The battery is failing in my 2013 328xi. If I replace it with an identical BMW battery is it necessary to register the new battery and if so why? There are answers on both sides of this question online. The only reason that I can imagine this must be done would be if they do actually adjust the charging rate as the battery ages. Some have been told this is the case by techs, others have been told that registration is only required if the CCA and AH of the battery change (also by techs). It is very expensive (at least at BMW dealer shops) and it seems unlikely to me that battery cost savings (without reregistering costs) would justify the cost of registering. Would really like some explanation of what is required a d why.
The car referenced in the thread this quote is from from was an '06 650. Charlson is our resident forum TSA (technical service advisor), whose livelihood is as a BMW tech at a midwestern BMW dealership. I'm not a tech so I couldn't get into the nuances, but my understanding has been battery registration highly optimizes the car's charging and power management systems to the battery allowing for maximum power usage efficiency, tailored battery charging, and maximum battery life. This blog post is from 2011 - by now I suspect there may be (or are) a variety of apps or affordable solutions for d-i-y battery registration; it was just that much newer 8 years ago! I haven't bothered to research what's out there, in the years since I know I have local indie techs/shops with the tools to do it easily. You can save a few bucks if you install a new battery yourself & then get it registered (I have no idea if swapping batteries on your car is an easy d-i-y or not though!). https://blog.bavauto.com/10764/bmw-new-battery-registering-1-3-5-6-7-series-x3-x5-x6/ If you're sourcing your battery from a dealer, be sure to check if they offer a BMW CCA member discount - both of my local dealers offer 15% off list on parts to 'CCA members, but that varies around the country. Some may have a max dollar cap on the discount - one of the dealers here used to cap it at a max of $200 off, for instance.
Yes your vehicle does require battery to be registered. As quoted above if not done it will affect the life of your new battery. There is a lot of aftermarket software out there that can register a battery but do take some investment up front for it.
At this point of ownership, why not invest in a good scan tool that will register your battery. You can use it to read any suspected codes, and keep your mechanic honest, and not throwing in parts. My Foxwell will register a battery, with it installed BMW software. It will also display misfires, right to the problem.
