Since last Thursday (9/1), my E60 could not start for a couple times. When I turned the key, I could only see the console light came on but no beeps/rings and no crank from starter neither. When I tried a few more times to start the car, it slowly picked up the number of times/cranks. Finally, it started.

Did it mean that battery is on it's way out ? My car battery is still the original (from 2004). If I do need a new battery, what is the alternative choice other than BMW brand ? Also, how much would dealer charge to register new battery ?

Thanks,

 

yeah, sounds like the battery is on it's way out from what you described. I'm surprised you aren't having any other problems such as iDrive playing up etc.

1. You might be able to check it by doing this:
Follow instructions here: http://www.scoopz.com/m5board/E60_Hi...structions.pdf
and go to number 9 and check the battery voltage, both with engine off and engine on. Report back.


2. Most people don't register the battery and have no problems with it. (if you are handy with the OBD port and have the cable and software, you can register it yourself, should you wish.)

You can replace with pretty much any battery, just make sure the capacity is the same or higher. e60's are bad at keeping the battery fully charged, so it's important you do this. Also, try and keep short journeys to a minimum.


Sanj

 

Thanks for the response. The link provided was for M5 car. Would it work with E60 - 530i ?

 

my friend. you are lucky I saw this today.

want to save yourself 800 bucks by not replacing your starter?

get the battery replaced ASAP. if you have AAA they should replace it for 150 or less.

I made the mistake of cranking the engine and not replacing the battery.

=(

 

Thanks for the advice. I am looking for battery right now, either OEM or aftermarket. What is BMW AGM battery ?

It seems that ECS Tuning and Bavarian Auto do not sell battery anymore....

Thanks,

 

Yes it does. Works for all e60's.

Reza is right, I forgot to mention this... if you try and start the engine but it is not turning over, you are essentially going to burn the starter motor out. But this doesn't mean you can't try to start it... do so by all means, but if it doesn't crack within 1-2 seconds of you turning the key, IMMEDIATELY bring the key back to 0 and try again a few minutes later.

 

Thanks for the tips. I just opened up the battery compartment and saw a pool of water (about 1/2 inches deep) surrounding the battery. When I looked around further, I saw the small tube on the positive terminal side was disconnected from the drain tubing. That might be the cause of my "bad" battery. The status of the battery was in "black dot" not "green dot" when looking at the circular clear window on top of the battery. "black dot" meant insufficient charge ..... My battery is 110Ah, 850A. I only found a couple places online where I could buy this battery. Dealer MSRP is $233.xx while online price is $191.xx + $16 shipping.
I am going to order this battery online and then ask dealer to register the battery for me.

Thanks,

 

Many of the online retailers do not carry batteries anymore because of the hassle of shipping a HAZMAT item. You can only shipped a sealed battery or a battery + acid separate (legally).

The "pool of water" is most likely acidic and you need to clean it out ASAP to prevent corrosion.

You may also want to check local shops, many are now carrying BOSCH battery line which will have a battery in the right size for nearly every BMW. You can find a listing of Bosch Certified Shops (BCS) online.

I would recommend upgrading to a sealed battery to prevent the same issue from happening later down the road, a sealed battery will never leak! (unless you puncture it somehow)

 

Thanks, I will check out Bosch battery. The BMW batteries from dealers are made by Eixide.