Does anyone have info on the battery registration issue. I have an 08 328i (out of warranty) and asked my service advisor, he was unsure and also thought a non oem battery was the way to go due to the BMW pricing. I think he's right but don't want to screw anything up by not registering the battery.
This information is from the Bentley manual. I don't really know what most of it means, but I'll pass it on and hopefully your tech can interpret it. After a new battery is installed a BMW scan tool or equivalent tool is to be connected and then a run service function is done. This notifies the engine electronics that a new battery has been installed. During the registration current mileage is stored; stored values from old battery are deleted; power management is initialized. Windows, radio, clock, sunroof,etc need to be reset. Let me know what you find out. I've heard dealers charge $400-$500 to replace a battery, which is outrageous. Me e92 is still under warranty; but when I replace the battery, I plan to find an independent who can do the work. Gelso Gelso
If you take it to an independent... ...they will probably need to have an BMW GT1 diagnostic computer to access the power management system. This is not going be within the abilities of a mechanic without this system and expertise. The BMW power management system will need to know if it's a new or used battery, lead acid or AGM (Advanced Glass Mat) battery, and the age of the battery itself. Replacing the battery in these cars without registering it could result in potential electrical problems, overcharging or undercharging the battery, and in worst case scenarios, damage or destruction to your battery and/or electrical system. Your warranty does not cover damage to your vehicle caused by user error or negligence: in English, that means if you screw it up without knowing what you're doing, BMW is not liable for the damage it could cause. Call my old 1988 750iL an antique if you insist, but thank God my E32 doesn't have such nonsense. I swap out the battery, reset my clock, drive the car for 30 minutes to reprogram the computers, and my battery swap is done - no expensive trip to the dealer required.
Thanks for that information. I, too, long for the days of simple cars like my '70 Fiat Spyder and 76 280Z. I live close to an independent who works on German cars, only. I plan to check with him to find out if he has the necessay scanner. I don't plan to have to replace the battery for a couple of years. I slow charge the battery in the car once a month and the E92 gets driven. Thanks again. Gelso
My dealer says that the battery does indeed need to be registered. I have since contacted a trusted independent repair shop that confirmed this and can do it at appox. half the cost. Dealers cost being $225 for the battery and about $200 for registation.
$200 just to register the battery. You might as well bend over and take it like a man If that's not rape, I don't know what is. $200 to register a battery. Do BMW engineers spend their spare time dreaming up ways to lift money out of their customers pockets this easily? I'm definitely in the wrong line of work.
No, because if you were in this line of work, you'd be raping your customers all the same. Would you really be able to sleep at night? It's not rape, it's surprise sex!
Odd. I thought rape was NON-consensual sex You mean you're VOLUNTEERING to pay the $200? Whether or not you have to? I really AM in the wrong line of work.
I would guess the $200 is for installation and registration of a new battery since it works out close to 1.5 labor hours. That's still insane IMO but not as insane.
Wow! That's not bad at all. The battery cost is about what one would expect for a quality battery. Even the install and registration was relatively reasonable. I'm impressed! Good job!
YAY...... Now I know what I have to look forward to with mine! This last winter caused a few very slow crank situations...
I understand this is in the E9X forum. Is this battery nonsense the same on an E46? My battery is kaput and while I've got it on a battery conditioner over winter storage, come spring I will need to replace it.
Battery registration first emerged in new models starting with 2002 model year As the E46 first appeared with the 1999 model 4-door 3-series, no, I don't think the E46 uses battery registration. Battery registration is not an exclusively E9x function, but has emerged in every new model since 2002. So if your BMW model was introduced for the model year 2002 or later, chances are, that vehicle requires registration of the battery. Installing a new battery without registering it could damage the battery and/or even the car's electrical system, as it may apply too little or too much charge to the battery. This applies only to cars who have battery registration in their vehicles. Battery registration involves going to a computer-controlled charging system in which the car deals with new batteries and used batteries differently. Since the support for battery registration requires completely different electronics, BMW likely would have considered adapting an existing model without it to be way too expensive in terms of engineering and production, so it was phased in with new models.
Just for the record. My wife's 2005 MINI doesn't require it (I know for sure), and my 2007 Z-4 Coupe says nothing (I think, anyway) in the manual about registering it. But, those designs may well be based on pre-2002 model designs. There;s no question the my 2010 328i Convertible requires battery registration... at least, that's what I inferred from the manual. For what its worth...
2006 M3 = E46 3-series. E46's do not use battery registration. Although the E9x regular 3-series appeared in mid-2005 as 2006 models, the E9x M3 didn't appear until the 2008 model. E46-based M3's continued to be sold through a few months into 2006, but remained based on the 1999 - 2005 model year 3-series. http://autobahnperf.com/TechNews/BMW_Battery/Battery.html This site lists a partial summary of vehicles that require battery registration. Although the 1-series isn't listed at all, the 1-series went on sale in June 2007 as an early 2008 model. As the 1-series shares mechanical and some electronic components with the E9x 3-series, and having been released after 2002, I'm pretty sure that the 1-series also has battery registration. In addition to handling new and used batteries differently, the system also treats lead-acid and AGM (Advanced Glass Mat or so called "dry" batteries) batteries differently as well. 2002 and newer 7-series E65/66 chassis 2003 and newer 6-series E63/54 chassis 2004 and newer 5-series E60/61 chassis 2006 and newer 3-series E90 E91 E92 AND E93 CHASSIS 2007 and newer X5 series E70 chassis 2008 and newer X6 series E71 chassis. About the only vehicle I am not certain about is the X3. Although the X3 was released as a 2004 model (post-2002) and thus would presumably support battery registration, my understanding is that the X3 was based on E46 3-series mechanicals and electronics. The E46 did not use battery registration, so I am uncertain about the X3.
