So it’s time to replace your battery, but you don’t want to pay the dealership $600? Well, my DIY guide might help you save some cash and time scheduling a service visit to BMW.

Before you start this job, you are going to need a handheld OBD-II scan tool that is compatible with the E70 X5. Many versions that work with older cars like the E46, E39 and E90 may not communicate with the E70 due to its updated electronics. You’ll need the scan tool to register and or program the new battery after it’s installed. Alternatively, if you have a PC laptop, cable, and BMW software such as INPA or ISTA you can use that to register the new battery.

I personally use the NT510 scan tool available here on Amazon for under $200. This will quickly pay for itself after avoiding costly labor diagnostics charges at BMW. In Fairfield Connecticut, as of 2022, the current rate is $185 an hour plus tax. Yikes.

How to Remove and Install a New Battery in your 2007 to 2013 X5

Step 1: Locate the battery in the trunk by removing the storage tray underneath the trunk floor. Remove five phillips head screws.

Step 2: Disconnect the negative cable from the negative battery terminal. Loosen the nut with 10mm socket/

Step 3: Remove 10mm nuts from the two battery hold-down brackets.

Step 4: Lift plastic flaps to reveal 10mm and 13mm nuts. Loosen 10mm terminal nut for positive battery cable. Remove 13mm nut from battery bracket.

Step 5: Remove battery vent tube from left side of battery.

Step 6. Lift out old battery using handles that pivot out.

Step 7: Install new battery into trunk location.

Step 8: Installation is the reverse of removal 😉

Step 9: Register the new battery using your NT510 scan tool.

Additional Notes:

These cars use AGM batteries from the factory. I recommend replacing what originally came installed from the factory in your X5.

You can buy a new battery from your local BMW dealership for around $285 as of April 2022. Aftermarket batteries are around $230-$240 and may be of a lower quality or different amp hour rating. This is not the time to cheap out.

If you’re not sure how old your battery is, there are two ways to check. One, using the scan tool mentioned above. The battery menu should display the date the battery was last changed. “Should” being the key word. For some reason my car did not have the data stored.

If you have a factory BMW battery installed, it will be dated one of two ways. Older batteries have the date stamped into the negative (-) terminal post. My battery said 30 and 15; this translates to a production date of the 30th week of the year 2015.

Newer BMW batteries and 3rd party batteries are typically dated with a round sticker. My new battery had a sticker 02/22 which translates to a manufacture date of February 2022.

Finally, after installing and registering the new battery you may see that the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and 4X4 lights are illuminated on the navigation screen and cluster. This is because of the power loss to the computers while the battery was disconnected. I have found that as soon as I put the car in drive and began moving forward, the lights turned off on their own automatically. To be certain, I cleared the stored codes in the ECU using the 510 scan tool.