Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by TimSJ

i own a shop that works on European vehicles, yes the battery will need to be registered once you put a new one in. You definitely don't need the OEM BMW battery any good quality AGM that matches BMW spec should be fine. We use Diehard and have had good luck and they have a good warranty

Question: is there a specific point you'd recommend replacing a battery no matter what?

I have a battery in my BMW that I've been led to believe is more than a decade old. It seemingly still works fine, but should I replace it anyways due to age?

When I bought the car 3 years ago, I was told the battery was original to the car and still working fine. I've questioned whether the battery was indeed fine due solely to age. I had 3 shops independently say the battery was fine and didn't need replacing. I still don't fully believe them, so I just trickle charge it before a cold snap and idle vs turn off for super short trips when it's cold. I always get battery discharge warnings when it's cooler than -20C ish, but nothing that seems alarming and it always goes away when it warms up.

[TimSJ]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Question: is there a specific point you'd recommend replacing a battery no matter what?

I have a battery in my BMW that I've been led to believe is more than a decade old. It seemingly still works fine, but should I replace it anyways due to age?

When I bought the car 3 years ago, I was told the battery was original to the car and still working fine. I've questioned whether the battery was indeed fine due solely to age. I had 3 shops independently say the battery was fine and didn't need replacing. I still don't fully believe them, so I just trickle charge it before a cold snap and idle vs turn off for super short trips when it's cold. I always get battery discharge warnings when it's cooler than -20C ish, but nothing that seems alarming and it always goes away when it warms up.

All you can really do is have someone test it and see what the CCA's are at, typically BMW batteries are quite large and in the 750-900 CCA range. If its testing under 500 maybe not a bad idea to replace it preventatively but as long as its not sitting in the cold too long may be fine.

Battery discharge Message is very common these days with just so many energy consumers in cars and how they are used.

We all get in turn on the heated seats, radio, heater, etc etc, drive for 2 minutes, stop at a light and the engine start stop kicks in, so now the engine is off and things aren't charging but all the stuff is still on, we get to the store 12 minutes away and shut it down again come back out and start the cycle all over again. The battery just doesn't get any time to recover.

trickle charger or simply just a good long 30-45 minute drive with start/stop off once a week this time of year is likely the best thing you can do for your battery.

[Ryan Coke]

The battery in my an Audi is now over 10 years old, and the only time I notice it is if it’s left outside in -30 or worse. But even then it’s started every time so far. I was almost going to replace it last year but then winter was almost over and I found out I had to get a new one coded and everything.

So for now I have a battery warmer if it is outside in the cold, and a little boost box in case it doesn’t start.

I am impressed with how long it is lasting.

[photon]

Oh yeah that makes sense turning the start/stop off once in a while. Sport mode does that for me but I'm not using that now in the winter.

Getting the battery replaced today anyway the OEM one was the same price as the aftermarket one so going with the OEM one. My previous car twice I ended up with a dead battery on the first cold snap and it's super inconvenient (I hate hate hate not having a reliable car) so to me the extra insurance is worth the cost.

Though nowadays with the little portable boost batteries it's less of an issue. Though I forgot I still need to check mine and make sure it's charged.

[Fuzz]

Biggest killer of batteries are low charge levels combined with cold. If you don't drive much and park outside, you can save a lot of battery replacement cost with a trickle charger. Get the quick plug attachment and it just takes a sec.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

I was almost going to replace it last year but then winter was almost over and I found out I had to get a new one coded and everything.

You don't have to. It just optimizes the BMS (Battery Management System) to charge it more effectively.

I just said screw it and plopped a new one in.

[Table 5]

Having to register a battery. Frickin over complicated Germans.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Having to register a battery. Frickin over complicated Germans.

Yeah, I just replaced the one in my VW and I didnt have to do that.

It would NOT start at anything under -20, most likely because it was built by feckless Mexican ne'er-do-wells on their siesta break...I kid of course, but yeah, I tested the battery and it was effectively pooched so I replaced it.

Aside from being expensive, I had to fight a little about that, the battery costs what it costs, I get that, but dont BS me that it takes an hour to put in. It takes like 5 minutes so either figure it out or put the battery in the back and I'll swap it myself.

Now we'll see if it worked. I've had no problems thus far, but it hasn't gotten 'that' cold yet.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Having to register a battery. Frickin over complicated Germans.

Dont make zem Anschluss your house for lebensraum!!

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Having to register a battery. Frickin over complicated Germans.

So I was looking at a used M4 a while back and the only issue it had was a dead battery. $2400 was the quote. I think it was a L-ion battery that has some capability to talk to the car.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by speede5

So I was looking at a used M4 a while back and the only issue it had was a dead battery. $2400 was the quote. I think it was a L-ion battery that has some capability to talk to the car.

I dont want parts of my car talking to each other. I'm pretty sure thats how 'Judgement Day' started.

"This guy drives like an ass hole...we should eliminate all humans. Lets get on that!"

Then I have to join a resistance and everything and they dont typically need taxes done and my firearm combat skillz leave much to be desired.

No organized or even semi-organized or even para-military force should want me involved in any capacity. I would most certainly be 'the weakest link.'

[photon]

What I read is that it's just a timer so the car knows the age of the battery so it adjusts the amount of current it sends to it over the life of the battery. If you don't reset the timer it sends too much current to the new battery and degrades its life.

Maybe that's why DoubleF's has lasted that long!

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Having to register a battery. Frickin over complicated Germans.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by speede5

So I was looking at a used M4 a while back and the only issue it had was a dead battery. $2400 was the quote. I think it was a L-ion battery that has some capability to talk to the car.

Could be they were L-ion to you.

[Ryan Coke]

I did a bunch of research on it since it sounded nebulous to me, I’ve always just replaced batteries. But I read enough that, at least for now, convinced me that it is probably a good idea. And after having this one last over 10 years I’m inclined to have a little anecdotal belief.

But yes, you can definitely just put a new one in without the coding, but it will (apparently) reduce its lifespan. And yes, it does seem ridiculous.

[TorqueDog]

Yeah, they try to optimize the charging logic so it isn't overcharging the battery. Sort of how fast charging your phone all the time degrades the battery too.

[bigrangy]

The doors of my 996 have stopped unlatching. I am not quite sure how I am going to be able to open them up now.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, I just replaced the one in my VW and I didnt have to do that.

It would NOT start at anything under -20, most likely because it was built by feckless Mexican ne'er-do-wells on their siesta break...I kid of course, but yeah, I tested the battery and it was effectively pooched so I replaced it.

Aside from being expensive, I had to fight a little about that, the battery costs what it costs, I get that, but dont BS me that it takes an hour to put in. It takes like 5 minutes so either figure it out or put the battery in the back and I'll swap it myself.

Now we'll see if it worked. I've had no problems thus far, but it hasn't gotten 'that' cold yet.

You drive a German automobile and don't believe that it may in actual fact take an hour to change? You or I may imagine this should be kept simple, but there is a pretty strong possibility it is not. I'm not convinced the German language contains the word simple.

[photon]

The best kind of engineering is over-engineering!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

You drive a German automobile and don't believe that it may in actual fact take an hour to change? You or I may imagine this should be kept simple, but there is a pretty strong possibility it is not. I'm not convinced the German language contains the word simple.

I also know how shop-rates work. The 'book' says it takes an hour so that hour can be billed at the shop-rate but it really doesn't take that long.

Also, I've boosted a few cars with my VW, I'm pretty familiar with the battery placement and I could have that swapped in 5 minutes.