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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Portland, Maine, USA area
    Posts
    840

    Battery failed: need help

    I have done a (admittedly quick) search on this topic and am starting anew, largely because we have a blizzard just ending and the pressure's on.

    My battery just failed beyond normal-jumpable status after a year of as-new ownership. It supposedly was installed exactly a year ago when I bought the car at a 3rd-party dealer.

    AAA just left: they got the car started where my wife's jump and my minibattery wouldn't. They show the battery as being about 18 months old. He said I'd been given a low quality battery from an off-brand. The guy, who seemed smart and competent, was totally spooked about replacing my battery: talked about blowing a main fuse twice out of the last 3 BMW's he'd been called on. Also mentioned the car has to be synced to the battery (possible with PASoft, presumably?) I'm not a wrencher but could mechanically swap a battery and do work in PASoft. I hate to pay the local indie, and to wait for him to get around to me.

    Experts: what path would you recommend at this juncture? Many thanks in advance.
    2006 6MT Coupe, Alpine White • Premium, Cold Weather and Xenon packages
    MFactory 3.38 LSD • 27mm M3 bar • ECS strut brace • Koni FSD's


    Other tweaks: see my profile




  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Posts
    6,871
    Coding batteries to their cars is newer than the E46. Don't worry about that. I think that started on the E90.

    Go to Autozone and get your battery tested. If it's bad, check for a warranty. If there is no warranty, I think you're SOL. Get another battery, and a good one.
    In the market for an E90 M3

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Portland, Maine, USA area
    Posts
    840
    Gotcha, and much appreciated. One point I forgot to ask about: why the battery failed so precipitously once cold weather hit? I called local shops and was told that having a good-quality (Aukey CC-S1) cig-lighter in place but not connected to phones, etc could be putting a detrimental load on the battery.

    Really? This was not the case with any of the other cars in our household over the last decade or so.
    2006 6MT Coupe, Alpine White • Premium, Cold Weather and Xenon packages
    MFactory 3.38 LSD • 27mm M3 bar • ECS strut brace • Koni FSD's


    Other tweaks: see my profile




  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    18,064
    You could have a parasitic drain on the battery. Things such as the FSR (final stage resistor I believe) are known to go bad on these and cause that. And as said, replacing it is no big deal at all. Get a good one (there are some recommendations in a thread somewhere on here), and just replace it yourself. No coding, no muss, no fuss. Just unhook the old, put in the new.
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Portland, Maine, USA area
    Posts
    840
    More just now: AutoZone is also leery of replacing the battery: the guy quoted me (on the phone) about a note saying the system had to be reset when the battery is changed. AutoZone is the best-quality store of its kind in my area so I don't think I have other options.

    Change the battery and roll? No reset or other software issues? Just checking here before I brick the vehicle at an AutoZone.

    ON EDIT: JR's post came in across mine. I am headed to the shop.

    THanks all.
    2006 6MT Coupe, Alpine White • Premium, Cold Weather and Xenon packages
    MFactory 3.38 LSD • 27mm M3 bar • ECS strut brace • Koni FSD's


    Other tweaks: see my profile




  6. #6
    Just change the battery yourself , no issues will occur.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    18,064
    They think it's a 2006 E90, not an '06 E46. Just tell them it's a 2005, it will avoid issues, and the cars are the same. I never list my car as an '06 when looking for parts. You can imagine 2 different production models using the same year causes confusion.
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    10,243
    I went to AutoZone to replace my battery last year. They wouldn't do the replacement themselves because it was in the trunk and not in the engine bay (their installation only extends to what they consider "standard battery locations"). Bring tools with you or do it at home and return your old battery to get your core deposit back.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCurves View Post
    I went to AutoZone to replace my battery last year. They wouldn't do the replacement themselves because it was in the trunk and not in the engine bay
    You can blame me, and my "jokes" about stuffing people in my trunk, for that policy.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by johnrando View Post
    They think it's a 2006 E90, not an '06 E46. Just tell them it's a 2005, it will avoid issues, and the cars are the same. I never list my car as an '06 when looking for parts. You can imagine 2 different production models using the same year causes confusion.
    This, when I order parts I enter 2004 instead of 2003...it's the part.

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