Still Can't Find a Worthy Replacement + An Odd Dead Battery Tale
 

I haven't posted in a while, and hope everyone here is doing well.

I've now had my 8 for 8 years & 9 months, and besides routine maintenance (oil/filter changes, two coolant flush & fills, coils & plugs, rear diff fluid swap), I still have not had any issues with my 6MT (battery was replaced in year 3 along with TSB upgraded starter by dealership on Mazda's dime - that's it).

So anyways, I just had my 2nd battery die (first battery lasted 3 years, and 2nd one lasted for 5+). But this story gets weird.

I went into the garage to start my car and "click-click-click."

I'm not thinking battery, but rather starter, because all lights, radio, headlights are working.

So I go into house to naturally search this forum and some other sites, and lo & behold, I come across a weird (to me) mention of a procedure whereby one turns the key into accessory mode for 5 seconds, then taps the brakes repeatedly for a dozen plus times until there's little to no power in the brakes.

It sounds odd, but what is there to lose?

I head to the garage, do this procedure, and boom, the car starts. I am amazed at this point.

I proceed to drive for a good 25 miles and then get my battery tested by a buddy, and sure enough, it's technically dead (though my car does restart).

I head to Costco and buy a Group 35 (made by Johnson Controls, I believe, but who cares, because Optima quality is crap now, and 3 companies essentially make all car/truck batteries, and I am getting the famous Costco warranty) and all is now right with the world - fires up in a nanosecond and idles very smoothly.

So did I miss the memo on yet another very awesome reserve type battery power in-case-of-emergency system that the 8 possesses?

Anyways, my car now has 127,000 miles, runs like new, is tight as a drum, and has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned in a dead heat draw with a 1994 Civic EX 5MT way back when.

Oh, and I still can't find anything under the 40ish thousand price point that I would replace it with, after test driving or renting no less than 20+ vehicles over the last 4 years (the closest contender would be a Lexus GS350, but the options push the price of it very high, very quickly).

BMW, with the exception of the 1 series (which is a pretty badass car when properly equipped, but the back seat is too small for daily driver duties), is dead to me now (BMW is the new Buick).

Nothing a lead acid battery does would ever surpise me. It's just in their nature. Glad you went to Costco, rather than spending a lot on something fancy. Spending a lot on a battery just makes it feel special, and encourages them.

Ken

The 20 press in 8 second procedure clears the engine computer. What I found out in the course of 10 years and 7 batteries is that the computer's relationship to the battery is very important and that procedure should be used every time you replace a battery.

For example, my car had coils and a hi-flow cat and if I replaced the battery and didn't run that procedure, the car would warm up and drive fine for about 20 minutes and then it would stall while idling. Clearing the engine computer would fix the problem, put the car back in closed loop learn mode and it'd start to behave again.

I can't say why it would help you in a situation where the car just wouldn't start, but obviously the computer and the battery didn't agree on something.

Oh.. the reason I went through 7 batteries was because towards the end of my ownership, I would go with long periods of not driving the car and the battery would die and not take a charge..

Also, I couldn't agree with you less on the BMW = Buick comment, considering I went from the RX8 to a 335 to an M3.
It'll cost you more than 40k, but the M235i is a pretty badass car. The back seat is just as unusable as the 1 series (the 2 series is the 1 series coupe / convertible). The only thing I can say as far as BMW is concerned, the new 2,4 series setup really makes the line up look bloated and it's kind of annoying.

You should drive the new Buick ;)

At least they are getting better looking, but still overly portly...

Don't think I could ever own a buick though. The last buick in our family was an 82 station wagon (wood paneling and all) that my mom used to remove our house from the foundation.

/end threadjack

I agree that the 2 series is pretty sharp, handling wise, as well as available with a lot of power, in addition to the 1 series.

In general, though, I am stating my opinion that new BMWs are generally heavier, softer, and less engaging to drive than their ancestors.

I realize that this hasn't hurt their sales (if anything, the softer & less engaging any particular BMW model is, it seems to sell better, at least in the U.S.).

I am seriously considering the Lacross mild hybrid as my next vehicle. I am in no hurry to buy, so I am seeing what else comes along or may even go second hand if I find a good deal with low miles. I am also considering the MKZ, but I am not a big fan of the CVT. The Lincoln has some nice curves and has a pretty nice ride as well. I am not a huge fan of the push button transmission controls though. I have grown accustomed to having my hand on the shifter, and am not sure if I am ready to give that up. So many cars come with knobs now. :squint:

I've had my grey '08 GT for about a year now.. I usually walk away from the car still staring back at it. Only got 38K on the meter. Every now and then I think about selling and buying a BMW 328 or 335, but then I come out of the cloverleaf turn onto the highway at speeds where space and time start to bend, and I realize a BMW just can't do that!

Yup! :)

Ken

Yea, record sales every year...
But you're right, they have gotten softer, at least the normal models but even the M5 and M6 are a bit softer than the last gen. We'll see how the M2/3/4 compare to the 1M and E9X M3. At least those cars are getting lighter and not heavier.

Totally agree.

Lighter weight is the right move and a big departure/reversal from not only BMWs direction of the last decade, but many automakers' direction.

My fear, however, is that many of the automakers will soon not be going to extreme measures not for the primary sake of handling/agility, but they'll be doing so primarily to comport with increasingly tougher CAFE/EPA standards, and therefore cutting weight in all the wrong areas rather than the correct ones, hollowing the quality out of interiors, etc.

A good example of this is the Alfa Romeo 4C, which at least for Europeans, is a very expensive vehicle that has interior finish and components that are cheap & hollow to the point of being fitting of a decade old Kia.

Now that I'm on a rant, our 8s absolutely murder many of the newer vehicles I have test driven over the last several years in terms of interior quality. For those who doubt me, go look at the quality of plastics and the gauges in something like a Cadillac ATS, Nissan Z, Lexus IS250, etc, all which cost much more.

I just want to conclude with my opinion that cars like the MB CLA, which is selling really well, troubles me deeply, since not only is it an overpriced POS with front wheel drive from a "storied marque," but a Honda Accord is a superior vehicle to it in any trim level, for 50% to 60% of the price (and the Accord can at least be had with a proper V6 coupled with a real manual transmission, as well).

If what people are spending their money/debt on lately is going to set the tone for what automakers are going to be encouraged to put out, I fear for the future.