Changing a battery on an E60

mejinks · 1 Oct 2010 at 20:03

Ok, there is so much contradictory advice, I really need a straight answer.

If I change the battery on my E60, do I really have to have the dealer reprogramme the car?

Biohazard · 1 Oct 2010 at 20:25

There are ways to do it, but I do believe the battery needs to be registered.

May be wrong however, it is not my area of expertise

Dandle · 1 Oct 2010 at 20:33

You can just change the battery for a similar sized one and the car will still work. But really the car should have the new battery registered as it supposedly alters the way it charges as the battery gets older. Also don't forget the new battery needs to have a breather pipe fitting so no fumes enter the cabin. I would buy a Bosch silver top or similar and just take it to BMW to get it registered.

mejinks · 1 Oct 2010 at 22:41

Is there a way of doing it myself?

Dandle · 1 Oct 2010 at 22:47

Nope. I think BMW charge between 30-50 quid for it. You may find a BMW Indy is able to do it though.

[TW]Fox · 1 Oct 2010 at 23:37

Everything on the E60 needs to be coded. It's borderline ridiculous. I'm suprised you don't need to recode every time you change fuel brand!

Even something as simple as a CD changer simply wont work until the dealer codes it into the car. Gone are the days where you simply plugged the new thing in.

I can't see the benefit in making these parts codable for the customer personally.

DannyDan · 2 Oct 2010 at 00:05

The battery doesn't need any coding, you can replace it yourself. There are a loads of posts on bmwland from people who have done just that without any problems.

Dandle · 2 Oct 2010 at 00:19

DannyDan said:
I read on bmwland the other day that this is actually a myth. The battery doesn't need any coding, you can replace it yourself.

I'm pretty sure with all the money BMW have invested into the development of cars and car systems. That they haven't invented a charging system that needs the battery coding just to charge an extra 50 notes each time a battery is changed. All car systems are pretty advanced these days and the E60 although getting on is still one of the more advanced.