I have a 2008 R55 Clubman S and haven't been driving it much, and seem to have a bad battery.

I purchased a battery through AAA Battery Service (they send local contractor) in August, 2019 for ~$175, which seemed quite reasonable.

In June-July had AAA Battery Service out twice, first time they jumped me, said the battery was "borderline". Second time they said it was bad, and replaced it. They charged me a $75 "special installation fee" because they had to remove/replace the plastic shield that takes 30 seconds! But I think they didn't know what they were doing, and might have removed/replaced the whole cowling and had to remove wipers to boot, don't really remember.

So, now, I've had AAA Battery Service out again two times in one day. Battery was so dead key didn't work, had to get in with emergency key, but started right up when jumped. First technician jump-started, told me to let it run "5-7 minutes". I moved the car to a friend's driveway down the street (didn't want to run in condo garage) and let it run for 1/2 hour. Would not re-start.

Second technician told me first technician was wrong to tell me only "5-7 minutes" but anyway I'd run it 1/2 hour. He pronounced it bad, and suggested I buy a new battery to extend the warranty period. He thought I'd have to pay pro-rata, but they misunderstood the $75 special installation fee for pro-rata - the battery still has more than a year left on 36-month full-replacement warranty! He also told me you have to charge an AGM battery every week, or it will go bad. True or not?

I gave AAA what's for, and they have agreed to replace the battery, and I said I would remove/replace the cover myself (already removed the cover, it is ridiculously easy to remove...) but I am waiting until I get some feedback here. After doing some research, I see some models need the new battery to be "registered" with the computer, so it knows there's a new battery and what kind. I'm unclear from what I see in the battery compartment. There doesn't seem to be a "dongle", but there are two wires from the + and doesn't match photos I've seen in instructional videos.

Can somebody tell me from the photos if my car has IBS or not, and so does it require "registration"? I don't recall that previous technician who replaced did this.

I will also upload photo of battery details for review.

I tried charging with a Schumacher SC-8020A that my friend has. "AGM/Large" setting. It fairly rapidly goes up to 60% then doesn't go further. Well, actually, it's starts der blinkenlights, and then I have to unplug, replug, re-program. I trickle charged over-night but not sure how effective, because der blinkenlights again. I never get successfully to "charged".

The car does start, and can use the key to open doors this is an improvement.

I normally have a Kiwi 4 plugged into the service port, I have removed it for now, in case it is draining it.

PS just checked AAA battery quote page: https://www.aaa.com/carbatteryquote/

Plugged in my details, it says * Vehicle may require a battery registration reset. But no further explanation of the asterisk.

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One more thing, I saw a suggestion in a video that it's a good time to replace the cabin air filter, since it's easily accessible with the battery out. And mine is filthy. But funny I've seen videos that show it easily replaced from inside the cabin, but the direction of the curve to the filter is OPPOSITE what I have seen in the videos! And from videos, there should be no difficulty replacing from inside cabin. But the videos show the filter curving toward the roof. And clearly, viewing from battery compartment, it curves toward the ground. WTF?

If it's not easily replaced from inside the cabin, I will order one and hold off a couple days having AAA come out to replace the battery. I'd rather just replace it from the cabin, as I don't have any excuse to try to charge me $75 again, which they might if they have to wait 30 seconds while I pop a filter out and in!

Positive cable, shot from passenger side of vehicle

Positive cable label

AAA battery label

Positive cable, from front of vehicle

 

How many miles a week are driving it? When you do drive it do you drive it for more than 5 miles? From what I guess its only driven maybe once or twice a weak. At this point your best be is to start from scratch. First make sure you get the matching battery to what the vehicle thinks is installed. If the vehicle is coded for a 60ah battery make sure you match it.there is a charging strategy based on the rate at which the battery is charged. Since you dont have an IBS I will assume you dont have NAV which most likely means you have a 60ah battery.. The vehicle does not have an IBS so it doesn't scale the charging based on the battery condition. Also being that there is no IBS registration isnt required since it does cut any consumers.

First replace the battery with a brand new battery, make sure it matches what is coded. In the future if it sits for more than 5 Days or it only goes on short trips, a battery charger should be connected just to maintain it. something like this will work. It also can de-sulfate the battery extending the life.

that battery is toast.

 

The IBS is on the negative terminal and it looks like a fuse. My 09 doesn’t have it so you most likely don’t. I used a platinum battery from O’Reilly’s which is their agm. Have no issues, didn’t have to register it, just had to reset the clock. I have bimmercode, registered it and nothing changed.

 

Thanks so much - very helpful to know that the IBS is on the negative terminal. So, I don't have it.

NAV = "navigation"? No, that was god-awful expensive in 2008, and in the mean time Waze arrived...

AAA has promised a new battery at no cost, since I am still within 36 month full replacement warranty. So, "third time's a charm" I will call in the morning, the plastic cover is off for them. Would love to get my $75 special installation fee back from last time, but fat chance.

I have to assume they selected an appropriate battery. This is what it says for my model on their battery selector page.

I checked the cabin filter, I do have the easily-removable plate under the glove compartment, so no reason to wait for a filter before replacing the battery. (To replace the filter from the battery compartment side.) Never did the cabin filter myself, boy this is easy either way, compared to my old BMW 3-series, that required basically disassembling the dash.

I had no idea about AGM sulphation. OK, as Judge Joe Brown says "well, NOW I KNOW!". I will make sure to keep it topped-up one way or the other. 3 months seems crazy short time to go bad... It's been started/driven a couple times a week, but then I probably left it 3 weeks.

How do I tell what battery the car is "coded" for? From the VIN? Something I can read out from diagnostic port? I have a Kiwi 4 and various apps... From some magic BMW incantation hit the brakes 4 times, stand on your head, hit the stalk button 3 1/2 times?

 

I can’t speak for any of the other apps, it looks like bimmerlink supports kiwi 3 don’t know about 4, but it’s a $35 app so yeah. I have used it on 2 minis no issues, I’m trying to decide if I want code, it again is 35 and I would most likely only code these 2 so just doesn’t seem like it’s worth the money.

 

Thanks, that's quite a reasonable cost.

My friend has something similar, but doesn't seem to support AGM. I think it's meant more to maintain small batteries used in RC, tools, etc. The thing literally doesn't have a model number on it. HRTC Smart Batter Charger 12V/24V fully intelligent pulse repair charger. Has lights for Lithium, Lead, LIFEPO4 and REPAIR. But didn't fire it up, maybe more on the LCD display. I had tried a more traditional, larger charger on AGM mode, and it can only bring it to 60% and then rapidly drops after use. The battery read 20% after leaving over night.

 

@jtara:
If your car has no IBS, I would deem it unlikely that it was fitted with an AGM battery from factory. And if the previous battery was a standard type battery, I would think it even more unlikely that AAA replaced it with an AGM type (which are quite more expensive).

Also, an AGM battery would not have a visual inspection window for fluid, let alone service plugs for the latter. The picture you posted definitively does NOT show an AGM type battery.

Nevertheless, 3 weeks seems to be a short time even for a standard battery to lose all its charge (assuming it was full at the beginning of the 3 week period), especially a new one. And contradicting to what the second technician said, 5 to 7 minutes of the engine running _is_ usually enough for a battery to regain the charge it lost due to starting the engine (assuming no other issues exist).

If you did drive the car at least once a week AND never left it for longer than 3 weeks sitting still, then there must be something else going on (e.g. current leak, an electrical consumer that doesn't completely shut down, alternator not working properly, etc.).

Charging a standard type battery with the (higher) voltage values AGM batteries require also decreases longevity. The fact it is a standard type battery may (but must not!) also explain why the charger thinks the battery never gets full.

FYI: Lead batteries like to stay fully charged at all times. They wear both when current is drawn from them (the stronger and/or longer current is drawn, the more wear) and whenever they stay not fully charged for any amount of time. The lower their charge state they are left in is, the faster they wear. This applies to both standard and AGM type batteries (though the latter wear significantly (!) slower from both current drain and sitting around not fully charged). Wear applies both to a battery's capacity and its ability to provide an amount x of current for time y.

PS.: In the unlikely case that the previous battery was indeed an AGM type and AAA wrongfully installed a standard type, then I'd insist that they not just fix that error but also reimburs me one way or another for all the hassle.

 

Finally got a call back from AAA.

They state that they have no current fitment for my 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S, and "should not have installed a replacement battery on June 30, 2021".

They were unable to check if they "had a current fitment" in 2019 when I purchased the original battery.

Amazingly, they were also unable to tell me what kind of battery (SLA, AGM, etc.) they actually installed, since they installed a battery of which they deny the existence.

They have agreed to refund the cost of a replacement battery (which I must source myself) plus the $75 bogus "special installation fee" that I was charged for removing and replacing a plastic panel that takes 30 seconds to do.

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Now, can anyone recommend the "best" battery type and brand for replacement? I'm in S. California. And given that I don't drive it a lot. (Though I can put it on a charger from time to time if needed.)

The store will have to have it listed as fitment for my vehicle in order for AAA to provide the refund, so can't color outside of lines too far.

 

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...and=true&pos=0

 

I wound up replacing with an O'Reilly lead-acid battery, not AGM. My car does not have the sensor and did not come with AGM battery. I think only 2008 models with Nav system came with AGM.

Replacing the battery myself was a snap, and I upsized to the proper H6 size. Though I have to re-install battery, I did not realize about the back lip, just just have to go back and re-seat it yet.

Very disappointed in AAA battery service, they put in an H5 in 2019 for what reason I do not know. I have read that H6 is a "difficult fit" but my car came with an H6, and I had no difficulty installing it. AAA contractor had also not bothered to connect the vent tube. This battery is under the hood, not inside the vehicle, but nevertheless there is a vent tube and it must be there for a reason. (Of course, I hooked up the vent tube. It was there, just not connected to battery.)

Need to take the old (AAA-Interstate) battery back to get back core fee. The old battery 3 months old (AAA replacement) only charges to 60% and rapidly drops to 30%. (per charger, at least). It is lead-acid, NOT AGM as AAA contractor told me. He told me I "ruined the AGM battery"

AAA agreed to full refund + the $75 special installation fee they charged me on the warranty replacement but did not charge me on initial install. Need to send in the paperwork.

Thanks to all for the help!

 

Aha! I now see why there is a vent tube for a battery that is under the hood.

The battery is directly in the path of intake air for cabin ventilation. It might as well be sitting in the front seat. The cabin air filter is right behind the battery. The battery is in a more-or-less separate compartment from the engine there is a seal of dubious efficacy between engine and battery compartment (so hopefully cabin doesn't suck in any extraneous discharges in engine compartment).

Air comes in through vents below windshield, and passes right over battery on the way to the cabin.

Make sure to hook up the vent tube!