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End All Battery Replacement Thread

165K views 325 replies 99 participants last post by  PSYKOH 
#1 ·
E60 Battery Replacement
I have done a ton of researching for you and moderators please make this a sticky for battery replacement in the E60

This IS kind of a pain but if you want to save money and get it done correctly THIS is the way to do it.

Duralast Gold/Battery 95R-DLG
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=820339
Here's the battery, AutoZone sells it for $179.99. IGNORE the AutoZone battery finder thing, it's COMPLETELY WRONG and spits out the wrong battery.

Or:
AutoCraft Gold Battery, Group Size 95R, 950 CCA
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...oup-size-95r-950-cca-autocraft-gold_2130016-p
Here's the battery, Advance Auto sells it for $182.99. IGNORE the Advance auto battery finder thing, it's COMPLETELY WRONG and spits out the wrong battery.

Or:
http://www.batteriesplus.com/produc...es/94199-BMW/545I/2004-V8-4-dot4L-850CCA.aspx
SLI95RH9

Old Battery: If this is your old battery
01 Battery from Exide (Warranty Only) 110AH 850A 1 61216901815 ENDED
01 Battery from Exide (Warranty Only) 110AH 850A 1 61217591085 ENDED

OEM Battery Specs:
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): 850
Reserve Capacity (Min): 110
Battery Length: 394 mm - 15 9/16 in
Battery Width: 175 mm - 6 15/16 in
Battery Height: 190 mm - 7 1/2 in
Post Location: Top Post
Right Or Left Hand Positive: Right
Core Charge Applicable: Yes

New Battery (this is for the one I got from Advance Auto)
AutoCraft Gold Battery, Group Size 95R, 950 CCA
Amp Hours: 110 hr
Battery Type: Lead Acid
BCI Group Size: 95
Cold Cranking Amps: 950 amps
Deep Cycle/Starting: Starting
Height: 7 1/2 in
Length: 15 9/16 in
Maintenance Free: Yes
Terminal Type: Top Terminal
Voltage: 12 v
Weight: 64 lbs
Width: 6 15/16 in

Autocraft Gold CCA 950 AH 110 RC 150
BMW OEM CCC 850 AH 110 RC 110

Other batteries that I think will work but not positive:
http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9073748/00390/?quantity=148-690B Bosch from Bosch Premium Performance Battery Group Size 48 Pepboys $113.99
Part # 48-690B SKU: 9073748

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...cpncode=31-153196531-2&sid=IDx20070921x00003c
DieHard Gold Automotive Battery - Group Size 48 $149.99

DO NOT GET THE H8 BATTERY FROM WAL-MART ALTHOUGH THE CCA IS BETTER THAN OEM AT 900CCA THE AH ON THIS BATTERY IS ONLY 80 WHICH IS NOT ENOUGH FOR OUR CARS!!!!

Out of all these choices I ended up getting the Advance Auto Battery and with using coupon code HUGE50 or TPT 30 I ended up getting $50 off of the battery. For these coupon codes to work you MUST purchase the battery online and do in store pickup!!!

If you get the Autozone or Advance Auto battery (Which I would recommend doing) they will not be able to touch your car: (I did this in the parking lot of advance auto)
Under the hood use a 12 volt source so that you car never loses power!

Battery removal and installation:
1. Remove the trunk carpet/plastic floor and lift the tray containing the spare.
2. Locate the battery by pulling the rear right corner panel inside of your trunk. There should be 1-2 plastic screws that hold the panel down.
3. Use i believe a 11-13mm socket wrench to unbolt the retainer bar (black) that holds down the battery.
4. Use a 10mm socket wrench to loosen the positive and negative terminal and pull them off the battery. Note that the positive plug has two connections. Only need to loosen the one that is connected to the battery (which is closest to the North edge)
5. Use a Phillips screw driver to loosen the long gray screw on the South side of the battery. This is clipping down the battery on the bottom.
6. Once loose enough, pull the battery straight out.
7. Replace battery and then make sure the metal clip is sitting on top of the edge of the battery case (at the bottom of the battery)
8. Tight screw so battery is held down from the bottom.
9. Attach plugs to Positive and Negative terminals and tighten the nuts.
10. Tighten the retaining bar back on and put the corner panel back.
11. Start your car and let it run for a couple of minutes and drive around the block.
13. If your car has the 4x4 warning come up all you have to do it sweep your steering wheel all the way to the left and than all the way to the right and this warning will go away.
14. If you didn't use the 12 volt source and lost power to the car, you must reset the date and time and also don't forget to reset the TPMS through the I-Drive.

After this is all completed you car should now be running fine and throwing no codes if done correctly: Call your nearest dealer or Indy shop and ask how much for "battery registration" You don't HAVE to do this but I would HIGHLY recommend it!!!
My one local dealer wanted $103.99 to register the new battery but another dealership through some talking to them opted to do it for FREE!!!

So my all in costs was $156 after the discount coupon code for advance auto and PA State tax of 6%

My dealer wanted $500 for battery replacement, installation and registering. This process I admit was a pain but with this information I already saved the leg work for you. I saved myself $344 doing the process this way!!!
 
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#117 ·
I work for the largest battery manufacturer here in the US and I know what is coming down the lines I am responsible for... ;)
Batteries with the same Group Size, Crank Amps, etc only have different Stickers and containers (well, poly color). But I appreciate your support by buying the "better" batteries :thumbup:
 
#118 ·
So you work for Johnston Controls selling to WalMart? Or for Exide?

Why don't you say that, instead of just being snarky?

And yes, even consumer reports shows there are differences, though that is true though out a single label on different specs.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...short-in-consumer-reports-life-test/index.htm

Guess that's all crap too.
All of which is completely different than my original point, which was there were not cheap batteries in my area for the car, and no, I am not going to advance auto.

But hey, good to know you don't really care about what you make, it doesn't matter, and you just shove it down the line. Tells about America's continued decline in manufacturing.
 
#119 ·
Battery arguments will continue until the day we die.
Batteries are dynamic. If you buy an Interstate group 65 today and it gives 6 years service and then you go buy another one you are not assured it will be as good. It could be better even. The manufacturing plant can change. The owner of the company can change (I think johnson controls has been interstate's battery supplier since day one), The quality of lead is not a constant, how many times you played the radio for hours while cleaning up the car, did the alternator fail, etc. etc. all have impact on battery life.
My experience has always been good with batteries of several different brands because I charge batteries in my vehicles as a maintenance action twice per year for 24-36 hours after adding distilled water as needed-if needed-if possible. I have gotten 8 years out of many batteries and some have gone 10 years. My 2004 purchased riding mower has its original battery for instance.
Alternators usually do not do a good job of reversing sulphation from a deep discharge so a prophylactic battery charge can step the level of charge up on a battery and that adds life back to it. Sulphation is the leading reason a battery fails. I will say that the intelligent charging that BMW and many others have introduced in the last few years may have reduced the need as that system can charge at higher rate for longer periods when the monitoring detects low battery condition.
 
#128 ·
I agree, and I too, have had batteries last up to 10 years. Others have been rubbish. I doubt I will get that from my current car, but who knows?

My irritation is the implication that I was stupid to consider brands and types, because it all supposedly came down the same assembly line and it doesn't matter. It does matter, and different productions runs definitely can have different result. Then it turns out the battery 'know it all' hasn't even heard of AC Delco. How can you not?

BMW put in an OEM battery in my car because the cost difference between other labels, and the aggravation made it not worth the hassle. Now even he has admitted that those batteries are very good. So..it does matter.
 
#120 ·
Caesonia said:
But hey, good to know you don't really care about what you make, it doesn't matter, and you just shove it down the line. Tells about America's continued decline in manufacturing.
...and that's we the both of us drive German cars, even though mine's built in the US.
Sorry for my snarkiness :)

Also, JCI owns 51% ( or 49%?) of Interstate Batteries and logically manufactures their batteries as well.

BMW's oem AGM batteries come from Germany: built by Varta, which is also owned by JCI.
And I'm not gonna lie: the Germans have their **** together!
 
#124 ·
They've branched out from what I understand. I installed a steering gear on my '99 Wrangler re-manufactured by ACDelco. It's a quality brand. I even use an ACDelco air filter on my Jeep that is one of the best performing filters on the market.

I was just curious if you knew more about their batteries. My indie uses ACDelco batteries often and he said he's had good luck with them. The one he got for mine dropped right in and even had the vent tube in the same spot. It's been performing well since November.
 
#126 · (Edited)
Ford had to sell off the Autolite group 42 years ago. It is now owned by Fram. Motorcraft is their parts brand name but little is made by Ford as Ford, GM, and FCA all have sold their parts making businesses. None of them owns battery plants now.
AC Delco is still used on some GM parts but is also a licensed name and appears on parts to fit non-GM cars. ACDelco should not be considered a mark of assured rigid high quality as it ends up on a wide range of items. Most ACDelco is good though.
 
#130 ·
My point from this is the name on the battery is not a sole determinant of quality since the same name can be placed on a battery sourced from different makers.
Another point from years in the business is that we are not necessarily in the best position to judge battery quality as a low plate count battery made from components with lots of impurities may last a long time in the car for one stretch of 4 years of strictly longer commutes. Take that same car and its use is changed to short trips and you turn on delayed headlight off feature and occasionally listen to radio with engine off, then the highest quality battery made will likely not last 3 years.
 
#131 ·
I've read through this thread front-to-back at least twice. I've also read through numerous other battery threads on Bimmerfest and other BMW forums. I think I'm very close to being prepared to change out the battery on my 2010 535i. I've attached a pic of the original battery which has a production date of November, 2009. The part number is 61217549332. It is rated at a capacity (20 hour) of 110 Ah and a Reserve Capacity of 205 min. I'm 99% certain that this is a flooded cell battery - not an AGM. I've read posters who claim that some white BMW (Exide) batteries are AGM, so I'm not positive that my battery is an FLA. Google searches using the part number have not revealed the answer. RealOEM.com does not list my part number as one of the superseded part numbers for the battery. However, my part number is identical to the battery shown in the second video posted by the OP. Can anyone verify that my battery is an FLA battery?

Assuming that it is an FLA battery, I'd like to make the switch to AGM. I have the BMWhat app (now called Carly for BMW) with the battery registration app added, so I believe I have the registration/coding issue taken care of. As for the AGM batteries suggested in this thread, I'd like to go with the AutoZone H8-AGM. However, I note that it is about 1-5/8" shorter than the original FLA battery. For those who have made the switch from FLA to AGM, how did you accommodate the difference in length?
 

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#132 ·
I have the same car as you.. 2010 535 manufactured 09/2009. My car came with a WHITE FLA battery...I had them replace my battery under warranty.. and I got BLACK AGM battery from them...here is what I figured out...
Open the battery compartment and if the battery is Black.. it is AGM.. that is what it should be... BMW has completely moved to AGM for all existing (if AGM retrofit possible) and new cars.. that was what I was told by my SA. That is why they had to give me AGM and reprogram the car.
If it is white.. then it is a FLA

Here is the part number of the AGM battery they put in my car...
61-21-7-639-053 Battery from Exide

If you change to AGM battery you have to reprogram the car before registering it... that is what was done to my car by dealership. I don't think BMWwhat app can do that for you.
 
#134 ·
I did not think they did anything special. The battery placement floor has multiple holes to clamp down the battery and this helps in positioning the battery hold down clamp accordingly. I highly recommend not to install the AGM battery unless you reprogram the complete car for AGM first. The charging characteristics for AGM are different from FLA. This programming is different from Registration. Pls seach the forum for this detail.
 
#135 ·
Carly for BMW definitely has the ability to both register and change battery type (FLA to AGM) as well as change Ah rating of the battery. Takes less than 3 minutes to do with the app. A no brainier. But yes you do need to perform the procedure to protect the new battery as well as your cars charging system!
 
#136 ·
I doubt Carly can completely reprogram a few computers in the car and change battery type. Yes it can register any kind of battery including AGM.. it does not mean the other computers understand it is AGM. the Dealership kept my car for 4-5 hours to do the reprogramming when moved over from FLA to AGM. The SA specifically explained this to me. He said registration is easy takes 5 minutes.. the reprogramming is the tougher one and takes a while as many computers need upgrading etc. I AM an EE and did understand his comments well. So please research further before making any FLA to AGM conversions..
 
#137 · (Edited)
Maini, here's a little info on the Power Management on our cars. As a EE I am sure you will appreciate this reading.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=484833&d=1420343442

The battery registration, Ah registration and battery type (AGM,FLA) are set in the MPM module. This module controls the charging parameters.

BMW re programs all modules with their system to get to the MPM module and you leave the dealership with all modules updated, needed or not, with a lighter wallet. You can use NCSex to access this module or any other number of acceptable software packages, to enclude Carly for BMW to accomplish the updating/setting of battery parameters for our cars.

The Power module sets and controls the DC power in our cars. This encludes powering down noncritical systems if there is a power shortage to protect the battery and onboard electronics.
 
#138 · (Edited)
I'm just curious as I've only had my BMW for 8 days. How did you realize you needed a new battery? Did you get a warning or did you just go to your car one day and realize you had a dead battery?

I assume, my best option is to install the new battery on my own, then set the time/date and TPM and job done for $180.
 
#139 ·
In my case, the battery in my 2010 535i has a production date of 09/09 stamped in the negative post. Therefore, the battery is almost 6 years old. With a battery of this vintage, I started worrying about its health, so I ran diagnostic scans regularly with my Carly for BMW app. The results revealed that the battery voltage would get as low as 11.7V after the car had sat overnight (or nights in some cases). I decided it's time to change the battery if only for my peace of mind. My wife uses the car and makes frequent short duration trips.
 
#141 ·
The negative terminal seems to say 01 and 12.. So I think we can assume it was manufactured in 2012 in week1. So it is just 3.5 years old... so it is not your original battery someone changed it at some point..
 
#145 ·
I note one discrepancy regarding the AutoZone Duralast Gold 95R-DLG battery which is touted on this thread, and others, as being a direct replacement for the OEM FLA battery in the E60. According to the specifications listed on the AutoZone website, this battery has a Reserve Capacity (RC) of 110 minutes. This is substantially less than the OEM battery which is rated with an RC of 205 minutes. I have seen specifications posted in this thread stating that this battery is rated at a capacity of 110 Ah which would match the rating of the OEM battery, however an RC rating of 110 minutes should not be confused with a capacity rating of 110 Ah.

Having said that, I find it strange that the Duralast Gold 95R-DLG would only have an RC rating of 110 minutes. The specifications shown on the AutoZone website could be wrong.
 
#146 ·
Not sure if this has been posted on here since i didnt see it but after some searching i found other E60 members who has bought Everstar Maxx H8 battery from walmart and its been reported that its the closest to oem and for half the price of the batteries posted on the first page. I will be getting the H8 from walmart soon.
 
#149 ·
Hey guys. I have dead battery problem in my E60 528xi too, so far I charge it every week to full and it works for now. I will need a new battery somehow before winter kicks in.

I have a question for now: I need to go to Europe for almost a month, so my car will be sitting on my yard the time i am gone, is it ok to remove the battery from the trunk charge it and store in dry place in my garage?

I heard that E60 cannot be left without a power supply for a long period of time.

Any advices truly appreciate.

Thank you!
 
#150 ·
Why don't you leave it in your car with a charger on it?
I replaced my battery with a Magnacharge group 49 and registered it with BMW logger. Now my remote works from a further distance.
I connected a 12 volt battery with jumper cables to the from posts while I changed the one in the trunk; it kept all my settings.

Sent from my KFTT using BimmerApp mobile app
 
#151 ·
I wish I can do that if I have a garage. I don't have a garage to leave the car in with my battery tender hooked up to the battery. I am thinking to pull the battery out and bring it to my basement, charge it full then leave it like this for the time I am off.

I dont care about settings, I can set it up all over when I get back. I heard that BMW's don't like sitting with disconnected battery and I'd like to verify is this a true statement.
 
#153 ·
I've looked over these forums regarding new battery installation and registration fairly extensively, but I still have one question I can't seem to find the answer to;

Is it necessary to registered the new battery if you have the IBS disconnected?

I recently installed a Duralast H8-AGM into the car. The previous owner had the IBS disconnected claiming it can cause parasitic draw and has been known to cause other issues. It is my understanding the the IBS MUST BE CONNECTED when registering a new battery, which leads me to believe that if I intend to keep the IBS off the battery, registering the battery is unnecessary and frankly, wont work.

Thoughts and comments about not having the IBS connected, and the need to register a new battery if I don't have this connected??? Should I connect the IBS, register the battery, then take it back off?

Thanks in advance.
 
#157 ·
The IBS must be connected while registering the system. You are not registering the battery, you are registering entire computer/battery/charging system. We are talking computers here!!, so the entire system must be connected to the car, and operating.:thumbup:
 
#154 ·
I've looked over these forums regarding new battery installation and registration fairly extensively, but I still have one question I can't seem to find the answer to;

Is it necessary to registered the new battery if you have the IBS disconnected?

I recently installed a Duralast H8-AGM into the car. The previous owner had the IBS disconnected claiming it can cause parasitic draw and has been known to cause other issues. It is my understanding the the IBS MUST BE CONNECTED when registering a new battery, which leads me to believe that if I intend to keep the IBS off the battery, registering the battery is unnecessary and frankly, wont work.

Thoughts and comments about not having the IBS connected, and the need to register a new battery if I don't have this connected??? Should I connect the IBS, register the battery, then take it back off?

Thanks in advance.
 
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