North American Motoring

Mini Cooper 2014-Present: How to Replace the Battery

So you need to get somewhere, but your MINI won't start? Nine times out of 10, it's a battery issue.

By Jacob Stumph - June 14, 2016

This article applies to the Mini Cooper F56 (2014-present).

Your Mini Cooper needs a functional battery to start its engine and run all of the accessories. As the battery ages, it begins to slowly discharge, making it more difficult to start the car. Fortunately, batteries tend to give warning signs of their aging, with the car taking longer to crank and generally struggling to start. At first, if the battery goes flat, giving it a quick jump will be enough to get you to your destination, but eventually, the battery will go totally flat. If any of this is sounding familiar, it's time to replace your battery. Be advised: much like any other car, you can just drop in a battery and go, but there's more to know if you want the best performance from the battery.

Materials Needed

  • Replacement battery
  • 8 and 13mm sockets and ratcheting wrench
  • Flat head screwdriver/Trim removal tool
  • Rags

Step 1 – Access the battery

Your Mini Cooper's battery is tucked in the engine bay, so pop the hood and locate the battery cover near the upper-right corner. The battery cover needs to come off to access the battery. Use your 8mm socket to remove the three screws on top of the cover. Then, look next to the rubber weatherstripping and you'll find two larger fasteners holding the cover down; remove those as well. This is enough to lift the cover partially, but you may need more room to get the battery out. Using a flat head screw driver, or the broad end of a plastic trim tool, locate the three twist-tab fasteners on the plastic cowling and turn them 90 degrees to release the cover. The battery should now be accessible.

  • mini cooper f56 battery remove replace how to change diy pictures
    Figure 1. Pop the hood.
  • mini cooper f56 battery remove replace how to change diy pictures
    Figure 2. Locate the battery cover and remove these fasteners.
  • mini cooper f56 battery remove replace how to change diy pictures
    Figure 3. Use your 8mm socket to undo all of these.
  • mini cooper f56 battery remove replace how to change diy pictures
    Figure 4. Battery exposed.

Step 2 – Unhook the battery terminals

Your battery is supplying charge to your system through the positive and negative terminals. Obviously, we need to remove them. Using your 13mm socket, remove the terminals one at a time, being very careful to prevent contact. Contacting the terminals could cause a spark. We recommend wrapping the terminals in separate rags, away from the battery.

mini cooper f56 battery remove replace how to change diy pictures
Figure 5. Unhook the battery terminals.

Step 3 – Remove and replace the battery

The battery should now be free to be removed from the battery tray. Be careful; it's small but dense, so lift with your legs, not your back. With the old battery out, set it next to the new one and confirm that they are the same size and grouping. From there, drop the new battery in, reconnect the terminals, and then reinstall the battery cover and plastic cowling.

Figure 6. Re-install the battery correctly.

Step 4 – Battery coding (optional)

Remember way back in the introduction, that little hitch we mentioned at the end? This is it. Newer BMW/MINI products use Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries and "smart charging" systems. This means that as the battery ages, the alternator is juiced up to compensate. This is done to maximize battery life and, to an extent, fuel economy and performance, as this also minimizes electrical drag on the engine in normal operation. Sounds smart, but the problem is that when you throw in the new battery, the system cannot detect that, so your alternator is still working overtime. This can result in that expensive new battery being spent much more quickly than usual.

While you can just put the new battery in and go about your business, if you're looking to maximize battery performance and do things by the book, you will need to have your new battery "coded" to your car. BMW/MINI dealerships universally will charge hundreds of dollars for this. A good indy shop will do it for much less, but if you're a big time DIY'er and want to do it on the budget, apps like Carly for BMW can be used on your smartphone, when paired with their proprietary cable, and handle basic coding like that done for batteries. If you just want this done, slip your independent MINI mechanic a $50 bill. However, if you plan on doing a lot of tinkering with a modern BMW or MINI, the true DIY route might make more financial sense in the long run.

Related Discussions