BMW Battery Registration Success

R

rainman49

Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
507
Location
Alabama
Got a no-crank on our 2011 BMW 528i that is a spare vehicle. Displayed ignition malfunction on the screen. Tested the 4-year-old battery and it was a little low, so replaced it with Everstart H8 AGM. Still no go. Off to our indy shop on the back of a flatbed tow truck. Dead starter. Intake manifold has to come off to get to the starter. Cost $1,195. I got an Accel BM500 to put electronic parking brake into service mode but it also registers the battery. Used it to go into the professional mode on the scan tool and change the battery amp-hours to 90AGM and registered the battery. Shop charges $150 to register battery. Hopefully BMW will last three or four more years before it becomes too expensive to keep.
 
97prizm said:
I still don't understand why the German people put up with vehicles that need finicky programming? Why is it too difficult to just replace the battery?
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The ECU needs to know the battery specs to properly charge the battery. As long as you replace the old battery with an identical one no coding should be required. I replaced the battery on both, my BMW and my Mini, and I did not have to code anything. IBS on both vehicles.

Registering a new battery is required for optimized charging as the charging requirements of the battery change over time. It only tells the ECU a new battery has been installed.
 
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97prizm said:
I still don't understand why the German people put up with vehicles that need finicky programming? Why is it too difficult to just replace the battery?
Click to expand...
Its not just German cars, the Germans were simply the first. Most newer cars in the last 8 years or so have similar technology. It has been found that "smart" charging programs that minimize the amount of charging needed, puts less strain on the engine improving fuel consumption. Apparently they are claimed to add more efficiency than those awful engine "start stop" systems.
 
vavavroom said:
The ECU needs to know the battery specs to properly charge the battery. As long as you replace the old battery with an identical one no coding should be required. I replaced the battery on both, my BMW and my Mini, and I did not have to code anything. IBS on both vehicles.

Registering a new battery is required for optimized charging as the charging requirements of the battery change over time. It only tells the ECU a new battery has been installed.
Click to expand...
THIS.
There are two processes needed. One is to ensure the proper chemistry type is noted (AGM, flooded, etc) as well as the battery capacity, usually noted in Amp Hours (AH). The second part is resetting the ECU that a "new" battery is installed, as the charging algorithm changes over time to compensate for an older battery.
 
Yes, the Ancel let me change the amp/hours to 90AGM. The old battery was 80AGM. You have to choose professional instead of quick in the battery management menu. I looked at the bimmercode options but decided to go with the Ancel.
 
vavavroom said:
The ECU needs to know the battery specs to properly charge the battery. As long as you replace the old battery with an identical one no coding should be required. I replaced the battery on both, my BMW and my Mini, and I did not have to code anything. IBS on both vehicles.

Registering a new battery is required for optimized charging as the charging requirements of the battery change over time. It only tells the ECU a new battery has been installed.
Click to expand...
Obviously the system is not smart enough to be able to think for it's self . Something other brands could do for decades lol
 
f355spider said:
Its not just German cars, the Germans were simply the first. Most newer cars in the last 8 years or so have similar technology. It has been found that "smart" charging programs that minimize the amount of charging needed, puts less strain on the engine improving fuel consumption. Apparently they are claimed to add more efficiency than those awful engine "start stop" systems.
Click to expand...
I wonder if this makes the alternator last longer since it's turned off a good bit of of the time.
 
f355spider said:
Bimmercode is not capable of registration, it can only allow you to select battery chemistry and battery capacity functions. I have it...I need to add bimmerlink to my tool box.
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When installing a new, different AH battery, which comes first, registration or coding for different AH?
 
wavinwayne said:
When installing a new, different AH battery, which comes first, registration or coding for different AH?
Click to expand...
I'm not aware if there is a particular order to how the steps are performed. I believe they are separate and independent coding functions.

I really need to get Bimmerlink or Accel BM500 mentioned above before I need to replace batteries in my M550ix, as I have no intention of changing capacity or chemistry type....Just need to register them as "new". Bimmerlink can do all the necessary battery settings and sounds like Accel BM500 can too. Bimmercode is the one with the limitations...which is what I currently have. But I got bimmercode for coding functions on the car....Bimmerlink is more for service and performance diagnostics. Different purposes for each.
 
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$1200 for a starter is wild! Intake manifold removal should only take an experienced mechanic 1-2 hours at most. It's just like shops charging 6-8 hrs for the valve cover gasket, when it only takes 3-4 hrs.

$150 to register a battery is also a bit much, when there are so many free resources to do it yourself.

Out of warranty BMW ownership is not for the faint of heart!
 
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