[Sargentmyself]

So my clock keeps resetting, leading me to believe I need a new battery. I did some quick looking at NAPA had some for like $300 and that just seemed rediculous.

I did some more looking on the forums here and found a few people talking about getbmwparts.com selling some for like $170 but when I looked today https://www.getbmwparts.com/search?s...&page_url= they were all discontinued/not for sale.

Is there any other options for more affordable batteries? I also heard something about registering batteries and that sounds just silly, I've seen some people say they haven't done it and it's been fine and I've seen others saying you can just do it with Carly so if it needs to be done I could do it there

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

You definitely want to register your new battery. This ensures that the car resets to the starting charging map that gives your battery a long service life. My original battery lasted 8 years, which isn't uncommon.

Get anything from AutoZone, Walmart, Pep Boys, or Advance Auto that is Group 94R or Group 49 and has the same amp-hour rating and type as your existing battery. If you switch to an AGM or different amp-hour rating, you will need to both code your car to apply the correct charging map for the battery type and amp-hour rating, and then register the battery.

AGM will be more expensive than lead-acid, and 94R tends to be more expensive than 49 in my experience. Grab the Honey Chrome extension and start having it auto-apply coupons for you until you find the cheapest battery that works for you.

[ctuna]

Matching or exceeding the amp/hour rating is the most important
thing. Generally you want a group 49/H8. Some people get them
at Wal Mart or Costco . If you change battery types or sizes the car has
to be reprogrammed so it has the correct charging profile.

Bimmergeeks pro tool is better than Carly and its not a subscription service.
Still better than that is the Bimmergeeks.net Cable and the downloads
for Standard Tools and Ista d at the Bimmergeeks.net website.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Matching or exceeding the amp/hour rating is the most important
thing. Generally you want a group 49/H8. Some people get them
at Wal Mart or Costco . If you change battery types or sizes the car has
to be reprogrammed so it has the correct charging profile.

Bimmergeeks pro tool is better than Carly and its not a subscription service.
Still better than that is the Bimmergeeks.net Cable and the downloads
for Standard Tools and Ista d at the Bimmergeeks.net website.

Ctuna and Welcome to the NBA Jam are correct in that the amp/hour rating and the construction type of new battery are important. If either of those parameters change in the new battery, then coding is required.

However, "registering" the battery is not important - if there is a charging map, it is not altered by registration. If you are interested, you can search these forums for a detailed explanation by GBALTHROP as to what registration actually does.

[Efthreeoh]

BMW battery part numbers constantly change every few months. I checked getBMWparts just to verify what you stated. Yup, they show all the old battery P/Ns as discontinued. I then went to realoem.com and there is now a second file under the vehicle electrical subcategory for the battery. I'm sure your 335i takes the largest battery which is a wet-cell 90/720 battery. The current BMW P/N is 61212353810, which getbmwparts shows as available and sells for $160 USD. I guess they ship to Canada.

I've replaced my battery twice in 13 years of owning my E90. My advice is just buy a BMW replacement battery because it is the easiest path to not having to mess with recoding, etc. My other advice is if you are going to DIY the replacement, have a helper. You need 3 hands to keep the cables out of the way during removal and installation. Or you need to tape the cables to the inner fender to keep them out of the way. And take your time removing the BST (red plastic cover); it clips to the top of the battery and it is not intuitive as to how it releases.

[Pittz1]

subscribed for battery

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

...The current BMW P/N is 61212353810, which getbmwparts shows as available and sells for $160 USD. I guess they ship to Canada...

Looks enough like the Walmart H8 for $120 that it's probably made by same company and just has "BMW Label."

See attached photo of H8 you can get at any Walmart, ANY day, for $120, with 3-year free replacement & 5-yr pro-rated warranty.

Just take an exchange battery in with you and save the core charge, and NO shipping cost.

getbmwparts.com (Silver Spring MD) is the best place I know of to get "Genuine BMW" parts at best prices.

AFAIK, BMW does NOT make batteries, and their Bean-Counters don't want to tell us who makes them.

George

[smass]

Are you leaving your Carly adapter plugged into the OBD connector? If so, that can cause your clock to reset nightly.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Looks enough like the Walmart H8 for $120 that it's probably made by same company and just has "BMW Label."

See attached photo of H8 you can get at any Walmart, ANY day, for $120, with 3-year free replacement & 5-yr pro-rated warranty.

Just take an exchange battery in with you and save the core charge, and NO shipping cost.

getbmwparts.com (Silver Spring MD) is the best place I know of to get "Genuine BMW" parts at best prices.

AFAIK, BMW does NOT make batteries, and their Bean-Counters don't want to tell us who makes them.

George

Being that I've read numerous posts and threads on the subject of E90 battery replacements where owners have had problems (even exploding batteries!), my experience with replacing BMW parts, best practice IMO is to replace parts with BMW original equipment (OE) parts or aftermarket parts made by the original BMW part manufacturer (i.e. un-branded BMW parts). The term "OEM" gets loosely used and misused a lot. OEM can mean aftermarket parts made by the original BMW part manufacturer (like TRW) OR parts made by a manufacturer that is an original manufacturer of parts to the automotive industry but not necessarily the original manufacturer of the particular part being replaced.

Buying a BMW OE battery means it is manufactured to BMW spec for the particular BMW car it is "part-numbered" for. In the OP's case, I doubt it is worth the shipping cost to Canada, which I hinted at. I was just trying to help anyone who was sourcing a battery from Tischer. Since we're both DVM locals, I source my batteries from BMW of Sterling since it is close to my office and I have a good relationship with their parts department and they give be a great price on batteries. Sadly, Sterling recently dropped their "Trade Motion" on-line parts distribution business; I'd order on line then pick up at the dealer. I have recently gone back to Tischer as my primary source for OE parts and pay the shipping costs.

What should be cautioned to anyone DIY'ing a BMW battery is to pay close attention to the replacement battery case configuration to insure the case vent hole(s) are close to the location of the OE BMW battery. I've seen several used BMWs with aftermarket batteries where the battery vent is not hooked up and the tubing and elbows are actually missing from the vehicle. My E86 came that way from CarMax. CarMax completely flubbed installation of the battery in my Z4. It was an H5, so it didn't fit the hold down clamp (it was just sliding around in the battery box), and the vent was missing entirely. I could tell the PO for the car maintained it at a BMW dealer or BMW specialist. Luckily the H5 fits the Z3, so I swapped it to my wife's Z3 and I got the proper E86 battery from Sterling (and replacement vent parts).

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Sargentmyself

So my clock keeps resetting, leading me to believe I need a new battery. [Could be -- could also be anything from bad ground, rusted Transfer Points, quiescent current (parasitic draw), alternator diodes, etc.] I did some quick looking at NAPA had some for like $300 and that just seemed rediculous...I also heard something about registering batteries and that sounds just silly, I've seen some people say they haven't done it and it's been fine and I've seen others saying you can just do it with Carly so if it needs to be done I could do it there

Check the documentation that came (should have come ;-) with your scan tool and see if it can read parameters in the Power Management Module of your DME or CAS. INPA (BMW Diagnostic Software) or NCS (BMW Standard Tools "Coding" software) can display the current "Setting" that is selected for (1) Battery TYPE (FLA vs. AGM) and (2) capacity (Amp-hours or Reserve Capacity), and I would suggest reading that Setting so you know if anything needs to be changed when you install a new battery.

IF the existing "Setting" is correct for the Type & Capacity of your current battery, AND you replace that current battery with one of SAME Type & Capacity, there is NO NEED to "Register", Reset, Clear, Initialize or ANY OTHER Ritual, Rite, Exorcism, etc.

There are basically THREE things that CAN be done when a battery is replaced:

1) TYPE/CAPACITY SETTING: ensuring the Setting for Battery Type & Capacity is correct is the ONLY one of those three that is of ANY consequence. INPA will READ what the current Setting is, but CANNOT change that setting, and you need NCS (Also included with INPA in BMW Standard Tools) to actually CHANGE that Setting. As others have suggested, the TYPE/Capacity setting affects HOW the battery is charged, and presumably if the setting is NOT correct, either the battery life, or effective capacity of charge of the battery may be adversely affected.

The other two things that one can do when changing a battery, which don't really make any difference:

2) "Register" the battery: this term is used by most people who don't want to understand the "Details" ("Get 'er done" types ;-) to include "Coding" or selecting the proper "Setting" or "Option" discussed above. It is NOT the same. "Batterietausch Registrieren" in the German spoken & used by the guys who designed, built & documented these vehicles MEANS: REGISTER BATTERY REPLACEMENT.

When that button (F5) is pressed in INPA, ALL that happens is the current Odometer km value is entered in a text field in the Power Management Module. Neither the IBS nor anything ELSE in your vehicle knows what Type or Capacity battery you have installed, or will be able to figure that out unless YOU select the appropriate Setting/Option. So "Registration" merely shows the mileage (in km) at which the button was pushed, and even for your battery warranty, you need DATE battery purchased/installed (sticker on battery) and perhaps Receipt, if battery does NOT last for full warranty period. I don't know about you, but I'm NOT inclined to pay someone a bunch of money to push that button (and take the car in to have it pushed ;-)

3) "Histogramm Reset": is the 2nd thing one COULD do, but that is also NOT necessary and here's why. The Histogram kept in the DME Power Management Module is a "5-DAY RECORD" of Battery SoH & SoC (State of Health & State of Charge), and when the new day's data is added, the oldest day ("vor 5 Tagen" = 5 days ago) is deleted. So you COULD push the F6 button in INPA and "Reset Histogram", OR you could just let the IBS do its thing and overwrite the entire Histogram in 5 days anyway. Wouldn't spend money to have that button pushed either.

Anectdotal Evidence (Sample Group of ONE ;-): Two months ago, when I changed my battery on my 2007 328xi nearly 3 years after I bought it, it had developed a bad cell or internal fault to the point of just "chattering" the Starter solenoid when START was pressed. Battery would accept and hold a charge of ~ 12.5V, but when the LOAD of the Starter was placed on it, just clicking, and when the battery voltage was immediately checked at the jumpstart terminals, it was ~ 10.5V.

The Starter Motor does a "Load Test" on the battery every time the engine is started, and in fact the IBS and DME use that data to calculate SoH of the battery. Mine clearly failed the "Load Test."

I had never examined the labels on the old Interstate battery, which were hidden by the RPDP (Rear Power Distribution Panel) on top of the battery, or even looked to see what SIZE case it had. Upon removal, I discovered it had an H7, shorter case than the H8 which is the proper battery for this model, and was rated at Reserve Capacity 130, and 80Ah (any conversion of 130 RC to Ah I have ever seen, that would be closer to 70 Ah). The Type/Capacity Setting in INPA was 90Ah, so whoever replaced that battery 5 years prior to it's failure, had "Registered" the battery by entering the mileage (which indicated replacement ~ 11/2014 based upon mileage at known service dates). BUT that person had NOT changed the original 90Ah setting from the factory. The battery performed fine for 5 years despite the 90Ah setting with ~ 75-80 Ah battery installed. Who know how long it might have lasted if proper setting change had been done -- BUT IT WAS REGISTERED.

In another post to this thread, I show photo of Walmart H8 battery I installed to replace the H7 Interstate that was in it. ONLY problem with that battery known to date is that there is NO label on the battery which indicates Capacity, either in RC or Ah, and NO documentation either online or supplied with battery, that provides a Capacity Specification. I just left the Setting in the Power Management Module at 90Ah.

A little knowledge can be a Dangerous Thing, and lead to a LOT of superstitious Web Legends.

George

[pjb515]

I have a 2007 328i E90 with N52 engine
I recently replaced the battery (After checking here) with one from Autozone that was $150 and I think it's 700 CCA. Yes, you must register the battery. I already had a scan tool so it took no time at all.

[eugenecp]

Recently replaced my battery with a Walmart H8 AGM rated at 90ah. Had to change VO coding via NCS to reflect a 90AH AGM battery then registered it.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by pjb515

I have a 2007 328i E90 with N52 engine
I recently replaced the battery (After checking here) with one from Autozone that was $150 and I think it's 700 CCA. Yes, you must register the battery. I already had a scan tool so it took no time at all.

No, you don't need to register it but you might have needed to code it.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by dpaul

No, you don't need to register it but you might have needed to code it.

The technical editor of Roundel, Mike Miller, says differently.

Battery registration” is simply telling the engine management computer (ECU) and other components that the car has a new battery.

The negative battery cable has an electronic control unit on the battery end of it called an intelligent battery sensor (IBS). The IBS measures the state of battery charge and sends this information to the ECU. The ECU uses this information to control how much charging voltage is needed from the alternator to support vehicle electricity needs.

A battery deteriorates normally over time, depending upon service demands and driving profile. The IBS monitors battery condition and sends this data to the ECU. The ECU tells the charging system to increase voltage and amperage output incrementally as the battery matures. Therefore, at battery replacement time, if you don’t tell the ECU it has a new battery it will overcharge the new battery causing it to wear out faster.

The registration process takes place in the ECU, which is the main player in this system. Also, when the IBS sees that battery voltage is too low for normal vehicle operation it can start shutting down vehicle functions to conserve power while keeping the vehicle operational. This may be accompanied by a check control warning of excessive battery discharge.

ISTA/D itself will also tell you why.



The answer is yes, it is necessary to register your battery unless you want to risk it failing prematurely.

[dpaul]

Yes, there are pundits on both sides of the aisle with opinions on this issue.

One would think that BMW itself (via ISTA) would be giving reliable information. However, it has been clearly shown that the histogram of power usage does not persist in module memory longer than 5 days. That's the end of the story for me.

Empirically, I can say that I installed a new battery in one of my E90 vehicles shortly after purchase and did not register it (although I did code it since an AGM replaced a FLA). It's over 8 years, still going strong.

That is not a statistically valid sampling but it does illustrate that failing to register a new battery does not necessarily lead to a premature failure.

[smass]

Originally Posted by dpaul

Yes, there are pundits on both sides of the aisle with opinions on this issue.

One would think that BMW itself (via ISTA) would be giving reliable information. However, it has been clearly shown that the histogram of power usage does not persist in module memory longer than 5 days. That's the end of the story for me.

Empirically, I can say that I installed a new battery in one of my E90 vehicles shortly after purchase and did not register it (although I did code it since an AGM replaced a FLA). It's over 8 years, still going strong.

That is not a statistically valid sampling but it does illustrate that failing to register a new battery does not necessarily lead to a premature failure.

Charging status histogram is stored for the life of the battery.

- Charging status histogram showing periods in the ranges 0 - 20 %, 20 - 40 %, 40 - 60 %, 60 - 80 % and 80 - 100 %. The charging status histogram is reset in the following cases: programming the DME/DDE or registering a battery replacement.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by smassey321

Charging status histogram is stored for the life of the battery.

- Charging status histogram showing periods in the ranges 0 - 20 %, 20 - 40 %, 40 - 60 %, 60 - 80 % and 80 - 100 %. The charging status histogram is reset in the following cases: programming the DME/DDE or registering a battery replacement.

Quoting from GBALTHROP comment:
"Histogramm Reset": is the 2nd thing one COULD do, but that is also NOT necessary and here's why. The Histogram kept in the DME Power Management Module is a "5-DAY RECORD" of Battery SoH & SoC (State of Health & State of Charge), and when the new day's data is added, the oldest day ("vor 5 Tagen" = 5 days ago) is deleted. So you COULD push the F6 button in INPA and "Reset Histogram", OR you could just let the IBS do its thing and overwrite the entire Histogram in 5 days anyway.

I did not verify this myself but seems straightforward enough.

[DrC_UArk]

Local indy shop measured my battery size, and replaced with identical size and power rating. $275 installed and registered.

If you don't register, your car will overcharge the new battery and drastically shorten its life.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by DrC_UArk

Local indy shop measured my battery size, and replaced with identical size and power rating. $275 installed and registered.

If you don't register, your car will overcharge the new battery and drastically shorten its life.

Simply not true

[pjb515]

Originally Posted by dpaul

No, you don't need to register it but you might have needed to code it.

Thanks, but what exactly am I coding? I don't know what that is. I have a Bavarian Technic scanner, and it is the basic one they sell, $179. I replaced my battery and used the software to send the register command...

[fazman]

Originally Posted by Sargentmyself

So my clock keeps resetting, leading me to believe I need a new battery. I did some quick looking at NAPA had some for like $300 and that just seemed rediculous.

I did some more looking on the forums here and found a few people talking about getbmwparts.com selling some for like $170 but when I looked today https://www.getbmwparts.com/search?s..._id=&page_url= they were all discontinued/not for sale.

Is there any other options for more affordable batteries? I also heard something about registering batteries and that sounds just silly, I've seen some people say they haven't done it and it's been fine and I've seen others saying you can just do it with Carly so if it needs to be done I could do it there

Before tossing parts at the problem. Have you tested the battery to see if it is actually bad?

Have you contacted your local BMW dealership to make sure all recalls were performed on your VIN? When I bought my 2008 cpo e90 with only 17k miles it also had an issue with the clock resetting during the test drive and later after i bought it. Turns out the issue was a bad IBS cable.

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by pjb515

Thanks, but what exactly am I coding? I don't know what that is. I have a Bavarian Technic scanner, and it is the basic one they sell, $179. I replaced my battery and used the software to send the register command...

There are many threads about the BMW software and how it works, which I encourage you to search for and read.

But briefly, all electronic modules can either be "programmed", where the program run by the CPU in the module is re-written (sometimes called 'flashing") or "coded", where small variables stored in memory are changed to select between pre-programmed options (for example, whether "BMW Assist" or Office" are enabled in your CIC). A special aspect of "coding" is called setting the FA (Fahrzeug Auftrag) or in English the VO (Vehicle Order), which is a list of all the options installed in the vehicle at the factory (like whether you car has adaptive Xenon headlights or fixed halogen headlights). In E9x vehicles, this list is stored in two modules for safety (CAS and FRM or NFRM).

BMW treats battery options just like any other option and makes an entry in the VO list. So if you were replacing an 80AH flooded lead acid battery with a 90AH AGM battery, you'd change the entry in the VO from "-B080" to -A090". The VO can be read by the vehicle or other software to determine how variables in a give module should be set.

Most of us use a software suite called BMW Standard Tools (BST) to program, code and diagnose issues with our vehicles. BST is freely available from www.bimmergeeks.net and requires only the purchase of a $45 K/DCAN cable and a laptop capable of running Windows (either natively or in emulation, the latter allowing the use of MacBooks). To code, you'd use a tool called NCSExpert; to program WinKFP and to diagnose, INPA.

A disadvantage of BST is that it was intended for use in the factory so many submenus are in German and some reading and learning is required for effective use. An alternative to BST is ISTA-P, programming and coding software for use by dealers. It's in English (or any language you want) and doesn't require much thought or knowledge to use. However, serious disadvantages are that it is very inflexible and requires a much more expensive interface device, ICOM-A.

Don't confuse ISTA-P with ISTA-D, the latter a very useful diagnostic tool that requires only a K/DCAN cable

I don't know much about BT Tool software even though I owned a BT cable briefly about 8 years ago, when it was the only option for self-tuning the MSD80 DME. I do know that the cable is different than the K/DCAN cable used for BST and by the MHD flasher and similar tools, part of what makes it more expensive. BT Tool software is a very good diagnostic tool. However, it cannot be used to program and don't think it can code (although I'm not sure about the latter).

Hope this helps. Again, I'd encourage you to do some searching and reading and then come back with additional questions if you have them.