[BavarianCare]

Hi all,
Posting this as I've been asked and there is so much sh1t posted about it by clueless fools.

First thing to get out of the way is basic - YOU DO NEED TO REGISTER battery replacements on BMWs with an IBS (Intelligent Battery Sensor).

These systems use 'smart charging' and they only operate correctly if the vehicle is 'told' what type and amperage battery it has. For those in the trade; think back to the Ca battery that was fitted to 1999 Focus - and things have moved on impressively since then.

With BMW you now have to think is it AGM Battery or Standard Battery. Standard = normal lead acid.

Case 1:
You're renewing the battery with identical replacement.
You register replacement to let the car know that the battery is new and the charging profile is adjusted accordingly.
If you don't the vehicle will charge for an old battery and cause premature failure.

Case 2:
You fit an AGM in place of a Standard LA battery (or vice versa)
If you don't register the replacement then it will fink up the new battery for similar reasons to Case 1 but even worse than that the charging profile will be for the incorrect type battery and cause even faster battery failure.
In this case you MUST use a 'conversion' to change the battery type. Then, register a replacement.

Using F10 as an example. I've never seen one that did not have option -A090 in vehicle order from factory. That's 90Ah AGM battery.
However, you CAN fit a standard LA battery but you must 'convert' the Vehicle Order to -B090 (which is 90Ah Lead Acid battery).

This changes the charging profile and also affects how the Start/Stop system works (for vehicles with EfficientDynamics).

If not done correctly and you get premature battery failure I know of cases where Bosch and Varta have denied warranty due to internal damage to the plates.

[phone ringing so I'll update this later in the week]


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[rebel.ranter]

Here's some screenshots of the process of registering when using the DIS software package. The process is similar enough using the newer ISID software, the only difference being in the new software you need to enter the build date stamped on the negative terminal during the registeriation process.















Registering using the (older) dealer software:





Here it specifically calls out that if the battery Ah is not correctly registered then it will not charge the battery properly.







Here's a screenshot of the IBS readout using the BMW factory software (INPA) on a different car:



Now why would BMW go to all that trouble to include this functionality in both the car and their dealer software if it was not necessary?

You will "get away" with not registering the battery but you will shorten the life of the battery.

 

[rebel.ranter]

Here's some documentation (not 3rd party) that clearly calls out the need for registering all batteries and more information on the functionality of the system:

Battery Details:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/aymznm9bjzc613c/Battery e6x.pdf?dl=0

IBS and Battery intreraction:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eupc1znw6rmfsho/IBS and Battery.pdf?dl=0

IBS Unit:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/irthje76yuiwivg/IBS e6x.pdf?dl=0

Registering the Battery:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wm6gq8zcwop07o5/Registering Battery.pdf?dl=0

For clarity I have pulled out a section fo the IBS and Battery document:

 

[BavarianCare]

The method of not including the build date of battery with ISTA/P or ISTA/D is to select 'not genuine BMW battery' during the registering process.
I've no screenshots but if I think of it the next time I will.

Autologic used to be fantastic for doing Exx models but it's turned into a €14k paperweight for Fxx models really. Except for the QT.


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[rebel.ranter]

Yeah, I just did 2 e63 M6 batteries last Wednesday. At first ISID asked asked me to enter the details on the QR code but I reckon that must be validated back at base because it wouldn't let me get beyond that point.

I think you are right about going the non-genuine route, I reckon the date entry is also a record update back to base, there is nowhere in the e6x that stores the value.

Here's the new OEM batteries I used:



And here is an Energy Diagnosis about a week after fitting:



Do you notice anything odd? (Only mildly odd)

 

[BavarianCare]

Can't look now but I will later.

If you use 'leisure deep cycle' lead acid and code the car to suit- battery life should outlast AGM.
I've 3 currently that are giving better readings than AGM after approx 2 years.


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[BavarianCare]

Can't see anything 'strange'??
Those BMW batteries are Banner 59201 who are the OEM



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[rebel.ranter]

It is only a tiny thing really, the old battery and the CAS setting has 90Ah as the value but the newer batteries are rated as 92Ah. I'm not sure why that changed but it did.

I have had really long life spans from Lead Acid batteries in my e36 and e39 as I hook up a battery tender to them a couple of times a year, or permanently when the e36 was in storage. I was using a RING unit but for some reason the AGM in the M6 doesn't like that charger.

I bought a CTek MXS 5.0 recently and I'll give that a go. BMW and a lot of other manufacturers rebrand the CTek units as their own.

 

[BavarianCare]

The same thing happened with Banner.



They became 92Ah



If you look at ETK it shows the change.



I was never aware that BMW rebrand CTEK chargers. They're relatively cheap. Personally I use a Fronius Acctiva Professional Flash.

Identical to this:



http://www.fronius.com/cps/rde/xchg...ional/hs.xsl/17_510_ENG_HTML.htm#.Vw_Sb8hemnM



Can't remember but I think dealers use Midtronics.






Update/Correction:

Ok, it's Deutronic DBL430 and Deutronic DBL 1000-14 chargers that dealers use if they get them from official channels. Not much different to my Fronius (mine is 50A constant with peak of 70A with directly programmable supply voltage for flash programming).

Midtronics are used by Mercedes dealers IIRC.

The CTEK is just a cheap rebrand thing for retail customers. It's a 'Car Mechanics' type of charger and I would not rate them at all.

This link gives an idea of the dealer charger except the dealer one is 1,000w not 1,200w and was a specific supply to BMW I think.

http://www.deutronic.com/products/battery-chargers/1200-watt.html

This is the dealer tool for testing batteries prior to Fxx chassis
http://www.midtronics.com/shop/prod...cs-exp-1000-handheld-electrical-system-tester

 

[rebel.ranter]

There's a difference between the power supplies you are talking about and the battery chargers/tenders that CTek produce, they have different purposes. The CTek is actually a pretty intelligent piece of kit, hence why many manufacturers use it as their own, think of it as the equivalent of ATE for brakes, Valeo for wipers or Molex for EXUs/connectors. Electronics used to be my area of expertise but I have forgotten more than I remember to be honest, I pretend to know about IT now!

 

[BavarianCare]

This shows replacement on a 2012 F10 with non BMW battery (but still AGM). Failure of battery caused loads of issues, one of which was NCT failure.

In fact, until programming, the gentleman did not have USB media function or Bluetooth. Both of which were Plant options on his car (and in his VO).

 

[wfitzgerald77]

Can a battery be registered without the need for OBD scanners?

I was hoping I could go via a hidden menu on dash or perhaps leaving car battery unplugged for the night and see if it clears things.

Battery is not a BMW battery.



Will.

 

[BavarianCare]

Ordinary OBD scanner can not do this.
No 'hidden menu' to do it.
Dealer level stuff required.

Are you replacing with an AGM battery?


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[MK-]

Quite a few tools now available in the aftermarket for this

 

[BavarianCare]

Quite a few tools now available in the aftermarket for this

Like what?
For these options:
1. Replacing battery with exact same type? (Simple registration)
2. Replacing battery with same type but different capacity? (Registration/Conversion)
3. Replacing battery with different type? (Programming/Conversion/Registration)
4. Updating software of complete battery management system?