I have two issues with my 04 530:

1. I'm getting a low battery message
2. My battery and surrounding area is covered with a thin layer of orange dust... WTF? and there's a little bit of
rust (some paint peeling) at the bottom of the battery compartment.

And now for the questions:

1. Can I pull out the battery to charge it? At the same time I want to clean up the rusty mess...
2. Will there be issues after re-installation?

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Greg

 

1. Yes
2. I haven't got any...

 

Would anything need to be reprogrammed?

 

If you have active steering you won't be able to do that

 

I think if anything needs to be reprogrammed, there would be something wrong in a car. So no...

edit: Ok, I didn't know about active steering

edit2: vishwen, do you really mean reprogramming or just reset or something else?

 

I don't have active steering, it's the entry level 530. Hey this one stretched my budget already!

 

There will be a message for active steering , (if you have active steering) then it will disappear after 5 mins of driving , but the fault will store in the car memory

 

Rust in battery compartment is a telltale sign that needs to be investigated! The orange dust ... I don't have a clue what that might be.

Check the vent tube to be sure it is venting properly and isn't causing caustic vapors to collect in the battery compartment area and cause corrosion. Also check to be sure that battery acid isn't leaking anywhere. Any spillage and corrosion should be cleaned up, neutralized (a past made with baking soda is one way). Then repaint any areas that require it before you replace the battery.

You might find that personalized settings (radio presets, etc) may need to be reprogrammed.

 

I believe the owners manual says to charge the battery via the red + terminal under the hood and to ground it under the hood as well?

 

So if I go to reconnect the battery the car won't go crazy, ie lights flickering, dead radio, etc.?