[ss-mjs]

My 228i xDrive is coming up on 4 1/2 years/60,000 miles. Given how sensitive the electronics seem to be, does it make sense to replace the battery or wait until it dies and risk god knows what.

Never had to worry about this in my 1969 Plymouth...

[Sportstick]

I had the same thoughts and replaced mine at 5 years. The need is lurking out there. I just chose to manage it before it surprised me.

[cristo]

Before winter sets in is a good time
to check battery health.
Make sure it’s been run recently (not
sitting around for days, and put on
the headlights for a few minutes to take
off the surface charge, turn them off,
and measure battery voltage a few
minutes later.
If it’s less than 12.2 (or slightly lower in
cold temperatures, you should probably
replace it.
Here’s more detailed info.
https://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/us20310.htm

[Rich.Wolfson]

Originally Posted by cristo

Before winter sets in is a good time
to check battery health.

I agree. The last thing anyone needs is to go to start the car on a bitter cold day and for the battery not to be up to the task.

Replace the battery now and it will be good for the next 5 years. It's good insurance.

I got an AGM Odyssey 94R-850 Battery from BatteryMart.com. Great price and lightning fast free shipping. And I used Carly to register it.

Note that the battery in my 2014 M235i was the larger one that is spec'd for the convertible. Either battery will fit as the mount is made to handle both the larger and smaller one. If weight makes a difference, go for the smaller one. If you just want a bit more capacity, go for the one for the F23.

///Rich

[Heitzer]

I replaced mine at 112k miles and six years of ownership. Had no issues with the battery.

I decided to keep the car as long as it runs. Changing the battery now seemed a good choice since I will not likely need a third battery anyway

[Lucky13]

I have the original battery on a 2014 so 6 and 1/2 years and its going strong. Once a week I put the BMW battery tender on it overnight but it generally turns solid green in a couple hours. I have less than 20,000 miles on the car so the battery is holding up great.

[ljason8eg]

I also have the original battery on my 2014 with 54k miles. I've never had issues with it.

I believe Costco is the cheapest place to obtain a good quality replacement (last I checked it was <$200 for an Interstate MTX-49 H8)

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

I have the original battery on a 2014 so 6 and 1/2 years and its going strong. Once a week I put the BMW battery tender on it overnight but it generally turns solid green in a couple hours. I have less than 20,000 miles on the car so the battery is holding up great.

Good data points - thanks!

[Apo Zubulthums]

Originally Posted by ljason8eg

I also have the original battery on my 2014 with 54k miles. I've never had issues with it.

Same here, 2014 with 60k.

[matrixhunter]

If you decide to replace the battery make sure you code it.

[lateapex'er]

2014 with 57k, replaced the battery a few months ago out of caution due to age. Bimmerlink app showed the original battery at 77% life!

[Pray for Mojo]

I have a December 2013 build M235i, I looked into the battery a few months back and from what I can tell the AGM batteries will last upwards of 10 years. Mine turned 7 right around now so I'm seeing if this winter kills it or not.

Your 4.5 year old battery is pretty safe and probably doesn't need replacement.

[morphomeman]

If a battery is showing a good charge, is there any reason to replace it proactively?
Is there a part for which this move makes sense on this car?
The charge pipe may be one, though most of the failures happen when the engine has been tuned. It might make sense to just replace the charge pipe when doing a tune.
Anything else?
I do sometimes think, though, that I have reached an age when proactive replacement might be a good idea. So far, my wife has not made any moves in that direction.

[FCBuff]

Good woman!

Originally Posted by morphomeman

If a battery is showing a good charge, is there any reason to replace it proactively?
Is there a part for which this move makes sense on this car?
The charge pipe may be one, though most of the failures happen when the engine has been tuned. It might make sense to just replace the charge pipe when doing a tune.
Anything else?
I do sometimes think, though, that I have reached an age when proactive replacement might be a good idea. So far, my wife has not made any moves in that direction.

[cristo]

Haven’t heard from the OP since his OP.
Wonder what (s)he did?

[Dylan86]

Did mine at year 5 (2014 build MY15) this spring. For $250 or so it's great peace of mind. Got a 5 year free replacement quarantee to use if needed, otherwise for me it's a 5 year life cycle. I hate getting stuck or stranded with a dead battery, so preventatively changing it can keep you out of trouble.

[ss-mjs]

Originally Posted by cristo

Haven’t heard from the OP since his OP.
Wonder what (s)he did?

I decided to let it ride for now. Will likely replace it next summer (year 5). Thanks for all the info...

[InlineSix]

Originally Posted by Rich.Wolfson

I agree. The last thing anyone needs is to go to start the car on a bitter cold day and for the battery not to be up to the task.

Replace the battery now and it will be good for the next 5 years. It's good insurance.

I got an AGM Odyssey 94R-850 Battery from BatteryMart.com. Great price and lightning fast free shipping. And I used Carly to register it.

Note that the battery in my 2014 M235i was the larger one that is spec'd for the convertible. Either battery will fit as the mount is made to handle both the larger and smaller one. If weight makes a difference, go for the smaller one. If you just want a bit more capacity, go for the one for the F23.

///Rich

Hey Rich, good thread you put out there for the battery. What was your experience with Carly? How easy was it? did you buy the one time adaptor for coding option or recommend subscribing?

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by ss-mjs

My 228i xDrive is coming up on 4 1/2 years/60,000 miles. Given how sensitive the electronics seem to be, does it make sense to replace the battery or wait until it dies and risk god knows what.

Never had to worry about this in my 1969 Plymouth...

Good thread. One that comes up often on all car forums. There are many factors affecting battery life and that influence when you may want to do a preventive replacement. The single biggest factor, probably, is the climate where you live (and how much your car is exposed to that climate). For me, here in Minnesota, where sub-zero temps can be a daily factor during winter months, I tend to do the preventive replacement at about 5 years. Though currently our car is stored indoors in a heated garage and barely driven due to Covid. These factors may allow me to stretch it out another year because the battery isn't being placed under the cold cranking stress of sub-zero mornings. Then again, my wife is the primary driver and her office is in a bad part of town...so the consequence of a no start could be dire. So I will probably replace the battery at 5 years just to be safe.

You always get a lot of anecdotal input to these battery threads, but one person's situation may be different from your own. So in the end we each have to make the decisions we are comfortable with in our respective situation. Batteries are not cheap, but neither are tow trucks.

[Rich.Wolfson]

Originally Posted by InlineSix

Hey Rich, good thread you put out there for the battery.

Thanks I try to post about what I know will be helpful.

Originally Posted by InlineSix

What was your experience with Carly? How easy was it? did you buy the one time adaptor for coding option or recommend subscribing?

It just worked. I subscribed as I made a bunch of coding changes. It's worth the money to me. But as a direct answer you choose the battery option and follow the prompts. It simply works.

///Rich

[shark715]

In the pre AGM battery days I would automatically replace the batteries after 5 years as a preventative measure. But I'm hearing AGM batteries tend to last much longer (no doubt you can kill an AGM after 6 months if you are determined to) and many people are replacing them after 8 or even 10 years as a preventative measure.

Thoughts?

[pmcmtnbkr]

Originally Posted by shark715

In the pre AGM battery days I would automatically replace the batteries after 5 years as a preventative measure. But I'm hearing AGM batteries tend to last much longer (no doubt you can kill an AGM after 6 months if you are determined to) and many people are replacing them after 8 or even 10 years as a preventative measure.

Thoughts?

I can say i have never replaced a battery as a preventative measure. I always wait until there is a problem like slow cranking after leaving the radio/lights on for a few min. As power hungry as these cars are and how long the systems stay active after turning the engine off if you have a weak battery it should be very evident before it leaves you stranded. As has been stated may times everyone is different, i always carry a set of high quality jumper cables and an emergency bag in all my cars just in case its way cheaper then a tow truck for a jump start.