Hi,

I had to replace the battery on my 2017 F56 Justa. I went to a regular battery retailer who simply replaced the old one with a new one that he said was suitable to Minis with Start/Stop. I drove away - no problems.

Then I remembered about posts I've seen on FB and other forums about new batteries requiring "coding". What's the story with this?

TIA.

 

The registration (coding) lets the car know a new battery has been installed so the car charges the battery correctly. If it's not coded the battery can fail early. Your car knows what cca battery it's coded for, assuming it was the original battery. if the retailer you went to didn't use the same size cca battery your car is charging at one cca/ah and the battery is another. Also most 3rd gen F56 MINI's have been using a 80ah AGM battery.

 

Look HERE. DIY, commentary, experiences...

Cheers,

Charlie

PS: I use Google, and the special search term "site:northamericanmotoring.com" to aim the search at this Forum.

 

Mini uses a system that monitors battery condition, and varies the alternator output to optimize battery life.

In many cases the battery that comes out is in poor condition, and the Mini system remembers this - but can't detect the fact of its replacement.

The alternator may then therefore provide too much output for the new battery, which can shorten its life.

That sir, is my understanding.

Cheers,

Charlie