My 2010 528i still has the original battery in it. I anticipate its going to die and I should proactively replace it very soon.

Two questions:

Can I use my OBD II device and the Carly for BMW app on my phone to register the new battery effectively?

If the answer is no this won't work, can I buy the exact same battery that came with the e60 in 2010 (same mfg'r and specs) so I can circumvent the entire registering process (and the e60 computer thinks its still the old battery)?

 

You can replace your battery with an exact duplicate of the existing one you have without registering the new one. You will wind up with a reduced lifecycle on the new one because the charging rate is modified by the computer to compensate for the age of the battery. That is one of the reasons for re-registering it.

Someone else will have to answer the Carly question.

Recommend replacing the battery and then have a local independent shop do the registration. Usually cost about $50.

 

It sounds like I can't get around registering a new battery.

If it cost $50 to register the battery, how about this strategy. I spend the $50 on a Tender trickle charger and keep the old battery alive and well for another few years.

Will the Tender trickle charger keep it alive for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years? What's your thinking?

 

You should be able to.

Yes.

 

I'm thinking you're making it harder on yourself just to save 50 bucks. You're really going to hook up and disconnect the tender each time you use the car? Me thinks not.

Put the 50 bucks toward the Carly instead.

 

+1 The trickle charger will not "keep" or add life to your battery - register the battery.

 

What's this registering the battery? I also have a 2010 528I as well, recently the original battery died. I just went to AutoZone & bought an AGM battery. Had no issues whatsoever. A friend on this forum told me that the battery must be AGM to avoid the registration process.

 

Your friend is incorrect. This has been discussed extensively on these pages. Use Search for the phrase "battery registration". The short answer is, unless the replacement battery is an exact match with the one previously registered (yes, yours once was), the life of the battery is severely compromised. Done properly, it's not unusual for a battery to last seven years on our cars.