How to replace a BMW 3 Series car battery

The BMW 3 Series is Toyota Camry of BMW's. With so many of these cars sold and just as many available on the second-hand market you are bound to find one that suits your pocket. We take a look at how to replace a 3 series car battery.

Lawrence Minnie

13 Jul 2023 · 09:15Car Ownership10 min read

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Power of Three

The BMW 3 Series is the most prolific of the BMW models here in SA. These cars number in the hundreds of thousands on our roads and that means that there plenty of use dmodels available. If you happen to purchase one of these vehicles and you notice that some of the electric doodads don't function properly it may be time for a new car battery.

Never fear though, as we can save you a trip to the dealership if yours is out of power, and we can show you how to quickly replace it in just a few minutes with a few simple tools.

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You will need:

New battery for your model
Medium-sized Phillips head screwdriver
10mm Spanner

Let's get it done!

1. Open the boot

2. Locate the battery under the boot floor cover

3. Using the 10mm spanner loosen off the nuts off the hold-down bracket and remove it.

4. Use the Phillips screwdriver to remove the clamping bracket / machine screw on the right hand side of the battery.

5. Use the 10mm spanner to remove the negative terminal.

6. Use the 10mm spanner again to remove the positive terminal.

7. Carefully lift the power distribution block away from the positive terminal area.

8. Remove the battery.

9. Install new battery and replace all the terminals and brackets in reverse order.

Make sure that the vent line (if your battery has one) is connected to the fitting on the battery before closing up the boot area.

Some of the newer models require a battery registration. With some models this can be done within the vehicle's onboard computer menu and with some you will need a code reader to reset it from within the ECU.

We highly recommend reading your owner's manual to find out which route you need to follow.

Written by Lawrence Minnie

Lawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.Read more