I have been noticing that my 07 has been taking a little extra time to crank (its been getting cold too like 35deg), so I tested the battery just in case. It tested at half the Cold Cranking Amps as what is is rated at. It will be replaced soon.

 

Haven't had any troubles cranking our 07, but it's starting to get cold out now and then, and 5 years on a lead acid battery..., but my 03 Dakota is still running strong, but I have the large battery and alternator in it. I hardly get 3 years out of the JD2020 batteries (2 - 900CCA). Starting a diesel in the winter even with the coolant heater is a real drain, plus it doesn't get run that much. I put a smart manager on the new set to see if they last any longer.

I think I'll go with the interstate 47 at about $110, 30 month replacement, 800cca, local store. But I notice all these auto stores change hands about every 2 years now, but the same guys work there. But Interstate is Interstate.

 

I have a 2008 Pepper White Mini Cooper S that had a battery just die.
I purchased an Duralast Gold H6-DLG from AutoZone and it fits perfectly.
The H5-DLG is what comes up as the replacement, but it has fewer Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) than the original (520 CCA).
The H6-DLG is the same width and height, but a little longer. It also has 730 CCA, is $10 CHEAPER and supposedly 5 pounds lighter!

 

Just had the battery replaced by the dealer today. My factory battery (a Varta) was not yet dead, but had 54,000 miles on it, is about 4 years old, and sits outside EVERY day and night in our varied Chicago climate. I had the dealer do it, and challenged them on the "reprogramming" upcharge (which they recommended but did not require). The tech took me out to his bay (nice) and already had the new battery (an Exide) installed and hooked up to a small computer. He explained several reasons why the reprogram is a good idea (most of which I forgot...a mechanic I am NOT). The battery carries a full warranty (no pro-ration), and if anything battery related goes wrong, I am covered (my car is out of factory warranty with no extended). He also performed a full inspection of the vehicle and discussed oil usage and levels (he topped off my crankcase and left me a full, unopened complimentary quart of 5W-30 Syntech on my passenger's seat for "future top-offs"). He was excellent, and truly enjoyed discussing my car with me. I drove off with a new battery and everything working perfectly...ready for another four or five years!

The tech was nice enough to print out a couple of pages straight from his computer while he was doing the battery install, which I have attached. This is right from MINI's system, and explains a bit about the reprogram. I hope that someone finds this helpful.

Bottom line: The dealer probably took a few extra bucks off of me today, and I could have had the job done for less at NTB or Firestone, but for the $400 that I spent, I was treated like a human, had my car serviced by a MINI tech who was very patient and kind to me, and I have peace-of-mind that the job was done properly. Finally, let's not forget the bonus shop talk, comp quart of oil, car wash, and three cups of coffee that I dropped down while waiting!

Still loving Onslow after 54K miles, and still loving my dealer experience.

 

That's a lot of money for a battery change but if you feel good about being treated like a human, which is rare these days, then you did good.

 

You are correct, Beni. Everyone has their own opinion (and budget!), and for me, personally, it was worth the dough. Since I can't even look at a wrench without busting a knuckle, I'll leave my R56's maintenance to the real mechanics, and have it done properly. My out-of-pocket costs with this car have been next to zero, so a "splurge" such as this doesn't hurt as much.

Thank you for the thumbs up! Keep motoring!!!!!

 

It is probably too late but, the Braille light weight battery is awesome. I have the 17lbs one and you can tell the difference in the front end. Also they have a 15lbs battery that I will probably get next time.

 

I was wondering about this. I have used Odyseey and Optima batteries for years and figured I would in the MINI as well. Based on the MINI documentation posted above it sounds like you need to have some reprogramming done? Did you get any crazy side effects from your change?

 

Interstate Batteries. I pulled and replaced the one we had in our '03 Cooper (before we sold her) and drove thousands of miles without any issues. Check the terminal connections. They should have been cleaned and dielectric grease applied before inserting the new battery.

I buy all mine there and they have knowledgeable people and will stand behind the products....No affiliation, just a happy customer.

 

No none, I still don't understand this reprogramming thing. If that were so every time you disconnect your battery it would have to be reprogrammed which I do a lot. Pretty much every time I work on my car I disconnect the battery.

 

I have a question. As I posted in July, I put in the Duralast (Autozone) HDLG 5 650 CCA battery and did not have it programmed. NON-IBS. Now with the relatively colder weather set in, I noticed my car cranked slower and it began to exhibit radio malfunctions again as it had before the last battery died. I got a cheap diehard trickle charger and as it powers up on the battery it says that the battery is about 23% discharged. This has been going on for several days. No codes have been set or info to read. Typically I'd say my alternator isn't working right, but wouldn't that set a code? Alternately, I could have a parasitic drain, but nothing new electrically for months. So it is bugging me that the programming now needs to be done because it isn't calculating the higher CCA correctly. Is this even possible? Or has my battery just taken a dump? I have a short commute so I also thought perhaps with the cold, short drive it just wasn't getting charged. I drove for over an hour today and still the battery is low this evening. Thoughts anyone? Thanks for your input.

 

Is everything getting turned off that would drain a battery when the car is off?

 

Of course I want to say yes. That said, If the battery hasn't taken a premature dump which seems unlikely, and the alternator is working properly, then I have either some parasitic drain that is new or is existing but aggravated by the cold weather. The only change I've made electrically is to add the Garmin Eco-Route HD plugged in at the ODBD and leaving the Garmin in the car plugged in. The Garmin is hardwired to the lighter wire and turns off with the kill button.

Cold weather in N. Texas is just breaking the freezing point at night while the car is in the garage.

 

Have you tried removing the Eco Route OBD dongle? I have read of items plugged into the OBD port that cause the MINI to never completely power down properly. I've not heard of the Garmin hw doing this, but worth a try to eliminate that variable.

 

I will try that. I went to Autozone today and they did their check - nothing wrong with the battery but they gave me a new one anyway. I made a few short trips and parked it without the charger on to see where it's at tomorrow. If it's low, I'll charge, pull the Gramin dongle and see if that solves the issue.

If the dongle proves to be the issue, I wonder what order is best and safest to pull the dongle from the ODB port? After the shutdown or before? Dang, I thought this might be an inexpensive option to adding gauges.

 

Porthos,
Which Braille battery did you get, B2317RP? And because it is sealed you don't have to worry about it being vented correct? Did you buy it at a local auto store or did you order it on line?

 

http://www.braillebattery.com/index....atteries/b2317

No venting problems and I bought it directly from their website. I can't remember who I talked to but, they were hard up to sell me the 15lbs battery. I was being a little scaredy cat about the fact I thought I was going to kill it but, he kept reassuring me it would not be a problem. So 15lbs is not unreasonable in our cars.

Don't forget about a mounting kit and J-hooks.

 

The H5-DLG I have says it is 650 CCA. Both the one I got in July and the replacement one last Saturday. Anyway, that is what all the labeling says.

 

An update, I've eliminated the Garmin and the dongle variable. Drained off 15% during the day with 3 short round trips. Car barely came to temperature in a 40 degree day.

 

You got some issues going on. Your not throwing a code? Check the alternator, which would most likely require removal. Also not warming up might be the thermostat.

 

The temp part is explainable - not driving far enough. I work about 2 miles from home, come home for lunch. I don't think the distance I drive should have any effect on the replacement charge to keep the battery up, but I throw it out there. Autozone said I was putting out about 14.5 volts at idle with their battery load device. Something sucking it.

 

Oh yes it does; short trips and multiple cold-cranking starts are what drain a battery and it affect it's proper recharge capacity especially with the high-current drains of all the electronic devices attached to the car (blower fan, defogger, radio, navigation, etc, etc). Lead-acid batteries do not have a charge memory; but, continuous undercharging or short-charging will lower the capacity of the battery over time and will shorten their service lives.

The previous owner of my Clubman did just that - too many quick trips and the battery failed to make 1.5 years; it simply wouldn't hold a charge and it put excessive strain on the alternator and voltage regulator.

- Erik

 

Mike,

You might want to try disconnecting the battery overnight to see if it will hold a charge on its own. I'd suggest taking a baseline reading right after you disconnect it for the evening and then taking another one in the morning. Might even be nice if you could take one after a few hours. Do you have a voltmeter/multimeter you can use for this? This may help isolate whether it is the battery or something else draining it.

fwiw, one of my former vehicles had a battery in it that was going bad. We had it tested several times by both Advance Auto and the dealer. Kept coming back as OK, yet it kept draining. Finally took it to an independent shop and they were able to do some deep testing to determine it had a bad cell. Replaced it with an Interstate battery and never had another problem (well not with the battery).

 

2 miles of driving is a waste I would just get a bicycle or walk.

 

I can't disagree. 6:30 AM be there and 100ish degrees (8 months of the year) and no shower and no place to park my bike(s) safely present an issue for me. Plus, infrequent gotta go somewhere during the day. I'd rather work in my PJs, but haven't found that avenue of success yet! But in the hour they give me for lunch I get to go home and let the dog out and I don't have to eat out of a bag. Tradeoffs. My OCC is working overtime.