Most, if not all Mercedes / BMW cars made in recent years require the battery to be re-registered by a BMW / Mercedes specialist. However, that does not mean that you have to take your vehicle to the main dealer and pay over the odds.
If you are not aware of re-registering, it means : that a computer is plugged into the car and specialist software re-sets the car’s onboard battery status.
Why do I have to re-register the battery ? Because the vehicle knows the age and condition of the battery. As the battery gets older it needs charging differently to a new battery. An un-registered new battery will slowly cook through incorrect charging from the alternator!
To save at least £50 on smaller cars and probably £100+ on larger cars, follow this procedure :
1) : Access the battery and measure the height, length and width of the battery as best you can. In most newer BMW’s the battery is located under an access panel at the right hand side of the boot / trunk area.
2) : Match your battery on our website, if in doubt give us a call during office hours. There are only around 4 main battery sizes so it isn’t difficult and you can be assured that the dimensions will match very closely (if not exactly) and the new battery will fit properly.
3) : Call a local ‘Independent BMW or Mercedes Specialist’ and ask them to quote you to ‘register a new car battery’. Many will charge 1/2 hour even though the job takes a couple of minutes (around £35). This, however is still going to be cheaper than a main dealer.
4) : Once arranged, order the battery and install it. A smartphone with a camera is possibly the most convenient way to record where any extra cables go. In most cases the job is fairly straight forward.
PLEASE NOTE : Certain BMW’s will not go over 4500 rpm until the computer is reset so DO NOT drive aggressively or attempt to overtake at high revs while on the way to the specialist….
5) : A helpful specialist will reset the computer while you wait and your car will properly charge the new battery.
You drive away better off and knowing that the car is going to be fine with all of it’s electrics functioning properly.
