[Raven_1221]

I have a 2006 325i. Starting a few months ago, I noticed the engine intermittently cranking longer than usual before starting in the morning. The weather isn't unusually cold where I live. It's about 60 degrees fahrenheit in the morning. I also notice that the AC display will sometimes be dimmer than normal, though doesn't necessarily happen at the same time that my engine takes longer to start. Does this sound like a battery issue?

[DASHOCKER]

batteries should be replaced every 5yrs.. batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time. get a fresh battery.

[CUTigers]

If it is the original battery on an 06, I'm sure it is getting weak by now.

[be1ieve1111]

Yes you need to replace it. Had to replace mine after 5.5 years.

[AddictedToBavarian]

It's only like $500 through BMW. Lol

[be1ieve1111]

Got mine with better specs than OEM from Autozone for $130 and used my bav tech to reset the battery stats.

[r3dbimmer89]

Originally Posted by be1ieve1111

Got mine with better specs than OEM from Autozone for $130 and used my bav tech to reset the battery stats.

+1

[John 070]

Why ask us, go to an auto parts store and borrow their load tester. You'll have your answer in a matter of 15 sec.

[GoRomeo]

Originally Posted by be1ieve1111

Got mine with better specs than OEM from Autozone for $130 and used my bav tech to reset the battery stats.

Can you show us the link or picture of this battery from Autozone? I might need to change mine soon. The yellow battery warning light comes on after shut off car and leave radion on. Radio shuts off by itself after 3 min or so. No problems starting car at all. I wonder if its the battery on my key fob? I will try my other set, but a link will be helpful since i still on the original battery for over 6 years now. Thanks

[John 070]

Originally Posted by be1ieve1111

Got mine with better specs than OEM from Autozone for $130 and used my bav tech to reset the battery stats.

Specs from the people that supply autozone. I got one of those ultimate batteries with some incredible warranty, it lasted about 3 years in my other car. The DieHard that replaced it is 6. Specs don't mean anything imho, they are as good as the reputation of the co. that sells it. Autozone. BMW.

[F1Senna]

Do the e90s need the battery to be coded? I keep reading conflicting info - that using a battery similar to oem works fine without coding

[bumere90]

^ yes, yes and yes!

[BAMxi]

Originally Posted by F1Senna

Do the e90s need the battery to be coded? I keep reading conflicting info - that using a battery similar to oem works fine without coding

Yeah we've pretty much reached a consensus that they do need to be registered by this point.

[be1ieve1111]

Originally Posted by GoRomeo

Can you show us the link or picture of this battery from Autozone? I might need to change mine soon. The yellow battery warning light comes on after shut off car and leave radion on. Radio shuts off by itself after 3 min or so. No problems starting car at all. I wonder if its the battery on my key fob? I will try my other set, but a link will be helpful since i still on the original battery for over 6 years now. Thanks

Go to autozone and they'll tell you which one you need.

[Torobimmer]

Originally Posted by Raven_1221

I have a 2006 325i. Starting a few months ago, I noticed the engine intermittently cranking longer than usual before starting in the morning. The weather isn't unusually cold where I live. It's about 60 degrees fahrenheit in the morning. I also notice that the AC display will sometimes be dimmer than normal, though doesn't necessarily happen at the same time that my engine takes longer to start. Does this sound like a battery issue?

this is exactly the experience i had before my battery completely died 5wks (after first sign cranking longer) no jumps ,no recharge was able to save it.

suggest start picking out your battery and replace it soon. waiting for it to die completely is a headache.

gl

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

It's only like $500 through BMW. Lol

Wrong! I paid half that at my dealer, including the coding required, and with my BMW CCA discount.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by John 070

Specs from the people that supply autozone. I got one of those ultimate batteries with some incredible warranty, it lasted about 3 years in my other car. The DieHard that replaced it is 6. Specs don't mean anything imho, they are as good as the reputation of the co. that sells it. Autozone. BMW.

...only as good as the rep of the co. who MAKE it, not sell it. There's only a small handfull of companies who actually make batteries, and everyone slaps their own sticker on them. "Autozone" might not even sell the same manufacturers batteries from year-to-year (or even location to location - seen it happen at Walmart) so reading good things about "Autozone" in search hits may be meaningless.

My current favourite is Deka/East Penn (the actual manufacturer). They have a line of OEM "Exact Fit" batteries for Euro applications which various sellers may rebrand. You can get standard flooded or AGM. I'll be putting an AGM in some time in the next couple of months before our winter weather arrives. Don't forget you need to re-code the car in addition to registering the battery if you are changing capacity (i.e. Amp-hour rating) or type (flooded vs. AGM) in addition to re-registering the battery.

http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/0379.pdf

Use "where to buy" or "contact us" from http://www.dekabatteries.com/ and they will guide you.

JCI (Johnson Controls Inc.) has a good reputation and Interstate is a major seller of batteries made by JCI. The Specs were OK and it "wore out" gradually instead of waking up one day with a cell short unable to start the car, but I had at least two different interstate batteries leave acid in the battery area due to a combination of being overfilled from the factory and a poor cap design.

[F1Senna]

Originally Posted by BAMxi

Yeah we've pretty much reached a consensus that they do need to be registered by this point.

Damn. There's only one BMW dealer on the entire island here, I better lube up when my battery goes

[AddictedToBavarian]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Wrong! I paid half that at my dealer, including the coding required, and with my BMW CCA discount.

Maybe you, but that's what people pay over here.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

Maybe you, but that's what people pay over here.

Then I'd be looking for another dealer...

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Surly73

...only as good as the rep of the co. who MAKE it, not sell it. There's only a small handfull of companies who actually make batteries, and everyone slaps their own sticker on them. "Autozone" might not even sell the same manufacturers batteries from year-to-year (or even location to location - seen it happen at Walmart) so reading good things about "Autozone" in search hits may be meaningless.

My current favourite is Deka/East Penn (the actual manufacturer). They have a line of OEM "Exact Fit" batteries for Euro applications which various sellers may rebrand. You can get standard flooded or AGM. I'll be putting an AGM in some time in the next couple of months before our winter weather arrives. Don't forget you need to re-code the car in addition to registering the battery if you are changing capacity (i.e. Amp-hour rating) or type (flooded vs. AGM) in addition to re-registering the battery.

http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/0379.pdf

Use "where to buy" or "contact us" from http://www.dekabatteries.com/ and they will guide you.

JCI (Johnson Controls Inc.) has a good reputation and Interstate is a major seller of batteries made by JCI. The Specs were OK and it "wore out" gradually instead of waking up one day with a cell short unable to start the car, but I had at least two different interstate batteries leave acid in the battery area due to a combination of being overfilled from the factory and a poor cap design.

You're not going back to the mfg. when you need a replacement. My point is, if you buy some 84 mo. battery with a free replacement for the first three years, and if fails in just under 2, do you feel glad it's a 3 yr. replacement, or do you acknowledge you got ripped off?

A BMW OEM battery lasts 6+ years, no matter what the specs are. Why? Because they don't want to replace it under the warranty, so they spec out one that lasts as long as the warranty if not more. Why would anyone go to autozone for a BMW? That's like saying, you don't need to drop $23 for a MANN or Mahle Knecht air filter, go to autozone, they can sell you one for $8.

[Bob Shiftright]

Following an electronic repair and dealer re-programming, my battery is starting to behave strangely again, forgetting preferences and shutting features down. This is about two years after my last battery replacement, by my dealer. (I plead "guilty" that I don't drive the car enough. I do put it on a trickle charger, but apparently not often enough.)

Since there is no BMW battery warranty, and BMW batteries seem to last me about 2 years, and since the replacement batteries are priced about half of the BMW battery price, buying a replacement like the Interstate with a 30 month warranty seems the obvious thing to do. However, posts on BMW boards seem to say that the "correct" Interstate battery, Mega-Tron Plus 95R/H9 -- doesn't fit in an E9x. Does anyone have experience regarding the correct E91 size and fitment?