Hello all! Let me be upfront, as I know this thread has some redundant/repeated information; however, my hope is to consolidate at least a small portion of that information (from other threads) so that you can learn from my trial(s), and errors (and ignorance in some cases). For those of you intent on making a superficial judgement re: reasonable people questioning unreasonable BMW parts costs and/or repairs (as I read on other threads related to this topic), please move on, you annoy me and provide no real value to BMW owners looking for helpful information. For those in need of some basic information, I sincerely hope this helps. I’ll try and be clear when I state “fact,” “opinion,” or “inferred” information where applicable. With that, I’ll crawl off my soap box now…
Background:
My 2009 e93 M3 recently experienced battery “issues” at 57,000 miles. It was slow to turn over, the clock began to lag several minutes behind over a few days, and an “Increased Emissions” light illuminated on start-up. Even in my limited knowledge, I began to suspect a battery in need of replacement- so I began to look into costs for a new one (and whine to myself that I was just 7k out of warranty). I’ve always been a subscriber to dealership service and parts, but their cost quote for a new battery was shocking to me, and caused me to question my blind allegiance.
As of 16 Dec, 2013, the information was presented as follows:
- Cost for a replacement battery by BMW of Concord: $498.20 + cost of registering battery to car computer. (Fact)
- Cost of registering battery by BMW of Concord: similar to BMW of San Francisco below (inferred through discussion w/service advisor)
- Cost of registering battery by BMW of San Francisco: $215.00 (Fact)
- Total cost for 2009 e93 M3 replacement battery: $713.20 (Seriously).
- “OEM” battery in car: Banner (Austria) brand, 900CCA, 90ah, 160RC battery, group size 49 (group size inferred from comparison to the Duralast I ended up replacing it with).
- Banner OEM battery for e93 M3 discontinued (fact, checked website and dealership), replaced with East Penn brand battery rated at 900CCA, 92ah, unknown RC (information was passed via phone call with dealership)
I was left to decide if I should use BMW, or pursue my own course of action. I decided on the latter. I did some “internet digging” (‘cause we all know the internet never lies!), and found there were several hundred battery manufacturers for automotive purposes; however, a few were repeated several times as they seem to be the major parent companies for a significant market share (opinion). Johnson Controls, Delphi, and Exide were named (though I learned Delphi was purchased by Johnson Controls). Douglas Battery, and East Penn were also named, more specifically in relation to BMW (East Penn often with the name Dekar if I’m not mistaken). FYI, East Penn manufactures West Marine batteries as well. But I digress…
Bottom line is, I ultimately decided I was not going to spend $700+ to replace a car battery. Here’s why. The East Penn battery that BMW is now using to replace OEM batteries in my vehicle cost $199.25 retail! Yes, I refuse to pay BMW $498.20 for a $199.25 battery. I don’t mind a slight markup. I don’t mind increased labor costs for BMW trained mechanics, but a mark-up in excess of 200% (and you know BMW doesn’t pay retail on the battery as we do). Are you F’N kidding me!!?
What I decided made sense:
First priority,
match battery specifications,-with the most important being the following…battery type [Absorbed Glass Matt or “AGM” vs. flooded cell], Cold Cranking Amps (or CCA)- 900 in this case, Reserve Capacity (RC)- 160 (I exceeded this by using a battery with 170 RC), and group type (49 in this case).
There are several batteries that meet or exceed these specifications. I decided on a
Duralast H8-AGM battery (made by Johnson Controls btw). Cost to me $169.99. It will be $184.99, unless you give them your old one (core) and get the $15.00 credit. I also received a 10% discount on top for being military. Next step was to have the battery “registered.” Registering and Coding have been discussed extensively on other posts by much more informed members than me. The way I understand it is this (dumbed down that is, I am a pilot after all)… Registering is required on my vehicle to tell the car’s computer that you have put a new battery in it, and it will reset the algorithm it uses to charge it over time (ie, it won’t attempt to work as hard to charge a fresh battery). Why BMW didn’t create a sensor that reads battery level and adjusts accordingly is for another discussion, but it should be readily obvious. If you fail to do this, it doesn’t mean your battery won’t work, but you will more than likely decrease the service life of your new battery, and I would guess a potential secondary effect to your alternator (opinion). Coding on the other hand (and this is where I’m drifting way out of my expertise) seems to relate to whether you change battery “types” (AGM vs flooded cell for instance). For the experts, please chime in. I apologize for including conjecture here.
I looked into shops capable of registering or coding. I received estimates ranging from $85-$215. Many of you have the tools necessary to do this yourself, or know a buddy in a shop that can do it for you. I paid $130.00 for an independent certified BMW shop to swap my battery and register it with factory BMW software. The final cost to me to replace my BMW battery was:
$183.11 (I didn’t give AutoZone my core) + $130.00 (register w/computer)=
total cost of $313.11 + time. Total cost of BMW of Concord to replace my battery:
$713.20. Total savings to me of $400.09 + PRINCIPLE.
Caveat: I’m not sure how this impacts e90/92 owners, in that I’m not sure if the e93 ‘vert has higher electrical demands…
For all, I hope this wasn’t “preachy”, that I posted this in the correct Forum, and that it helps even one person! Feel free to email me!
And I am deploying and selling aforementioned M3 (shameless plug) -------- No electrical issues!!!
Respectfully,
Clif