Battery isn't coming out!
 

Sorry for the redundant posts, but we're planning to take the X5 on a two-week vacation in a few days, the original battery just died, and I can't get it out to replace it, so I'd like to get this resolved as quickly as possible.

I've read dozens of battery threads, and those that speak of the R & R process say it's extremely simple - one person even said "your wife or girlfriend could do it." But my problem is that that log bolt on the right side of the battery, which bolts the battery hold-down clamp (or whatever it's called) to the car is just spinning and spinning, without loosening in the least. The entire shaft of the bolt is spinning, as is the part at the bottom which is in contact with the hold-down clamp. Is this normal? Am I missing something? Is there some trick to getting this bolt out? Thanks.

Well, I managed togt the battery out, but discovered that the plastic into which the thread for that long bolt was cut was broken, which was what was causing the whole thing to spin. I got into the cargo area, and pulled up on the right battery handle as hard as I could while turning the bolt, and the whole thing just ended up breaking off. Very strange, considering it looks like battery is original.

Another very strange thing is that the battery, which is a BMW-labeled battery, so I assume it's the original (I have all the service records on the car, and there's no record of a battery ever being replaced), isn't vented. Has anybody ever run across this before?

No, it should have been vented. Changed mine last year. Be sure you vent the new one.

Scott

Yes, the new one is vented, although the vent is located at the center of the battery, not at the end near the positive terminal, where it should be, so it was yet another trip to the auto parts store to buy a coupler to entend the length of the vent hose. For what is supposed to be a simple job, this battery replacement project has been an incredible ordeal - I must have over ten hours into it, counting all the research I did before settling on a battery. The thrust arm bushing replacement was a walk in the park compared to this!

Damn! The DIY gods were not on your side...
You could have taken/bought a length of fish tank airpump/filter plastic airline and skipped the coupler...
weird batt. with a vent hole in the middle.

The over torqued/misthreaded hold down bolt was the whole problem,
sorry to read.

Hope you trickled charged the new batt, before install...:D
new batts are seldom fully/properly charged when one buys them.
Good Luck, mD

Motordavid,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Murphy's hand had a firm grasp of my shoulder on this project from start to finish. The best part was where after removing the old battery, I went ahead and closed the rear hatch, not thinking that there would be no way to open it (at least that I'm aware of) with no electricity in the car! Aaarrgghhh!!!! I had to fold down the rear seat, and crawl into the luggage area, new battery in tow. Good thing I work pretty hard at keeping this 51-year-old body in shape.

Yes, I'm running a trickle charge on the new battery. It's been on for about six hours now, and it still isn't fully charged. I'm going to keep it on overnight. Any idea how long it should generally take to charge one of these batteries on a trickle charger?

Ah, the old climb into the back deck area...I know it well, from a dead batt episode way back when our X was new.

Dunno what amp hr charger you are using or, the state of charge your new batt was in, but I would bet your charger
shows green/good to go, this morning or today.

I run my old BattTender on my X, Vette and m'cycles on a regular rotation; the X being the one with the most need for regular attention.

You can laugh about your batt changing experience a few weeks from now. :D
BR, mD