Talk about pricey battery replacements! Not Infiniti ... :)

[szh]

One of my colleagues was having difficulty starting his car (a BMW 5 series sedan of some sort) and took it into the dealer after jump-starting it.

The diagnosis was a dead battery. Which makes sense, of course. But, here is the clincher. The car apparently uses a special kind of battery (don't know the details) that require him to use a BMW replacement of some sort. Or, so the claim goes anyway!

The dealer offered to do it (battery and "labor" to install) for a mere $540 dollars since the car is "off the warranty". Yikes!! My colleague is quite tee'ed off about this ...

Reminds me once again of why I prefer Infiniti! As I posted some time back, I had a battery problem some time back. I got a free flat-bed tow to the dealer, a prorated battery cost of $80-something dollars and free "labor" for the install - it was after 5pm, so the Service Manager asked one of his techs to stay late and wait for me to get it done.

The Service Manager also apologized that he could not wash my car because his car-wash guy had gone home by then. That minor issue did not bother me.

Z

[bigp100]

yup infiniti is much cheaper and doesn't seem like they are trying to hose you every time. I had a BMW 530i a couple years ago and my alternator went bad and i needed a battery. Needless to say it was the most expensive battery I've ever bought. The BMW logo on it makes it last for like an extra 3 years tho, right?

[szh]

Needless to say it was the most expensive battery I've ever bought. The BMW logo on it makes it last for like an extra 3 years tho, right?

And give you 20 extra horsepower too, I bet!!

Just kidding, of course.

I like many BMW models, but if battery replacements are that pricey (indicative of the potential for other pricey parts), I think I will pass on ever getting one!

Z

[olega_ts]

your friend could have gone to battery plus store and paid like $90 for the same battery, the only difference - it doesn't have "BMW" sticker on it.

[ken in az]

Yeah, but labor is so expensive especially when the battery is in the trunk and easily accessible - I bet they charged him $25 per pound that the battery weighed for the fact they had to undo one bolt and lift the old battery out and install a new one.

[loystock]

BMW, MB and most European cars are supplied with Varta batteries. Varta is one of the oldest and largest battery manufacturer in Europe, now owned by Johnson Controls, the same company that makes Optima, Dualast, etc. A Varta battery cost $125 more or less depending on the model/CCA. So $540 for a battery replacement is a rip-off.

Visit one of those BMW, MB or Audi forums and you will find how problematic those cars are and very expensive to repair. I'm happy with my Infiniti cars.

[LEXKYM45]

$540 for a battery replacement is crazy. I just had mine replaced at my dealer for $120 installed. I normally would have done this myself but felt like that was a fair charge considering how busy my schedule was last week. Original battery lasted 37k .

[loystock]

Having battery at the back improves weight distribution and reduces heat exposure of the battery. But hydrogen can accumulate in the cabin unless it has a good vent system. Also, I check the battery and alternator voltage every oil change and going to the trunk just to do that is not something I'd like to do.

[ken in az]

I'm still on the factory battery but I don't expect it to last too much longer out here in the AZ heat. Even my optima red tops would die in 4 years out here.

Trying to decide if I want to replace it with a Brailleauto battery or an odyssey that's smaller and weighs less

[szh]

your friend could have gone to battery plus store and paid like $90 for the same battery

That is what I would have assumed too (for most any car!) ... for some reason, the dealer claimed that only BMW batteries can be used in his car(?)

Is this legit? Or a complete ripoff claim?

Z

[szh]

I normally would have done this myself but felt like that was a fair charge considering how busy my schedule was last week.

True!

For slightly similar reasons, I let someone else change the oil (although I do supervise the non-dealer places) - they have the lifts too, that make life easier to get to the bottom of the car.

Z

[loystock]

In general, the 5 and 7 series use Group 49 or 95R. The 95R is longer by an inch and has a longer Reserve Capacity. There's not much difference in CCA. The quirky part about BMW batteries is that coming off the factory from Germany (5 and 7 series) they have Varta batteries by Johnson Controls. But in the US, BMW has a contract with Exide (Douglas). So those BMWs made in the US (Z4, X3, X5, etc) have Exide batteries. And if you need a replacement battery for the 5 series, you cannot get the OEM Varta but instead a re-badged Exide-Werker battery from the dealership. You can buy Group 49/95R AutoZone, Battery Plus, Sears, etc. Just make sure there is a vent kit that goes with it.

[szh]

Thanks for the info! I will pass it along to my colleague just in case he decided to just get a jump-start and drive it home instead of paying the price.

Z

[ken in az]

Just make sure there is a vent kit that goes with it.

Yes- forgot about that good call. Look at the support us Infiniti guys give to those beemer guys! awesome thread, I guess this could be filed under car forum diversity for our annual review

[M45Caliber]

Ken -- I just replaced mine at the Interstate battery store on Broadway in Mesa, between Dobson and Alma School. Free install and a 15 minute job, plus they offer a great warranty included. My Y34 had an Interstate in it already, so they checked the date stamp, and since it died at 23 months, the replacement was FREE.

I just get in the habit of anticipating a new battery ever ~2 years here in AZ.

Also -- BMW actually stands for "Bring My Wallet" Ask any owner.

[loystock]

It's more like BMW AG - Bayerische Motoren notWerke Always Grounded.

[Sportin' 35]

Yikes... that's a steep price to pay, for a battery replacement.

truth be told, I was on a 2 day test drive in a 2006 BMW 550i, 6M; when I was persuaded to look into other 4 door sports sedans. The car was everthing that I was looking for, but after speaking with a European Sports car specialist, he kinda influenced me to change my mind. The constant maintenance and service calls will have you going crazy. Not mention, the price per hour of service (his word's) is more than most cars. He mentioned that some area shops charge around or in excess of $125.00 per hour. That's crazy. So with that little bit of knowledge, I focused my search elsewhere. I still wouldn't mind owning a bimmer or a benz, but for now I think i'll let our economy keep my hopes and dreams in check.

The Infiniti is just right, not to mention, I already know what the engine is capable of and if need be, I wouldn't hesitate to work on it, if I HAD to. With a BMW, I don't think I would ever consider that, unless perhaps, it was a pre 2002 model..