control messages may be displayed and functions limited by individual electrical consumers being switched off or having their power consumption reduced, for example.

Independent comment from diagnostics, using iSCAN-II...

If it fails to do the registration, the vehicle electrical system will still be programmed to the old battery and may not provide the battery with enough charging power to operate the car.

Hence users finding short battery life, low charge rates after a new battery is fitted, warnings and/or consumer items not working efficiently. We take a risk if we don't get a battery registered to the car.

On battery life, I'm just over 4 1/2 years on the original battery in my F11. I use a battery tender about once a month in winter, keep the battery charge up. In fact I ran a charge this afternoon, just to see how good a state the battery is in. Only took about an hour to show around an 80% charge, (CTEK MXS charger) so not too bad it appears.

[BigKutta]

DIY?

About 3.5 years, I had gone on vacation for 2 weeks and when I came back my 2012 F10 said the battery had discharged a bit. Car started right up and I am sure the battery charged fine. I mentioned it to my dealer and got a new one for free although I am sure it was fine, just low from sitting

5 years is very typical of a BMW battery, so i would suggest you buy an OEM battery from the dealer for ~$150 and change it yourself in 10 minutes. It'll be the best 10 minutes you spent while saving $500

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

DIY?

About 3.5 years, I had gone on vacation for 2 weeks and when I came back my 2012 F10 said the battery had discharged a bit. Car started right up and I am sure the battery charged fine. I mentioned it to my dealer and got a new one for free although I am sure it was fine, just low from sitting

5 years is very typical of a BMW battery, so i would suggest you buy an OEM battery from the dealer for ~$150 and change it yourself in 10 minutes. It'll be the best 10 minutes you spent while saving $500

i think installing the battery is not the issue...it's more of running the registration process in order for the battery to operate efficiently. if it wasn't than we all pretty would just slap the new battery in and call it a day

[The Beast]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

DIY?

Do you not know what it means or are you querying the complexity? Sorry might be a UK term... Do It Yourself, a term used to describe someone whos capable of taking on tasks that others may get someone in to do. Basically have the common sense to figure out how things work/come apart and have a grasp of how to use basic tools

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by The Beast

Do you not know what it means or are you querying the complexity? Sorry might be a UK term... Do It Yourself, a term used to describe someone whos capable of taking on tasks that others may get someone in to do. Basically have the common sense to figure out how things work/come apart and have a grasp of how to use basic tools

The latter, but thanks for the definition. I would have guessed as much

[AP]

although it is probably different technology, I got 10 years / 55000 miles out of my previous E39.

my F10 is 4 yrs old now with issues to date.

[andrewtanko]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

... i would suggest you buy an OEM battery from the dealer for ~$150 and change it yourself in 10 minutes...

May I ask what dealer would you find a battery for the F10 ~$150?
My dealer chaged me over $300 (the MSRP is $305 I think) and from getBMW is ~$250 + shipping IIRC.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by andrewtanko

May I ask what dealer would you find a battery for the F10 ~$150?
My dealer chaged me over $300 (the MSRP is $305 I think) and from getBMW is ~$250 + shipping IIRC.

+1

my question is say you don't buy the battery from the dealer and you get it somewhere else, will they still register it?

[msfive]

Damm we still have answers if we want to buy after market batt! I wish someone know how to reset the computer!

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by msfive

Damm we still have answers if we want to buy after market batt! I wish someone know how to reset the computer!

I've done this several times in an E90 and although you might need a different tool on the F10 it isn't hard.

Anyone who codes should be able to register a battery, plus all kinds of Indy shops that have BMW specific code readers. People here don't think twice about paying someone to get their mirrors to fold when they lock with the fob, get those same coders to help with this.


Register your batteries, folks!

[The Beast]

Originally Posted by Surly73

I've done this several times in an E90 and although you might need a different tool on the F10 it isn't hard.

Anyone who codes should be able to register a battery, plus all kinds of Indy shops that have BMW specific code readers. People here don't think twice about paying someone to get their mirrors to fold when they lock with the fob, get those same coders to help with this.


Register your batteries, folks!

Exactly!