Replacing the Battery on a E90

Weaselboy · 05-25-2010, 01:12 PM

From what I have read the battery registration takes just a few minutes. All they do is plug a computer into your car and go to the correct menu and make a couple entries. I would look for an independent shop nearby to do it for you.

I have not seen any reports on the forums of problems caused by failure to do the battery registration. That said, I think it is too soon to tell. This issue started with MY 2006 cars and, like you, those cars are just now getting new batteries.

Chriztofor · 05-25-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad from the OC

I have a 2006 e90 purchased in Sept. 05.

I called the stealership today to get a price estimate on getting the new battery registered. They said $211.

Before paying $211 buy the BT scan tool and do it yourself.
http://www.bavariantechnic.com/buy.aspx

binaryagent · 05-25-2010, 02:29 PM

Check around with your local shops that service BMW. I found a couple that would do it for $100 and a couple that would do it for around $50. One of them had me come right over and completed for $47.25.

As far as the registration, if I were changing to or from an AGM type I would definitely register it.

Black batteries are AGM and white ones with the "magic eye" window are regular batteries.

Here's some quotes I collected from the forums concerning the registration:

"If the capacity is changed then the CAS must be coded with the new capacity option and then replacement must be registered in the DME."

"If the battery is of the same capacity you should still carry out the replacement registration function in the DME. No coding is required though."

"The conclusion is that if you are going with the same capacity and type of battery then it is enough to initialize your new battery."

"If you are also changing the capacity or the type of battery (AGM, regular) then you also have to have the VO changed and the car coded."

That leads me to believe there are two locations that the new battery has to be registered. Hope this helps.

davidk · 05-25-2010, 05:31 PM

You may get away with changing from an AGM type battery to the Walmart/Costco lead-acid type battery without registration, but you will run the risk of shorter battery life for the new battery because it will not be charging correctly. 1Addicts had this string which adresses this issue: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388196. The attachment is an excellent article explaining the need for battery registration. What is not addressed is how long the registration process actually takes - guess you will be at the mercy of the dealer or indy shop.

David

Brad from the OC · 05-26-2010, 10:13 PM

I called another BMW stealership and they quoted $159 and said it would take about 1 1/2-2 hours to do the registration. Then I called a non OEM BMW repair shop near my house and they quoted $105 and said it would take 1 hr. to do the job. At that price or lower, it doesn't make sense to buy a computer programming tool and do it myself.

The Duralast battery that I bought has an 8 year life, so more than likely I wouldn't use the tool more than twice so it wouldn't pay for itself. I suppose I can continue to make calls and look for that $50 deal, but I doubt that it's worth my time and effort. I think it's amusing that all of the repair shops had a different time that they said it would take to do the job.

My guess the reality is that it shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes to reprogram the computer, so the $50 guy is probably the only honest one out there. So the crooks are quoting $211, $159 and $105. I wouldn't be suprised if one of those shops would just charge for the service and not perform any work at all, how can you tell if they really did anything?Everyone has to make a living I suppose.

Chriztofor · 05-27-2010, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad from the OC

I called another BMW stealership and they quoted $159 and said it would take about 1 1/2-2 hours to do the registration. Then I called a non OEM BMW repair shop near my house and they quoted $105 and said it would take 1 hr. to do the job. At that price or lower, it doesn't make sense to buy a computer programming tool and do it myself.

The Duralast battery that I bought has an 8 year life, so more than likely I wouldn't use the tool more than twice so it wouldn't pay for itself. I suppose I can continue to make calls and look for that $50 deal, but I doubt that it's worth my time and effort. I think it's amusing that all of the repair shops had a different time that they said it would take to do the job.

My guess the reality is that it shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes to reprogram the computer, so the $50 guy is probably the only honest one out there. So the crooks are quoting $211, $159 and $105. I wouldn't be suprised if one of those shops would just charge for the service and not perform any work at all, how can you tell if they really did anything?Everyone has to make a living I suppose.

I agree IF your car will never need diagnosing. ie: Why does my rpm fluctuate? Is it my coils? Which one? Car is overheating, is my water pump bad or is it the thermostat? Car is running rough what can it be? Are my oxygen sensors bad? Which one(s)? etc etc etc.

Brad from the OC · 05-28-2010, 06:11 PM

Okay, here's more on my battery replacement project. So today, I had some free time so I just called up my local indy shop and they said they could register my battery. He took my car and in a few minutes came out to where I was waiting and asked me if I put in a BMW battery. I said no and he asked me if I knew what the cranking amps were. I told him I didn't know, but I told him it was a Duralast Gold 94 R DLG and he could look for info on the Internet.

So 1 hr. later he comes back out and says he couldn't do it without risking damage as he didn't know what the amperage was and also didn't know if it was a white top or black top battery. He said they even removed the battery to try and find that info on the amperage. He seemed real honest and the shop looked very clean and professional. He didn't charge me anything and said to go and see if BMW would do the registration. Now I'm wondering if BMW would just guess at the amperage and whether it was considered a white top or black top battery and just go ahead and do the job regardless of not knowing that info.

I looked at a number of Internet sites talking about using the Duralast batteries and it seems like that is the most popular replacement batteries that BMW owners who do their own work are installing. Most of them don't talk about registration maybe it's because they have older models that don't have the computer that regulates the charging. Anyone out there with any suggestions?

Weaselboy · 05-29-2010, 10:51 AM

According to Autozone, this battery is a 730 CCA (cold cranking amps) battery. These Autozone batteries are a conventional lead acid battery design, so the same as the old "white" BMW OEM battery. This should be all he needs to register the battery.

Brad from the OC · 05-29-2010, 12:05 PM

When the Indy asked me for the CCA rating, I told him that I didn't know but to go to the Internet and look for the data for a Duralast Gold 94R DLG. In a couple of minutes he walked out of his office with paper in hand and went to the work station, so I'm pretty sure that he saw the same data that you have.

When he said that he wouldn't do the job without risking damage to the car, I asked him what data he was missing and he said Amp Hour Rating ( he said he doesn't know it it was 70, 80 or 90 ) and said he didn't want to enter that data in the computer without knowing the correct Amp Hour. I asked him if I found the Amp Hour and gave it to him if he would do the job. He stated that he recommends that I go a BMW dealership and maybe they would do the job, and he restated that he didn't want to damage my car by not having the correct battery data.

I don't have the computer tool that they were using and I didn't go to the shop area to snoop, so I have no idea what data his computer was asking for him to input. But I think that I can assume he is honest or otherwise he could have just guessed at the data and take my money. So I'm at the point of either writing the battery manufacturer for the Amp Hour rating, go to a dealership and see what they can do (but how will they get the Amp Hour rating?) or just take the Duralast 94 R DLG back to Autozone and just have the same shop install a new battery and register the computer to the new battery. I think the best bet will be to try and get the Amp Hour rating from the battery mfg. as I understand there is no calculation that I can do to produce that number. This job is getting to be more of a hassle than I thought.

Turkeybaster115 · 05-29-2010, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidk

You may get away with changing from an AGM type battery to the Walmart/Costco lead-acid type battery without registration, but you will run the risk of shorter battery life for the new battery because it will not be charging correctly. 1Addicts had this string which adresses this issue: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388196. The attachment is an excellent article explaining the need for battery registration. What is not addressed is how long the registration process actually takes - guess you will be at the mercy of the dealer or indy shop.

David

This was really good information, and I printed the article out and took it to my mechanic, this morning, and he changed my battery with the autozone Duralast 49DL. Car starts great now. The OEM battery was put in on the 40th week of 2006, so it has really lasted great. After reading the article, my mechanic ran some tests on my alternator, and told me that the OEM battery wasn't being overcharged, and there was no need for him to do a registration. Just thought I'd share my experience.

reckhard · 06-23-2010, 12:41 PM

Hi all, I just thought I would chime in here as well. I just changed my battery with a Canadian Tire Motomaster Eliminator battery (either the group 48 or 49 I can't remember - but it's pretty much the biggest one they have). It is a perfect fit, physical size as well all the connectors and the vent tubes in identical positions.

I am NOT going to be getting a dealer reset done for the battery. I'm an electrical engineer and while I don't specialize in batteries or charging systems I cannot for the life of me understand why any sort of reset is required if you are replacing a 'flooded cell' battery with the same type. Perhaps if you replaced it with an AGM battery, which could be more optimally charged under different currents/voltages I could see it. Basically a car charging system should provide a steady voltage of between 13.8V and 14.4V, if your battery is really dead it will try and draw a lot of current at that voltage and the vehicles electronics will limit it. When you put in a new battery it's voltage will not drop as low as your previous dead battery so it will not see as large a charging current, but should still end up fully charged.

BTW my last battery lasted 4.5 years and even if there's something else going on with the charging system that I don't understand then I can buy another two batteries for the $250 the stealership is charging for the 'reset'.

benzo23 · 06-24-2010, 11:11 AM

i just went through this, I bought an oem battery and had it re programmed, re programing took about 15 min. I guess the reason behind this is that when the old battery is running low the car detects it and the engine outputs more power to compensate. When you put the new battery in, the car doesnt know it and still thinks it has the old one which means its sending more recharging power to the battery then needed. Sorry for my lack of technical terms i just try to describe it the best i can.

jaguar36 · 06-24-2010, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reckhard

If you are replacing a 'flooded cell' battery with the same type. Perhaps if you replaced it with an AGM battery, which could be more optimally charged under different currents/voltages I could see it.

Did your car not have an AGM type battery to begin with?

Weaselboy · 06-24-2010, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaguar36

Did your car not have an AGM type battery to begin with?

If he has a MY 2006 as listed in his sig, he did have an AGM as OEM.

reckhard · 06-24-2010, 12:59 PM

My battery was not an AGM battery. It was a white cased flooded cell with the little peephole color indicator to show you how dead it really is. It was the original BMW OEM battery - date on it was Sept '05.

hansolo791 · 07-21-2010, 07:38 PM

Out of curiosity, but to the guys who have replaced their battery. Are you also attaching the safety battery terminal? Also, does anyone know of an aftermarket safety battery terminal or a way i can bypass it?

orbatrin · 07-22-2010, 08:22 PM

I own a 2006 325i and I replaced my batter after my original BMW battery died. I bought a Duralast battery from autozone approximatly $134.00. When I replaced the battery, the seat belt and SRS lights came on my dash board display and will not go away. Just too mention, I did disconnect all the wires from the battery including the blue and red wire connected to the black terminal located on top of the battery. I did not register the battery yet.

Please advise what could have caused the seat belt light and SRS and if it a simple fix. Did I do anything wrong by disconnecting all the cable while the car was off? Thanks for the assistance.

texasbmw325i · 07-22-2010, 10:27 PM

my battery died yesterday just as i was trying to leave divorce court. had to get towed to the dealership and pay 350 total for a new one. i dont even know where the battery is so i didnt want to chance doing it myself

r111 · 07-25-2010, 10:05 AM

I went to Autozone and Walmart to check out the 94R battery. For some reason it's shorter than the one that came with my 2006 330i. I've been hearing that the 94RN is longer and would be the equivalant oem to my car. Does anyone know where I can goet one in California?

Turkeybaster115 · 09-02-2011, 02:22 PM

BUMP! Quick update here guys. Apparently these Duralast batteries don't last at all. The one I bought in May of last year, failed testing, yesterday, and I'm getting it replaced under the two year warranty. The one I bought last september for my Audi A6 3.2 Quattro, failed testing last week, and was replaced under the Gold 3-year warranty. My advice is that if you buy this brand, save your receipt like I did, and get it tested yearly.

benzo23 · 09-02-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turkeybaster115

BUMP! Quick update here guys. Apparently these Duralast batteries don't last at all. The one I bought in May of last year, failed testing, yesterday, and I'm getting it replaced under the two year warranty. The one I bought last september for my Audi A6 3.2 Quattro, failed testing last week, and was replaced under the Gold 3-year warranty. My advice is that if you buy this brand, save your receipt like I did, and get it tested yearly.

With this car I wasnt going to skimp on the battery, thats why I went with OEM from the dealer and got it re programmed. Guess you get what you pay for.

Turkeybaster115 · 09-02-2011, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benzo23

With this car I wasnt going to skimp on the battery, thats why I went with OEM from the dealer and got it re programmed. Guess you get what you pay for.

I don't buy anything from the dealership $340 for a battery is insane.

05-25-2010, 01:12 PM	#23
Weaselboy Major 81 Rep 1,295 Posts Drives: 2024 M340i Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: California iTrader: (0)	From what I have read the battery registration takes just a few minutes. All they do is plug a computer into your car and go to the correct menu and make a couple entries. I would look for an independent shop nearby to do it for you. I have not seen any reports on the forums of problems caused by failure to do the battery registration. That said, I think it is too soon to tell. This issue started with MY 2006 cars and, like you, those cars are just now getting new batteries.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-25-2010, 02:29 PM	#25
binaryagent Enlisted Member 7 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2014 X5 xDrive50i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dallas iTrader: (0)	Check around with your local shops that service BMW. I found a couple that would do it for $100 and a couple that would do it for around $50. One of them had me come right over and completed for $47.25. As far as the registration, if I were changing to or from an AGM type I would definitely register it. Black batteries are AGM and white ones with the "magic eye" window are regular batteries. Here's some quotes I collected from the forums concerning the registration: "If the capacity is changed then the CAS must be coded with the new capacity option and then replacement must be registered in the DME." "If the battery is of the same capacity you should still carry out the replacement registration function in the DME. No coding is required though." "The conclusion is that if you are going with the same capacity and type of battery then it is enough to initialize your new battery." "If you are also changing the capacity or the type of battery (AGM, regular) then you also have to have the VO changed and the car coded." That leads me to believe there are two locations that the new battery has to be registered. Hope this helps.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-26-2010, 10:13 PM	#27
Brad from the OC Private First Class 15 Rep 153 Posts Drives: 325Ia Alpine White Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0)	I called another BMW stealership and they quoted $159 and said it would take about 1 1/2-2 hours to do the registration. Then I called a non OEM BMW repair shop near my house and they quoted $105 and said it would take 1 hr. to do the job. At that price or lower, it doesn't make sense to buy a computer programming tool and do it myself. The Duralast battery that I bought has an 8 year life, so more than likely I wouldn't use the tool more than twice so it wouldn't pay for itself. I suppose I can continue to make calls and look for that $50 deal, but I doubt that it's worth my time and effort. I think it's amusing that all of the repair shops had a different time that they said it would take to do the job. My guess the reality is that it shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes to reprogram the computer, so the $50 guy is probably the only honest one out there. So the crooks are quoting $211, $159 and $105. I wouldn't be suprised if one of those shops would just charge for the service and not perform any work at all, how can you tell if they really did anything?Everyone has to make a living I suppose.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-28-2010, 06:11 PM	#29
Brad from the OC Private First Class 15 Rep 153 Posts Drives: 325Ia Alpine White Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0)	Okay, here's more on my battery replacement project. So today, I had some free time so I just called up my local indy shop and they said they could register my battery. He took my car and in a few minutes came out to where I was waiting and asked me if I put in a BMW battery. I said no and he asked me if I knew what the cranking amps were. I told him I didn't know, but I told him it was a Duralast Gold 94 R DLG and he could look for info on the Internet. So 1 hr. later he comes back out and says he couldn't do it without risking damage as he didn't know what the amperage was and also didn't know if it was a white top or black top battery. He said they even removed the battery to try and find that info on the amperage. He seemed real honest and the shop looked very clean and professional. He didn't charge me anything and said to go and see if BMW would do the registration. Now I'm wondering if BMW would just guess at the amperage and whether it was considered a white top or black top battery and just go ahead and do the job regardless of not knowing that info. I looked at a number of Internet sites talking about using the Duralast batteries and it seems like that is the most popular replacement batteries that BMW owners who do their own work are installing. Most of them don't talk about registration maybe it's because they have older models that don't have the computer that regulates the charging. Anyone out there with any suggestions?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-29-2010, 10:51 AM	#30
Weaselboy Major 81 Rep 1,295 Posts Drives: 2024 M340i Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: California iTrader: (0)	According to Autozone, this battery is a 730 CCA (cold cranking amps) battery. These Autozone batteries are a conventional lead acid battery design, so the same as the old "white" BMW OEM battery. This should be all he needs to register the battery.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-29-2010, 12:05 PM	#31
Brad from the OC Private First Class 15 Rep 153 Posts Drives: 325Ia Alpine White Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0)	When the Indy asked me for the CCA rating, I told him that I didn't know but to go to the Internet and look for the data for a Duralast Gold 94R DLG. In a couple of minutes he walked out of his office with paper in hand and went to the work station, so I'm pretty sure that he saw the same data that you have. When he said that he wouldn't do the job without risking damage to the car, I asked him what data he was missing and he said Amp Hour Rating ( he said he doesn't know it it was 70, 80 or 90 ) and said he didn't want to enter that data in the computer without knowing the correct Amp Hour. I asked him if I found the Amp Hour and gave it to him if he would do the job. He stated that he recommends that I go a BMW dealership and maybe they would do the job, and he restated that he didn't want to damage my car by not having the correct battery data. I don't have the computer tool that they were using and I didn't go to the shop area to snoop, so I have no idea what data his computer was asking for him to input. But I think that I can assume he is honest or otherwise he could have just guessed at the data and take my money. So I'm at the point of either writing the battery manufacturer for the Amp Hour rating, go to a dealership and see what they can do (but how will they get the Amp Hour rating?) or just take the Duralast 94 R DLG back to Autozone and just have the same shop install a new battery and register the computer to the new battery. I think the best bet will be to try and get the Amp Hour rating from the battery mfg. as I understand there is no calculation that I can do to produce that number. This job is getting to be more of a hassle than I thought.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-23-2010, 12:41 PM	#33
reckhard Private 3 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 2006 330xi Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Edmonton iTrader: (0)	Hi all, I just thought I would chime in here as well. I just changed my battery with a Canadian Tire Motomaster Eliminator battery (either the group 48 or 49 I can't remember - but it's pretty much the biggest one they have). It is a perfect fit, physical size as well all the connectors and the vent tubes in identical positions. I am NOT going to be getting a dealer reset done for the battery. I'm an electrical engineer and while I don't specialize in batteries or charging systems I cannot for the life of me understand why any sort of reset is required if you are replacing a 'flooded cell' battery with the same type. Perhaps if you replaced it with an AGM battery, which could be more optimally charged under different currents/voltages I could see it. Basically a car charging system should provide a steady voltage of between 13.8V and 14.4V, if your battery is really dead it will try and draw a lot of current at that voltage and the vehicles electronics will limit it. When you put in a new battery it's voltage will not drop as low as your previous dead battery so it will not see as large a charging current, but should still end up fully charged. BTW my last battery lasted 4.5 years and even if there's something else going on with the charging system that I don't understand then I can buy another two batteries for the $250 the stealership is charging for the 'reset'.
	Appreciate 1 Quote

06-24-2010, 11:11 AM	#34
benzo23 Colonel 74 Rep 2,848 Posts Drives: 14 F30 AW MSport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: FL iTrader: (1)	i just went through this, I bought an oem battery and had it re programmed, re programing took about 15 min. I guess the reason behind this is that when the old battery is running low the car detects it and the engine outputs more power to compensate. When you put the new battery in, the car doesnt know it and still thinks it has the old one which means its sending more recharging power to the battery then needed. Sorry for my lack of technical terms i just try to describe it the best i can.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-24-2010, 12:59 PM	#37
reckhard Private 3 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 2006 330xi Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Edmonton iTrader: (0)	My battery was not an AGM battery. It was a white cased flooded cell with the little peephole color indicator to show you how dead it really is. It was the original BMW OEM battery - date on it was Sept '05.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-21-2010, 07:38 PM	#38
hansolo791 New Member 3 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 325i Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Louisiana iTrader: (0)	Out of curiosity, but to the guys who have replaced their battery. Are you also attaching the safety battery terminal? Also, does anyone know of an aftermarket safety battery terminal or a way i can bypass it?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-22-2010, 08:22 PM	#39
orbatrin New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Jacksonville, FL iTrader: (0)	Battery change triggered seat belt/SRS lights I own a 2006 325i and I replaced my batter after my original BMW battery died. I bought a Duralast battery from autozone approximatly $134.00. When I replaced the battery, the seat belt and SRS lights came on my dash board display and will not go away. Just too mention, I did disconnect all the wires from the battery including the blue and red wire connected to the black terminal located on top of the battery. I did not register the battery yet. Please advise what could have caused the seat belt light and SRS and if it a simple fix. Did I do anything wrong by disconnecting all the cable while the car was off? Thanks for the assistance.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-22-2010, 10:27 PM	#40
texasbmw325i Enlisted Member 1 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2011 jeep grand cherokee overl Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: here and there iTrader: (0)	my battery died yesterday just as i was trying to leave divorce court. had to get towed to the dealership and pay 350 total for a new one. i dont even know where the battery is so i didnt want to chance doing it myself
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2010, 10:05 AM	#41
r111 Private 3 Rep 65 Posts Drives: 996 C2 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	I went to Autozone and Walmart to check out the 94R battery. For some reason it's shorter than the one that came with my 2006 330i. I've been hearing that the 94RN is longer and would be the equivalant oem to my car. Does anyone know where I can goet one in California?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-02-2011, 02:22 PM	#42
Turkeybaster115 Banned 75 Rep 1,543 Posts Drives: 335I Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Illinois iTrader: (2)	BUMP! Quick update here guys. Apparently these Duralast batteries don't last at all. The one I bought in May of last year, failed testing, yesterday, and I'm getting it replaced under the two year warranty. The one I bought last september for my Audi A6 3.2 Quattro, failed testing last week, and was replaced under the Gold 3-year warranty. My advice is that if you buy this brand, save your receipt like I did, and get it tested yearly.
	Appreciate 0 Quote