All new batteries need to be registered to the car. These cars are exceptionally heavy on batteries, if you are not using it much you need to put it on a trickle charger once a week, or leave it on charge until ready to use, you also need to ensure that the alternator is operating correctly. When a new battery is registered the car resets the charging cycles. There are hundreds of threads on here on the subject.

 

Thanks Michael,

It had a new alternator (approx 2yra ago) just before the battery.
Car is used everyday but the journeys are only about 5 miles each way.

I'll have a look through the other threads 👍

 

If your week in week out average journeys are only 5 miles each way...you better be doing oil changes by time not miles! Engine never heats up enough to drive off moisture and "blow by" contaminates...that means the detergent package in the oil is working extra hard and will taper off in effectiveness quicker. Leaving oil in for 10Kmiles with this duty cycle is a sure way to get a cruded up PCV system/ dirty intake valves or worse sludge in the crankcase! My kids used cars like this and I just changed oil 2X year like clockwork.

 

When these cars crank up the amount of current drawn is very high, so if the journeys like yours 5 miles each way, it will never get back to optimum let alone a full charge. Also when these cars shut down when parked it probably takes about 30 mins before complete shutdown (might be a bit hazy here but think it is correct). One issue is comfort access keys being to close to the car, so it repeatedly looks to start up power, this also drains the battery. Any aftermarket addons can also drain the battery. Whilst a brilliant car it has some wicked quirks !!

 

coding and registering are two different functions. im assuming that your car has an AGM battery installed, for some reason flooded lead acid batteries were installed from BMW on some cars. and some shops just go "by the book" and install what their book says to.
if its an FLA battery, coding and registration arent required, as long as the car is coded for an FLA to start with.
if its an AGM, as long as the battery is replaced with the exact same rating battery, no coding is required. if the battery capacity differs, coding is required. this gives the DME the capability to alter the charging of the battery by the alternator as required.
registration is always required when replacing an AGM battery, this sets up a timeline with the DME to alter charge rate as the battery ages.
two 5 mile trips a day wont maintain battery charge in the car. just starting the car depletes the battery somewhat, and when parked, the car does pull some current. a trickle charger or battery maintainer is needed to keep your battery up.
AGM batteries are different from FLA batteries. they should not be charged at a rate higher than 4a. depleting the battery is hard on it, it takes a long time to recharge at 4a, and the life if the battery is shortened by doing so. overcharging shortens AGM life as well .the "sweet spot" for charging an AGM is when it reads 12.3 -12.4 vdc.
an FLA battery is fully charged at 12.6 vdc, an AGM is 12.8 vdc.
two 5 mile trips a day is running your battery down. hook up a smart charger or a battery maintainer.
also ensure the car fully goes to sleep after shutoff. to do this, open the boot lid, close doors and windows, dont disturb the car in any way nor operate the keyfob, and observe that the boot lights go out after 16 minutes. ensure the "P" indicator goes out on the shift console within 90 minutes. if the car doesnt go fully to sleep, this will discharge your battery as well.

 

coding and registering are two different functions.

Ditto mattmar1…coding and registering is a topic that gets conflated across all the BMW forums.

The OP asked if their BMW’s new battery will need to be “coded”. To answer that question specifically…it depends. If you replace the old battery with a new battery that is the same type & category and the same specs (same amp hour…ie an H8/49 AGM 92 AH battery for a 90-95AH AGM H8 battery) then no…the new battery will NOT need to be “coded”. BUT any replacement battery will ALWAYS need to be REGISTERED (as explained by mattmar1).

If the OP replaced his old 92 AH H8/49 AGM battery with an H7 85AH or H9 105AH battery, then yes…the new battery will need to be coded first…then registered.

BMW battery registration has been a requirement since the intro of the new gen BMWs. The IBS (intelligent battery sensor) was introduced first on the e60 5 series. The first e65/e66 seven series and e90 three series also require battery registration even though they didn’t have an IBS…but the function of the DME communicating with the charging system was carried out over the LIN or BSD bus on those early models. Now…all BMWs have an IBS.

You can see another example in the screen capture from Bimmercode CODING software. It says that”coding” is only required if the battery type & category is changed…and that once a new battery is installed (& determined if coding is necessary or not)…then the new battery will then need to be REGISTERED:

 

I am going to say no, not always, I've seen posts's where I have replied yes, but had people say "usually but in this case no" on your car I have no knowledge or experience, BUT if your model DOES then it really does (if not then bad things can happen- end of the world, famine, war, looting, that kind of bad )

 

I got this bull about short journeys about battery life,,, BMW call it "unfavorable driving profile" . A BMW tech friend of mine, told me about it. Basically BMW was sued by someone who was a big player saying that he was denied a battery replacement and BMW claimed it was down to short stop starts causing and killing the battery, Internally BMW got the crap beat outta them and they were NO LONGER ALLOWED to deny claims on battery warranty because the driver is NOT driving the car far enough or long enough. (I may have got it totally wrong as it was a while back but that was the "essence of it"

Assuming a car in good condition and battery in good condition and NO 3rd party add-on's and also alternator working correctly. You can stop/start/short drive to your hearts content and the battery will be fine.

On my old one series with "ORIGINAL" battery, on a daily basis I played car shuffle off our drive to get the OH's car off, 2 or 3 times a day, driving top of the road to shops, all this with operating the top and blaring music. ONLY once in winter I was idling the car and playing music (for about 45mins) when I was clearing snow, did I have a problem with a slow start and the "battery discharge please drive the car" error which went away on charging it over night.

I DID however kill the AGM battery on my 2 series (brand new 230km) on a BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT BATTERY, when my dashcam killed it. I had the car going back and forward to BMW who pulled the same shit. Prior I was stop starting and shuffling and doing a daily run of 6km each way to work, even a couple of members on here said it was my fault.

On replacing the AGM, no problems, NEWER BMW's have some stupid way of putting a charge in the battery, you can't just charge your battery by driving it up and down the highway.

You CAN bring back an AGM from being super drained, I didn't know that I just opted to buy a new battery and register it. In my contract batteries are a consumable so not covered, my BMW friend said I should get the dealer to do a goodwill, it was just too much hassle.

A new battery resolved my issues, and like my friend said DRIVING STYLE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Tell your BMW indy, there smoking crack, driving style on a BMW in condition as stated above has nothing to do with battery wear

check out this link on unfavorable driving profile

Unfavorable Driving Profile?

Unfavorable Driving Profile?

x3.xbimmers.com

 

I'm driving daily 6km since winter and only once I put it on a trickle charger, a lot of members use there cars for short trips, I find it totally retarded that I can't just drive up the road in my car, without being told, "oh your going to have to put it on charge" every car I've ever driven, get's stopped on the drive on holidays, driven/shuffled but why 50 grads worth of BMW refuses to hold a charge is beyond me, and I don't care about any BS about how many computers and power this car uses.

The car has auto/stop start for God's sake, how are you starting the battery 20 or more times during traffic.

I am and was and still kinda not inclined to buy a BMW for my next car

 

I "think" the OP's question was does it need to be registered. For sure ^^^ info is all correct, coding, programming, registered is just different names for the same thing
"I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup."

To quote Goodfellas

I think he actually means registered. Let's not over think this, user is a noob with 7 posts and previous Audi man.

 

You may very well be absolutely correct in what the OP meant…but I think we owe it to them and make sure they walk away with correct information. There’s a difference between coding & registering a battery…why let them walk away from this thread thinking they are the same thing?

 

"then no…the new battery will NOT need to be “coded”. BUT any replacement battery will ALWAYS need to be REGISTERED"

^ yup this exactly ^

 

A bad IVM could contribute to the battery not properly being charged properly. With a bad IVM, or one with a problem, it will cause the battery to not properly charge, I have experienced this before on one of my 750's. Replaced the IVM, & the battery problems went away. Pretty much all sensor data that is driveline related, passes thru the IVM. If your problems have battery related for a while with different batteries, I would change out the IVM. This is a dealer only part, probably less than 150.00 these days?

 

A small solar panel will keep the battery charged if you park in view of the sun.

I replaced the AGM battery in my 116i and didn't need to register it (it was exactly the same spec as the BMW branded Vart battery)

 

it does need registration, but not coding as it was a same rated replacement.

 

Wow, right can of worms! Thanks for all the help.
The car is an auto 2008 E64 N62 V8 without stop/start.
The battery that's been fitted is a Yuasa AGM 95AH YBX9019 9000 (stop/start variant), so is this even the correct battery?
I've yet to find what spec battery the car should have but it certainly seems that it's not getting the required charge for an AGM as Mattmr1 has said (thanks 😃)

I monitored the current draw (with the boot latch closed to simulate a closed boot)
10A for 1min
3A for next 20secs and it dropped to 0.5A after a total of 2mins.
I put this down to having just installed the ammeter in line with the battery.

Unlocked/locked the car and started test again........
0.94A for 8mins
Then 11A for 2mins (heard clicking etc, something woke the ECU's up!)
0.7A for 2mins
0.4 for 20mins
0.1A for 25mins
Then it started fluctuating between 0.03A to 0.1A for 55mins.
Seems a little high to me as it doesn't stay at 0.03A for more than 1sec then goes to 0.1A for a couple of secs then down again. Is this the search for the comfort key?

 

you have to let he car goto sleep,

1> keep boot open
2> LOCK CAR
3> leave car for about 15-20 mins, all lights should be off
4> check volts and amps

Wow, right can of worms! Thanks for all the help.
The car is an auto 2008 E64 N62 V8 without stop/start.
The battery that's been fitted is a Yuasa AGM 95AH YBX9019 9000 (stop/start variant), so is this even the correct battery?
I've yet to find what spec battery the car should have but it certainly seems that it's not getting the required charge for an AGM as Mattmr1 has said (thanks 😃)

I monitored the current draw (with the boot latch closed to simulate a closed boot)
10A for 1min
3A for next 20secs and it dropped to 0.5A after a total of 2mins.
I put this down to having just installed the ammeter in line with the battery.

Unlocked/locked the car and started test again........
0.94A for 8mins
Then 11A for 2mins (heard clicking etc, something woke the ECU's up!)
0.7A for 2mins
0.4 for 20mins
0.1A for 25mins
Then it started fluctuating between 0.03A to 0.1A for 55mins.
Seems a little high to me as it doesn't stay at 0.03A for more than 1sec then goes to 0.1A for a couple of secs then down again. Is this the search for the comfort key?

 

Just because someone says they have not registered the new battery does not mean that is correct! Neither does it matter if it is another BMW model. What matters is your model car, and it NEEDS the battery registering at new, very easy to do even with the cheapest of tools. Because the majority of purchases are now second hand, people will put all sorts of various manufactures batteries in these cars, many want to save money so they do not put in the right spec. (but it works syndrome). These cars don't do well with cheap and shortcuts, they are expensive, no hiding that fact to maintain, but parts are significantly cheaper than they used to be. Well looked after they are very reliable !! But there are rules to ensure a reliable car. There are some really knowledgeable guys on here, better than many BMW trained mechanics, with lots of experience, specifically on this car. By the way HerbP is one of the best guys on here he will never lead you wrong, i have seen him guide many a newbe to a better car!

 

For reference the expected parasitic draw of our cars is 40 milliamps (.040 amps). This should be the condition after the 30G buss goes to sleep - 30 minutes after the car is shut down. If the car is "awaken" for any reason (doors open, keys nearby, etc.) the car will wake up. My car (2008 E64) has a constant draw of 47 milliamps when "asleep". If the current draw exceeds 80 milliamps this is a problem and you should get a fault code in the DME/DDE. The pho

to is the steady current draw of my car.

 

I think it's about double that, car will error at more than 80ma and log it as closed loop if more, 40ma is not an awful lot "although" mine is a 2series, and I'm wondering if "this "particular version is less. where did you get 40mA from ?

I looked up E63 on NewTIS

Automatic detection of the cause is not possible in the case of a closed-circuit current fault. On vehicles with an intelligent battery sensor, only the range of the quiescent current can be determined:

• Quiescent current less than 80 mA

This means that closed-circuit current fault, is logged if "MORE" than 80mA, so a figure up to 79mA is acceptable. 40 is fine but I doubt it is that, it's probably more than that,

The above was as of a BMW E63 630i Coupe

 

Thanks again for the replies.

Can anyone answer my Q as to what the original battery should be, please?

The car is an auto 2008 E64 N62 V8 without stop/start.
The battery that's been fitted is a Yuasa AGM 95AH YBX9019 9000 (stop/start variant), so is this even the correct battery?

The car has IBS but that could also be for a std lead acid type that requires slightly different charging.

I've yet to find what spec battery the car should have but it certainly seems that it's not getting the required charge for an AGM as Mattmr1 has said.

 

the closest I could find, was for a
6' E64 630i Original BMW battery
I don;t have the VIN, but it should be close enough

3 choices 90 / 92 / 110 Ah's respectively

 

Take your VIN and go to mdecoder.com or bimmer.work and enter it. Towards the bottom of that list it will show what battery the car was fitted with when it was built. 80Ah AGM are acceptable, but I find that the 95Ah AGM H9 battery works best for all fitments. BMW used to supply a 105Ah AGM battery but has since discontinued it and the aftermarket battery suppliers have not picked it up. One must always check what battery the vehicle expects to be fitted (80Ah/90Ah/95Ah/105Ah AND AGM/FLA) and CODE the new battery fitment if it is different. THEN, the new battery needs to be registered to the car. Most simple scanners can do the registration. The coding, though, requires a bit more. I have found that Bimmercode software using the Vgate iCar Pro Bluetooth dongle using your phone is the easiest, fastest, most efficient, way to go. BTW, if you continue to lose charge, then someone needs to do an energy diagnostic on your car to determine what kinds of draws are taking place. ISTA can handle that and the registration, but not the coding. That requires ISTA P which IMHO has too much overhead associated for a simple battery coding.

 

mdecoder does not work anymore for john doe's bimmerwork does work but it does not show what type of battery OP will need,
I have a dump for my car and doesnt who the battery
I posted (post no 29) and screen shot the 4 batteries listed in NewTIS, for a similar car, which is as near as dammit, 2 AGM's and 2 non.
All OP needs to do is ring a dealer and ask them, they will tell him what battery he needs for his car.

 

mdecoder does not work anymore for john doe's bimmerwork does work but it does not show what type of battery OP will need,
I have a dump for my car and doesnt who the battery
I posted (post no 29) and screen shot the 4 batteries listed in NewTIS, for a similar car, which is as near as dammit, 2 AGM's and 2 non.
All OP needs to do is ring a dealer and ask them, they will tell him what battery he needs for his car.

Both mdecoder.com and bimmer.work function correctly. I use them both regularly with no issues. I suppose I got too used to seeing option

A105​

105 Ah AGM battery​

on the VINs i've looked up. From what I understand, an 80Ah was the base battery with a 90Ah available and the 105Ah. I also think it fair to state that the 80Ah did not make it in the fitment of North American destined vehicles. So, probably the 90Ah is the "standard" battery and the option would cover the upgrade. The answer is alot more simple than calling the dealer. Uncover the battery and read it right off the label. In my book, I'd go with the 95Ah battery straightaway since the 105Ah battery is NLA. The real issue is understanding what barttery you car THINKS it has. You can see that when the registration is done. If it does not match the one being installed, then the coding needs to be updated. In your example (post 29), only two batteries are being shown. The 90Ah and the 92Ah. The other ones are warranty only replacement and NLA. Once again, I'd go with the aftermarket 95Ah AGM battery with a code to 90 or 92Ah AGM (as the vehicle's system permits) and a registration.

 

This website is a useful reference for finding parts (with the oem numbers)

https://www.buycarparts.co.uk/bmw/6-convertible-e64/25496/10142/battery?sort_categories%5B0%5D=1

Most listed are AGM but if you can find the oem number of yours, (try realoem.com) this might narrow down the list.

Nb I think I looked up for the 3L engine so please choose the correct one.

 

Thanks Atyn, realised.com is very helpful 👍

 

I'm fairly sure your vehicle would have been fitted with a 95 Ah Lead Acid Battery from the factory.
That being said, AGM batteries can be installed in our vehicles (with or without, start/stop tech) if the coding is changed accordingly and the change is registered.
As long as the battery change as been registered and the coding changed to reflect the new battery type and capacity, the output from your alternator should be around 14v - 14.4 volts.
If, with the engine idling, aircon & lights on, your alternator is not delivering that voltage you have a problem.
12 -12.5v or less your alternator and/or integrated Voltage Regulator is most probably faulty.
13 - 14 volts, your IVM may be the issue as the BSD signal from and to the Alternator pass through it.
Your IBS (integrated battery sensor) may also be at fault, but if it was, it would normally show a code in INPA or ISTA +.
I hope this helps.

 

Thanks gadgets4u, that's what I'm wondering, if they set the vehicle to the correct charging paramters for AGM.

I'm fairly sure your vehicle would have been fitted with a 95 Ah Lead Acid Battery from the factory.
That being said, AGM batteries can be installed in our vehicles (with or without, start/stop tech) if the coding is changed accordingly and the change is registered.
As long as the battery change as been registered and the coding changed to reflect the new battery type and capacity, the output from your alternator should be around 14v - 14.4 volts.
If, with the engine idling, aircon & lights on, your alternator is not delivering that voltage you have a problem.
12 -12.5v or less your alternator and/or integrated Voltage Regulator is most probably faulty.
13 - 14 volts, your IVM may be the issue as the BSD signal from and to the Alternator pass through it.
Your IBS (integrated battery sensor) may also be at fault, but if it was, it would normally show a code in INPA or ISTA +.
I hope this helps.

 

knowing the last 7 digits of the VIN would give more exact info, but it appears that the original battery, for your car doing a somewhat presumptive search on realoem.com, is a 92ah or 90ah AGM. no matter what battery is installed in the car, to determine if the car is coded (programmed) correctly for that battery would mean reading how the car is coded and comparing current battery specs.

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog

BMW parts 6' E64 LCI 650i Original BMW battery

www.realoem.com

towards the end of the listing is the procedure using ISTA for reading the coding of the vehicle.

 

as an example, ive a grouchy old fart retired friend with an 2004 e60 545. he may drive only 6 or so times a month, his car has an AGM battery, which i replaced last year for him with same spec battery and registered. had to replace it last cuz he let it run down totally dead from non-use and it wouldnt recover. to prevent this from happening again, i go by 3-4 times a month to check his voltage and charge as necessary, i charge if its 12.3 vdc or less, as i did yesterday both yesterday. before the latest replacement, you dont wanna know how many times he called me cuz over the last few years cuz it was too low to start. i use a schumacher smart charger to charge it on AGM setting, trickle charge.
the two 5 mile trips a day wont allow your battery to charge back fully after two starts and the quiescent load on the battery on the battery whilst parked. time comes in to play here as well as charging current during driving.

 

A small solar panel will save all the hassle. If the accessory socket is permanently live, one resting inside on the dash will just plug in, alernatively the obd socket is usually permanently live.

 

ok got it, battery voltage drops are a form of indicator, what you need to know is SOH and SOC, get and put on a Solar Ba9. also check with Ista to make sure the CAR is not waking up, if it is, then it takes 20minutes to go back to sleep, which is WHY, short stop starts and many of them does a BMW no good, at least the newer ones.
if the car is NOT being used, just leave a BMW tender on it permanently.

 

On what year and model vehicle? Generally speaking on an E-series chassis, no. After that, yes, it's a must.

 

Took the car back to BNtec who installed the battery (gave them my voltage readings) they confirmed that there was an irregular drain happening.
Then asked me what I had plugged into the OBD2 port........... I hadn't even got as far as checking that, unplugged it and drain went away 👍
Been busy all weekend so not investigated where it goes but the Missus hasn't noticed anything not working so happy days.
Also BNtec replaced the battery under warranty, which they didn't need to do, top lads.

Thank you everyone for you help 🙂🙂🙂

 

What was it that was plugged into the OBD port? You didn't specify.

 

he did say " I hadn't even got as far as checking that, unplugged it and drain went away "

 

yeah, but in the initial posts, up until he took it back on the 3rd page it wasn't even mentioned,
sometimes with battery drain, we need to know exactly what mods/aftermarket have been done
unless told we assume OEM no mods, and that makes a differnce