Originally Posted by hurst01

Let's talk about this a bit. Times are not like they used to be, when if the starter was getting a bit sluggish the battery needed changing. These cars with the more sophisticated electronics require more "reserve" power to operate them. They may still have enough power to start the vehicle but the reserve power is not enough to operate the system before and during starting. Just because the starter turns it doesn't mean it has the power to operate the electronics as it should.
Case in point: I live in Southern Indiana and my Son lives in Chicago. Living in Chicago, he doesn't use his car as much as it should be used. He has a 2007 BMW 335i with 17,000 miles on it. Most of this mileage is accumulated driving home what time he is able to make the trip. Lately, he has been getting warnings about all four tires being flat, Transmission not changing, CAUTION! BATTERY AT 50% CAPACITY, and other lights indicating all kinds of warnings. The car still started and drove fine. He came home for Christmas and while home decided to have his car serviced while it was still under warranty. Even though it has only 17,000 miles, the warranty will expire because of time in February. They changed oil, flushed the brakes and made a few other software upgrades and adjustments. They called and said the battery checked weak, even after charging. Now, this is where the kicker comes in. Would you think the battery would be covered under warranty? Guess again.
I have been in the automotive repair business for many years. Problem is, since I had to retire several years ago, I have no equipment to do diagnoses on his car. I am still listed as a repair facility at the dealership for buying parts. My Son gave the OK to change the battery, simply because they told him that the car required a special battery and had to be re-programmed after the installation of the battery, which is true. The battery and installation was a bit over $350 but they discounted it to be $252 after my discount.
But, any battery of the same recommendation and amperage requirements would have worked and a good repair facility with up-to-date equipment would be able to reprogram what it needed. Getting back to what we were talking about. Yes, a weak battery will give all kinds of warning lights that are not necessarily there. Take your car to a repair facility, or someplace like Auto Zon, Advance or other parts place and have the alternator and battery checked. I say alternator because it may not have enough output to keep the

Ed


Thanks for the summary Ed. Can you tell me why the need for the programming. What's involved. How long can the car operate before the programming after installing a new battery on my E60?

Thanks,

dan

Originally Posted by jm545i

Underneath panel in trunk on right (passenger side) rear, alonside the spare tire well.

Originally Posted by dm47rust

Silly question but, where do you find the battery? I see the terminals under the hood but not the actual battery.

Originally Posted by jm545i

Underneath panel in trunk on right (passenger side) rear, alonside the spare tire well.

Originally Posted by AchtungE60

Christmas lights in your dash and iDrive


+1 This is true but don't start troubleshooting elsewhere just because you see green. Out of the 7 BMWs I've owned (I currently own 3) the batteries have been putting out less than normal even when indicator is green. i do not use OEM batteries for the fact that they are underpowered and over-rated. German electronics have always left much to be desired......mechanical stuff that's a different story. But it's hard to rate these days with the mechanics being dependent on the electrical components. I have 4 bad window regulators on an E46 with 49K miles...car is still beautiful and has needed little maintenance....except for the infamous window regualtors. I've replace each one twice already. There wont be a third. lol