EBMCS03

Its on the right side.. Open the trunk and look to the right... open up that panel and you'll see it... Opposite side of where the stereo amp is.

what year is his 328? it could be under the seat or in the trunk also.

AlwynMike

As EBMCS03 says, it is buried under the right hand trim, under the floor, directly behind the wheel. You'll need to lift up the spare wheel cover and hook it up. Undo the plastic quarter turn screw and the whole side panel will wiggle out, complete with the oddments bin (if you have that in your market). You may need to run a screwdriver down the rubber boot sealing strip, between the strip and the trim to get it clear.

If you need to jump start the beast (or, more likely, jump start someone elses!) then just lift the bonnet, and you will see a black plastic cover next to the strut brace, with a PLUS sign on it. This is the main battery lead and Mr. BMW puts it there to jump start the car! There will also be a plated nut (IIRC about 17mm spanner size) next to the strut brace, by the wing. This is for the negative jump lead.

I suppose that I should have mentioned earlier.
When you disconnect the battery, only use the battery clamp to disconnect it. I know it sounds obvious, but when you have a look at the battery, you will see a flat plate between the clamp and the battery cable. It's not recommended to use this as it is some sort of explosive device to disconnect the battery in case of severe accident!

Mike

vesil

Yes, but you just need to reconnect battery to get everything working again!

I removed battery cable for one hour during footwell lights installation. After I re-connected battery and switched ignition, I got three faults about X-Drive, DTC etc. They disappeared immediately when I moved car about 20 metes. Most likely systems only needed some re-calibration.

One month later my car was diagnosed by local dealer for other reason and I got printed copy about DIS full report. There was NOT a single trace about messages mentioned above. Couple other temporary faults were reported instead.

Ricracing

So if you need to change your cars battery, it's smart to do it at your BMW Service.

Why not have the Progman updates made at the same time and have the car running perfect?

Anzafin

I understand perfectly what you're saying. Spending couple of euros for just being sure everything works doesn't sound stupid at all.
But... I can understand a different point of view too. Not only about battery changing.
I like to have a feeling I can control some basic maintenance actions of my car without causing any malfuctions. Changing a battery for example.
And because of this an idea giving a dealer some extra money for doing a basic job frustrates me. I want to be the lord of my car. At least on some level

vesil

Just for clarification: Temporary faults in my car were thermostat related and I'm 100% sure that they have nothing to do with battery renewal. I checked WDS and there are even retrofit codes for different battery capacities so there are reasons to take car to dealer for battery change.

For those of us who likes small DIY challenges with own cars my experience is positive: Yes you can disconnect battery yourself. I agree with Anzafin about being lord of your car: it's not a question about saving money instead it gives a certain pleasure to success with technical projects.

acribb

I think I may need a new battery for my 2004 530i, in service since 11/03 with 49200 miles on the odometer. I just noticed that I get a slow 'chug' 'chug' start when starting the car.

I took a look at the battery and the indicator on is the color of 'insufficient charge', black, but not the yellow color which indicates 'time to change battery'.

Is this normal for a battery to go out at this time and mileage? Is it covered under the maintenance warranty?

Thanks....

Ceenit

Yes, that is an average lifespan (about 4 years). Great timing for you since you should get a new OEM replacement just before your warranty runs out....and yes, this is covered under your 4year maintenance/warranty program

Mine got week at three years, so they went ahead and replaced it.

PoloDKNY22

can someone please me!!.. my car (2004 530i) has been starting a little rough lately. it was sitting for like a month, the battery died, then i jump started it. but i only drive short trips so i dont know if its fully charged. i'm not sure how to go about FULLY charging it. now i'll get a couple different battery warnings. first i got the "check battery terminals, loose connection" and now i'll get the "battery low" warning if i have the key in for a minute before actually starting the car..

so basically i think i need a new battery but i dont know which one i should get? i just looked some up on the internet. @ AutoZone, PepBoys, and Advanced Auto Parts. i typed in 2004 530i, and it showed ones that cost about $150.. but when i typed the same info, but for the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 year models, it showed different CCA ratings and prices. the prices were cheaper on the later models. so my questions are... do the 530i's have different battery specs? ..can i buy same battery as a later model, for my car, as long as the CCA matches? ..why is the CCA# different from the CCA Rating? ..is a CCA:850 94R really different than the 93R?

.. the only reason why i ask is because the prices vary a lot ($95-$150). as long as the CCA # (not the CCA Rating) are the same as mine, and it fits in the space, won't i be okay, or does everything (the CCA#, CCA Rating and "R-size") have to be EXACTLY the same specs as the OEM? ..a list of compatable lower-priced batteries would be greatly appreciated

btw, my car is no longer under warranty. i've changed other batteries myself before, so going to the dealer to lighten my pockets is not an option!! it is going in for the passenger airbag recall next week though.. any free courtesy jobs i can ask for, such disabling my DRL's?

sorry for the super-long post, but it's my first car/BMW and i'm a little lost.. please help!!