03 MCS and still on the same battery, about 19,300 miles now.

 

75,000 miles on a 2003 I think I'll be looking for a red top

 

70,000 miles on a 2002, and just had to replace it. No complaints here!

 

92,568 as of today and still going on the original battery. 2002 Cooper S

 

about 5 years, 36000 miles...

 

Mine died 3 months ago on original battery. Car is a 2003.

 

I couldn't stand it and replaced a 2005 MCS battery from a build date of 8/2004 at the end of May 2009 with 25K on the car. I figured almost 5 years was kind of pushing the envelope. Bob

 

mine died last week after 97K and almost 5 years of service.

 

'04 75,000+ no problems

 

Mine also died last week, 2003 with 104,000 mi.

 

My 2005 S is 52 months old, 59K miles and still on the original factory battery. I plan to have the dealer check on it on the next 61K mile pit stop. Here in Florida, because of the overwhelming heat, car batteries typically don't last more than 2-3 years. I also think that the R53 S battery longetivity can be attributed to the fact that the battery is mounted underneath the trunk floor, away from the heat in the engine compartment.

By contrast, our now long gone 2002 MC CVT went through 2 new batteries in the 6 years we owned the car. The battery in the R50 MC is mounted in the engine compartment.

 

I replaced the OE battery last month. The car was assembled December '02. So that would be six and a half years.

Alan

 

If I hadn't mistaken the slow crank of the original OEM battery for something that was getting tired, I would have well over 5 years on the original battery. When I purchased the 2005 MCS a couple of months ago, I just thought that the battery sounded weak and bought a new OEM battery. Well, I have realized that the new battery sounds "weak" in terms of cranking the engine. Had I known that they all sound "weak", I would have kept the old battery and seen if I could get 6 plus years like Alan. The OEM batteries are kind of amazing for their longevity. Bob

 

Again, the fact that the battery rides underneath the trunk floor, away from the engine compartment's heat, helps tremendously in extending the life of the battery.

I bet you R50 Cooper owners (And second gen MINI owners when their cars get up there in age and mileage) will have shortened battery lifespans just because the batteries ride at the front and have to endure engine heat.

 

05' MC build date 11/04 OEM battery was replaced at 48K in eary 08' (cause...was bad cell). Was under warranty at the time so free of charge (which included a 180 mile tow to dealership to replace battery). Been running the OEM replacement ever since I'm at 86K now and no problems.

 

April 2005 build... still going strong just over 4 years and 93,300+ miles

 

I replaced mine with a "six pack" style battery, turns out I did not need to as the old ,75000 mile, oem battery started the car the same lazy way as this new one. So I would run the OEM's to failure.

 

06 MCS, OEM Battery.... Even in AZ! knock on wood. When it fails, I'll probably go with the Optima battery.

 

The OEM battery on my '05 MC lasted less than three years and the tech at Orlando Downtown Mini said that’s about right for Florida. It was replaced under warranty, though the sixty mile drive on a dying battery was a lot of fun. As I was standing in line to check out, an elderly lady standing in front of me had just had HER battery replaced. Unfortunately for her it was not under warranty. Anyone want to guess how much they charged her? $300.00 for the battery and $100.00 to install it. She left in tears. I asked the service manager how he slept at night and he told me he has no control over parts pricing and labor charges. I'm going to buy my next battery at a local auto parts store.

 

Mine died today just after its 7th anniversary, 64k miles (Apr 02 build).

I think it was the electric cooling fan running after engine shutoff in this heat that finally did it in.

 

Yes, the OEM was replaced under warranty after 13000, the same with the second at about 35000, and I did my own at 50000 with an Optima? which sits about 1/2 inch shorter than OEM and required a shim to raise it to the level of origional so as to replace battery box properly, and have the battery cables in proper allignment. Three in four years. Is this normal? All three had NO WARNING. Just kaput. Non Jumpable. Nothing.

 

If I could count on the rest of the car worked as well as I could the battery, I would be happy. It's the little things that are breaking down and I honestly don't have a mechanic who neither has the right tools nor know-how to check our the strange noises. I'm unemployed like a lot of us and am afraid to take the car into the dealership. BTW, My original battery, as mentioned here before, lasted 60,000. It was still good, but I live in a rural area and didn't want to take chances of my car not starting late at night.

 

Pretty impressive for a $300 BMW oem battery!

 

six years, ten months and eight days of use. (six years eleven months since manufacture). 119,700+ miles. Died without warning, but at an advanced age and while riding high in the saddle. (Kind of like Nelson Rockefeller - some will know of whom I speak).

 

04 MCS 42k miles build date 12/03. The battery indicator window has been "black" for a while and won't go "green" even after trickle charging so I dropped in another OEM unit. It turns over faster and fires sooner.
One less thing to prep for the MN winter.