[Bimmerroad]

Higher amp is always desired for such high consumption vehicle

I would also recommend learning how to properly maintain your battery, I have lost batteries less than 2 years old, I often blamed the quality of the battery, eventually I learned I was the only one to be blamed.

Don’t buy some cheap charger, it may do more harm than good and even overcharge your battery, I bought ctek 4.3 for $80, best investment ever. When using reconditioning mode, your bummer may turn off some stuff on standby, don’t be alarmed, it’s is normal as it may presume these items are draining the battery.

Well maintenance battery may go beyond its life expectancy

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Bimmerroad

Higher amp is always desired for such high consumption vehicle

I would also recommend learning how to properly maintain your battery, I have lost batteries less than 2 years old, I often blamed the quality of the battery, eventually I learned I was the only one to be blamed.

Don’t buy some cheap charger, it may do more harm than good and even overcharge your battery, I bought ctek 4.3 for $80, best investment ever. When using reconditioning mode, your bummer may turn off some stuff on standby, don’t be alarmed, it’s is normal as it may presume these items are draining the battery.

Well maintenance battery may go beyond its life expectancy

I read an article where an electrical engineer explained that if one puts a charger/maintainer on a battery once a month it will last a very, very, very long time; almost indefinitely.

[michaelangg]

i just removed my battery because it needed a charge, forgot to leave the trunk open and doors are locked. is there anyway to get in the car? I tried to put the key in manually in the door, but it will not turn. it goes all the way in but doesn't turn. is it because it is electrical? how can i get into the car or the trunk?

[Surly73]

Looks like they removed the mechanical key override to the trunk on the F10 (my E90 had one hidden near the license plate). So - key in the driver's door to access the vehicle. You'll probably have to connect some kind of power to the cigarette lighter, or pop the hood and connect to the jumper posts. Then use the button at the driver's feet to open the trunk.

Hope no wires in the trunk are sitting so that they short to ground or it will get really interesting.

If you have one of the rear seats folded down you could pull the emergency interior anti-entrapment trunk release.

If the key isn't turning it may be seized, or you just need to turn harder.

PSA: Manual key override is something that everyone should familiarize themselves with and try out before they need it to make sure they know they have the right key (lock hasn't been changed) and what it feels like when it works.

Next time you want to charge the battery connect to the under hood terminals.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by michaelangg

i just removed my battery because it needed a charge, forgot to leave the trunk open and doors are locked. is there anyway to get in the car? I tried to put the key in manually in the door, but it will not turn. it goes all the way in but doesn't turn. is it because it is electrical? how can i get into the car or the trunk?

Personally, I've never heard of the key not working in the deover's door. That's how I accessed my car when it was in the valet parking at the hotel we were at in New Orleans. I would try (assuming it's the correct key) rocking the key back and forth and maybe even squirting some dry-lube in the mechanism to breakup any gunk that may be there. I don't recall where you are, but when we lived in SLC I carried a lighter to heat up the key as the lock sometimes froze and there was no way I could turn the key. Sometimes it's cheaper to break a window and get in that way.

Originally Posted by Surly73

Looks like they removed the mechanical key override to the trunk on the F10 (my E90 had one hidden near the license plate). So - key in the driver's door to access the vehicle. You'll probably have to connect some kind of power to the cigarette lighter, or pop the hood and connect to the jumper posts. Then use the button at the driver's feet to open the trunk.

Hope no wires in the trunk are sitting so that they short to ground or it will get really interesting.

If you have one of the rear seats folded down you could pull the emergency interior anti-entrapment trunk release.

If the key isn't turning it may be seized, or you just need to turn harder.

PSA: Manual key override is something that everyone should familiarize themselves with and try out before they need it to make sure they know they have the right key (lock hasn't been changed) and what it feels like when it works.

Next time you want to charge the battery connect to the under hood terminals.

All well and good, except he's locked out and has no access to those solutions.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

All well and good, except he's locked out and has no access to those solutions.

All of my solutions were assuming he figures out his key override issue which you've given more suggestions for. Hopefully he doesn't have the "wrong" mechanical key somehow (lock change in the history of the car, for instance).

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by michaelangg

i just removed my battery because it needed a charge, forgot to leave the trunk open and doors are locked. is there anyway to get in the car? I tried to put the key in manually in the door, but it will not turn. it goes all the way in but doesn't turn. is it because it is electrical? how can i get into the car or the trunk?

As already mentioned...something is wrong if you can't insert the mechanical key into the driver's exterior door lock cylinder and manually override the locking mechanism.

As suggested...try spraying some lubricant into the lock cylinder and give it good 5 minutes...then try again. I believe turning the key 90° counter clockwise is the manual UNLOCK position (go online and download an owners manual in PDF format).

And DO NOT use any of the 12 volt outlets to charge/power the car...BMW doesn't recommend this any longer since these cars have an IBS (intelligent battery sensor. ALWAYS use the dedicated jump start terminals in the engine bay.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

And DO NOT use any of the 12 volt outlets to charge/power the car...BMW doesn't recommend this any longer since these cars have an IBS (intelligent battery sensor. ALWAYS use the dedicated jump start terminals in the engine bay.

Just a note, since I suggested the lighter socket.

Qsilver is correct - connect chargers under hood only. My cig lighter suggestion was for the purpose of unlocking the trunk only. Connect, hit the button, disconnect And, that might not even work.

EDIT - I just went out and tested by key override. It's 90 degrees CCW to unlock. If the car is powered it still does all the electrical unlock, alarm disarm and window roll down if you hold it. The mechanical unlock would also happen in that 90 degrees from what I can feel. I'm not at the point where I'm going to disconnect my battery just to experiment though.

[michaelangg]

got it unlocked. i had a locksmith open the car up since i had tried lubricating the key hole on the door and nothing would work. i gave it some power under the hood for a quick second to press the trunk button on the key fob. thank you all for helping!

[wcr3d]

Glad you got it.
I have never really heard of this problem before though I'm not really
surprised as the physical key is rarely if ever used.
Out of curiosity did the locksmith go through the lock or pry the frame?

[Qsilver7]

It would be very informative to know how the OP got the car open...did the locksmith use the key blade and emergency/manual unlock procedure...or did they use another way in?

Originally Posted by Surly73

I'm not at the point where I'm going to disconnect my battery just to experiment though.

I'm with you on that one.

But it does raise the issue how important it is to do an annual lock cylinder maintenance (at the least) since it is the ONLY way into the vehicle if the battery dies and the car is locked.

It would be frustrating to know that lubricating the lock cylinder and turning it 90° counter clock wise & clock wise to insure that the lock cylinder can go into the manual unlock & lock position BEFORE you actually need to use either of those positions....was known but one refused/neglected to do so. I've seen this scenario repeated across multiple BMW forums for decades...and it always seems to be frustrating to the owner caught in this situation.

I use a product called TRI-FLOW...it contains TEFLON which helps with any binding as well as dissipates moisture and the build up of dust/dirt/grime:

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by michaelangg

got it unlocked. i had a locksmith open the car up since i had tried lubricating the key hole on the door and nothing would work. i gave it some power under the hood for a quick second to press the trunk button on the key fob. thank you all for helping!

While you have it unlocked make sure the jey actually unlocks the door. Make sure both keys work.

[shawntx]

I went with higher Ah just make sure it fits in the brackets in the trunk

[Gjohnson7]

Sorry to bump an old thread but I have a quick question. I plan on replacing my Battery in my 2011 535i and it looks like the current battery is an Interstate AGM H7. I am planning on picking up a AGM H8 battery. From the Chart on page 1 the H8 battery will be 1.5 inches longer then the H7. Will I need a new bracket to hold down the battery or will the existing bracket work for the H8? (I am asking about the bracket mounted at the base of the battery on the passenger side.)

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Gjohnson7

...Will I need a new bracket to hold down the battery or will the existing bracket work for the H8? (I am asking about the bracket mounted at the base of the battery on the passenger side.)

I don't have an f10...but if the battery hold down clamps and positions are like every BMW I've owned (1985 325e/1991 735iL/1995 525iT/1997 740iL/1999 540iT/2006 X5 4.4/2013 650ix GC)...the battery compartment and hold down clamp(s) are designed to accommodate multiple battery sizes...and a 49/H8 battery size has NEVER NOT been able to fit.

In fact...the largest battery size (95R/H9) could be fitted in all the aforementioned models EXCEPT for the e53 X5...its' battery compartment well could only handle the 49/H8 battery class size and smaller. But the preceding X5 generations (e70/f15/G05) all can handle the 95R/H9 as well as all of the H8 & H7 class size.

When you look into your battery compartment area...you'll probably see bracket #4 and #6 in the diagram below. The compartment is probably configured to accept the H9 battery (the longest)...so any of the other battery class sizes you mentioned (the H7 & H8) will automatically fit...just make sure that you scooch the battery toward #6 so that the clamp will fit over the foot of the battery when you tighten it down...and the bracket that fits over the top of the battery (#4) will also clamp down on the foot of the battery and secure to the location on the upper side.

Also don't forget to plug up the car's vent tube to the battery's vent hole...and look for the plug to close off the hole on the other side of the battery (some come with a plug inside a baggy attached to the battery and some have a knock-out plug built into the protective cap of one of the battery terminal covers. So don't throw things away until you've removed the knock-out plug if its built into that cover)

[Sylverlee]

H8 fits.

[frank944]

first day:

after installed the battery, when I am trying to use ISTA+. in after enter "enter battery exchange in the same capacity", then ask is the newly installed battery original BMW parts, since I bought from BMW dealer, I said Yes,and then asked me input 12 digital data matrix, so I typed the 12 digits, and then give me the error: Error in testmodule: ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHEL, and the only option is detail and ok, so I click detail as below:

System.Exception: Failed to invoke service program. ---> System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format.
at System.Number.StringToNumber(String str, NumberStyles options, NumberBuffer& number, NumberFormatInfo info, Boolean parseDecimal)
at System.Number.ParseInt32(String s, NumberStyles style, NumberFormatInfo info)
at System.Convert.ToInt32(String value)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_GEN_AG9999_TYP_TYPME RKMALE.Start(ParameterContainer InParameter, ParameterContainer& OutParameter, ParameterContainer& InAndOutParameter)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_GEN_AG9999_TYP_TYPME RKMALE.run(ParameterContainer InParameter, ParameterContainer& OutParameter, ParameterContainer& InAndOutParameter)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeIn ternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ISTAModule.callModuleRef (String refPath, ParameterContainer InParameters, ParameterContainer& OutParameters, ParameterContainer& InAndOutParameters)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.R egistrieren_04_s()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.D ataMatrixCode()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.R egistrieren_03_s()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.A uswahl_01_s()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.A G6100_AEP0()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.S tart(ParameterContainer InParameter, ParameterContainer& OutParameter, ParameterContainer& InAndOutParameter)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ABL_WAR_AS6120_WECHSEL.r un(ParameterContainer InParameter, ParameterContainer& OutParameter, ParameterContainer& InAndOutParameter)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeIn ternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.IstaServiceProgramInvoke r.DoInvoke()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.IstaServiceProgramInvoke r.Invoke()
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ModuleBootstrapLoader.In vokeRunMethod(MethodInfo run, Object[] param)
at BMW.Rheingold.Module.ISTA.ModuleBootstrapLoader.do It()

click OK let me go back to battery exchange again.

day two:

After read car information, there some icons showed brown and then got error: "the programming system could not be initialized. The ISTA installation may be damaged or incorrectly configured. Reinstall ISTA . If problems persists. Contact local support "

therefore I continue to select Vehicle management/service function//body/voltage supply/battery/register battery replacement, instead of Answer Yes to "is the newly installed battery an original BMW parts?", because I thought I bought a brand new BMW battery from BMW dealer, so it is an original BMW parts, is that right?

tonight, I select No, and then everything was successfully registered.

doesn't make any sense.

[frank944]

I have 2012 BMW 528i xdrive, it uses 105Ah, 950CA, I bought from bmw dealer for $200.

[kohsin]

Originally Posted by frank944

I have 2012 BMW 528i xdrive, it uses 105Ah, 950CA, I bought from bmw dealer for $200.

Can you share the part number? My current same battery p/n is obsolete according to the dealer. Thanks

[Rob09msport]

Get a Johnson controls battery silver bmws use the same battery rebranded get it from advanced auto their platinum agm h8 is proper spec and with speed perks is great.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by kohsin

Can you share the part number? My current same battery p/n is obsolete according to the dealer. Thanks

So they didn't ask for your VIN and give you the current BMW part number?

If not, you can find this easily by using one of the online part database sites. Just enter the last 7 digits of your VIN...then go to the ELECTRICAL diagrams and scroll down to the battery diagrams. When you click on that...you will see a list of 11 digit BMW part nbrs that are current.

If you're not familiar with I any or the online part database sites...you can use any of the ones below:

1. www.realoem.com
2. http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/
3. http://bimmercat.com

If it doesn't matter that the battery has a BMW label...if you want to go aftermarket...you have two AGM battery sizes you can select from. The larger (usually more expensive battery) would be the 95R/H9 battery class size (this will be the 105Ah battery)...or you can look for the 49/H8 battery class size which will be the 90/92/95Ah battery. If the battery you go with has the same specs as what you replaced...all you need to do is REGISTER the new battery. If you get a new battery that has different specs...you'll not only need to REGISTER the battery...but also CODE the new battery which will set up your car's electrical system to charge the new battery accordingly based on the new specs (lower/higher Ah (amp hour), lower/higher CCA (cold cranking amps), lower/higher CA (cranking amps), or lower/higher RC (reserve capacity))

Example...click link and scroll down to see what the new 11 digit BMW part number is for the 105 Ah battery:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...l_bmw_battery/

[kohsin]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

So they didn't ask for your VIN and give you the current BMW part number?

If not, you can find this easily by using one of the online part database sites. Just enter the last 7 digits of your VIN...then go to the ELECTRICAL diagrams and scroll down to the battery diagrams. When you click on that...you will see a list of 11 digit BMW part nbrs that are current.

If you're not familiar with I any or the online part database sites...you can use any of the ones below:

1. www.realoem.com
2. http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/
3. http://bimmercat.com

If you doesn't matter that the battery has a BMW label...if you want to go aftermarket...you have two AGM battery sizes you can select from. The larger (usually more expensive battery) would be the 95R/H9 battery class size (this will be the 105Ah battery)...or you can look for the 49/H8 battery class size which will be the 90/92/95Ah battery. If the battery you go with has the same specs as what you replaced...all you need to do is REGISTER the new battery. If you get a new battery that has different specs...you'll not only need to REGISTER the battery...but also CODE the new battery which will set up your car's electrical system to charge the new battery accordingly based on the new specs (lower/higher Ah (amp hour), lower/higher CCA (cold cranking amps), lower/higher CA (cranking amps), or lower/higher RC (reserve capacity))

Example...click link and scroll down to see what the new 11 digit BMW part number is for the 105 Ah battery:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...l_bmw_battery/

Very helpful. Thanks