Do you not adore your BMW? And you intend to continue using it for as long as possible, right? Change your oil, replace your air filters, and do other routine maintenance on your BMW as needed to ensure its longevity. Maintaining the battery in your BMW, however, is the one item that contributes the most to flawless operation of your vehicle.
However, a lot of individuals ponder whether BMW battery replacement and registration are straightforward do-it-yourself tasks or require the services of a qualified specialist. We affirm that you can manage the replacement on your own. However, if you lack computer literacy, let us handle the registration process on your behalf.
Here, we’ll go over how to install a battery in a car, examine BMW battery registration in further detail, and provide additional information on the BMW battery reset process.
In This Article...
Why Is it Necessary to Program and Match a New BMW Battery to the ECU?
Here’s why every time you change the battery in your BMW, a new battery-ECU matching is necessary. The engine would be continuously under load if the car’s alternator were to work continuously, driven by the engine through a drive belt to keep the battery charged. Even though the stress on the engine is very low, it does pile up over the several hours you drive every day. The BMW ECU is programmed to only drive the alternator intermittently when electrical consumption actually calls for it in order to improve fuel efficiency. The alternator’s operation (which charges the battery) is adjusted by the ECU in accordance with the battery’s age and mileage. Longer battery life and improved fuel efficiency are also benefits of variable charging.
Why a BMW battery Must Be Registered
To register a BMW, you will need a BMW Scanner. To program the new battery, follow the steps below. A few scanners that can identify a BMW battery start at $100, including the inexpensive and well-liked Autophix for BMW.
It can be difficult to understand the distinction between registering and coding new batteries:
- Registration is a quick process that is always necessary. It only informs the vehicle that the battery has been changed to one with new specs that are equal to (or extremely close to) those of the one that was just removed. The majority of full-system BMW scanners can carry out this process. The new battery’s life may be shortened if this step is skipped.
- If you install a new battery whose specs are considerably different from the battery you are replacing, coding is a necessary step. You must finish coding if you install a new battery with considerably different Cold Cranking Amps (CCA), Ah, or battery type (Pb or AGM). Few scanners are capable of completing this process. We strongly advise that you examine the old battery and look for a replacement with comparable specifications. If you wish to omit coding, CCA and Ah shouldn’t change by more than 5%. Based on our tests and experience, the 5% value was determined. Don’t alter the battery’s kind either. Find a battery of the same type if the previous one is an AGM.
A new BMW battery cannot be registered or programmed by generic OBD-II scanners. This is among the key justifications for why retailers like AutoZone won’t swap out the battery on a BMW.
Can a BMW battery be replaced without reprogramming?
Let’s first focus on what BMW battery registration genuinely is before delving into the procedure. Battery registration, to put it simply, is the process of notifying your car that a brand-new battery has been installed. Importantly, it must be done every time you replace the battery in your BMW, model year 2002 or later.
The car adapts the amount of energy required to recharge to operate at peak levels as your battery ages and gradually loses its ability to charge. The battery needs more charging the older it is. By registering your battery, you can inform your engine control module (also referred to as DME — Digital Motor Electronics) that a new one has been installed. As a result, the vehicle will reset the old battery statistics and won’t attempt to overcharge the new battery under the assumption that the old one is still in place.
In addition to registering, you must also code your BMW computer. No matter how different or similar your new battery is from your previous one in terms of specifications, it will still be necessary each time you change it.
Why is it necessary to register a BMW battery?
Why is it required to register a BMW battery? It is crucial that you register, reprogram, or reset the change in the vehicle’s computer system after installing a new car battery. This will inform the computer system that the battery is new and will cleanly wipe the memory of the previous charging patterns. The reason for this is that the more recent BMW models have an electrical system that is very sophisticated and equipped with IBS (Intelligent Battery Sensors), which customizes the charging process to the kind and age of the battery.
It’s crucial to register the new battery using an electronic scanner in the vehicle’s BMS (Battery Management System), whether you’re switching from a traditional lead-acid battery to an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery or using an OEM battery. This procedure, which resets electrical components and sensors and clears fault codes, is referred to as a new battery registration.
The charging system in your car is reset during the BMW battery registration scanning process, and the battery capacity is set to 80%. Additionally, it removes any battery and temperature statistics relating to the old battery that were stored. It’s crucial to understand that nothing about the procedure will affect or reset the reading on your odometer.
Important Hint: In a car made only for AGM uses, never swap out an OEM factory-installed AGM battery for a regular lead-acid battery. AGM batteries can be used as a replacement for wet-flooded batteries, but don’t forget to register them. If the scanner only has an 85AH or 100AH choice, for instance, and your battery has a 90AH rating, always select the greater AH level.
What occurs if the battery in a BMW is not coded?
The new battery-ECU matching step is skipped, causing the ECU to fail to identify the battery as new and continue to operate the charging cycle as if it were the old battery. This reduces fuel efficiency and severely reduces the new, mismatched battery’s service life. In the long term, neglecting the battery registration service results in spending more money at the gas pump and on replacement batteries.
This new battery-ECU matching service is understood and routinely offered by a respected and skilled BMW service and repair facility, like Autoscope, to maintain the car’s design goals, operational effectiveness, and ownership economies.
Do you need to reprogramme your BMW key fob after a battery change?
BMW Key Fob Battery Replacement Programming a New BMW Key from Scratch Programming a new BMW key is typically quick and painless. When the key fob first gets to your home near Decatur or Pekin, you’ll still need to program it.
Why is it necessary to program automobile batteries?
When the replacement battery differs from the old battery, battery programming (also known as battery coding) is essential. To determine the proper charging algorithm, your vehicle’s charging system ECU needs to know the battery’s specifications (Ah rating, AGM or lead/calcium, RC rating). Overcharging or undercharging your car battery, and perhaps your entire charging system, can cause harm if the algorithm is not compatible with the battery.
Should car batteries be coded?
The customer may soon need to go back to the garage if the batteries are not put properly. The battery management system of the automobile won’t function properly without battery coding, and several vehicle operations may stop. The worst-case situation is that it might even be impossible to start the car.
Before beginning any work, a battery support unit should be installed. This keeps the electronic memory of the car. The system of the car could reset to the factory default if there isn’t a support unit.
Since the coding portion of this process cannot be skipped, it is crucial to follow the installation process from beginning to end.
To keep codes and information about the instrument display, connect a battery support unit, such as the BAT490. Throughout the process of installing the battery, this should be connected.
Make sure to unplug the negative terminal of the old battery before the positive one…
Install the appropriate new battery, being sure to connect the positive terminal first and the negative terminal after. Make sure the replacement battery’s vent tube is installed if one exists.
Make sure the battery is positioned appropriately in the tray and is fastened in place.
Choose “Energy Management” from the drop-down menu under the “Diagnosis” heading.
Verify the fault codes in the error memory. If there are no codes, move on to the next step, but before you clear any fault codes and begin the battery coding procedure, make a note of any…
Enter the battery serial number when requested. The barcode on a Bosch battery contains the serial number. You only need to input the first 10 digits of this 13-digit number.
The selection criteria will be confirmed on the next screen. Press “Continue,” then “Close Program,” “Remove Battery Support Unit,” and so forth.
How can I connect the OBD to my BMW battery?
A BMW OBD2 scanner must be used for battery registration (also known as a BMW diagnostic scanner or code reader). The OBD2 port underneath your vehicle’s dashboard is where the BMW scanning equipment is simply inserted in to establish an electronic connection with the engine control module (DME). The next step is to navigate to the appropriate screen and press a button to notify the DME that a new battery has been fitted. Please check our step-by-step guidelines below for more information on how to register a BMW battery.
We strongly advise buying a BMW scanner tool if you’re a home mechanic or enthusiast and don’t already have one. As essential to your toolkit as a set of socket wrenches, a BMW obd2 scanner will pay for itself after only one repair. The same one we used for this post is available for purchase in the components list below or by clicking here.
If you own a BMW and need to replace a dead battery without a diagnostic scanner, we advise visiting your neighborhood independent repair shop and asking them to handle it. They will probably conduct it for a minimal price and it takes less than a minute.
Includes thorough part diagrams, part numbers, and links to buy all necessary parts to do this repair.
With the help of a professional diagnostic scanner, you can read DTCs, find defective O2 sensors, verify the readiness of your emissions system, switch off the CEL or MIL, reset the monitor, read real-time data, get your car’s VIN, and do a lot more. This is the only BMW diagnostic scanner you will ever need, regardless of whether you are a do-it-yourself mechanic at home or work in a professional repair facility.
The process of registering your battery with a BMW obd2 scanner is quick and easy. Please be aware that the engine must be stopped and the ignition turned to position 15 (the AC must be blowing) in order for the battery to be successfully registered, regardless of the brand of diagnostic scanner or software you are using.
- Find the OBD2 port on your car. The port is often found either under the dashboard or inside the driver-side footwell in BMW vehicles.
- Turn the ignition to position 15 and insert the scanner into the port (dashboard lights on and AC blowing). DO NOT TURN ENGINE OFF!
- Launch the BMW scanner tool and locate the car.
- Locate the screen for battery management. Depending on the brand and model of your scanner, it is typically found under Special Functions.
- Select Register Battery Change, then adhere to the directions.
- At the conclusion of the registration, you will be informed that it was successful.
- If the battery registration error message appears on the screen, make sure the ignition is in the position 15 position and the engine is off (dashboard lights on and AC is blowing). The main cause of registration failure is this. If the engine is running or the ignition is not in position 15, the battery won’t register.