R55 Clubman mfg date 11/09 Need battery help

[Cremaster]

I have a R55. When starting it did a slow process of acting like the battery was getting weaker. This was my DD, after 3 months or so I started it one morning and said to myself, "that is the last time it is going to start. Sure enough that battery was done. I charged it for 72 hours, went out and started it right up. Less than an hour my wife came in and said "your car will not start". Sure enough it wouldn't do much more than ding with the door open. No clicking or anything when you hit the starter button, nothing.

It has sat for months now and I need to get it running. I think it may be the battery, the store refused to sell me one saying that it had to be coded. Bull Shit as the new battery just needs to be the same size electrically as the one it is replacing.

1) When it went totally dead after one start I don't want to condemn the battery. I charged it again and still nothing.
2) I am the new owner of a Foxwell reader. It should code the car. Is this a difficult process? I have heard that a dealer can take days to do it.
3) Is there anywhere to get the specifications on the battery?
4) Please suggest a battery.

[crazy4trains]

There's not a lot of Mini traffic on this board so I suggest you ask your question on other, Mini specific boards.

1) Your battery is probably toast. Take some voltage measurements with the car off and with it running and post those voltages here.
2) Depends on the reader. The Foxwell NT530 should code the battery. If I recall correctly, the battery only needs to be coded if it is equipped with some type of (un)intelligent battery management system. Look at the negative battery cable right at the battery terminal. If there is a box that is part of the negative cable then it needs to be coded. If your negative cable is just that, a cable without any appendages then the battery does not need to be coded. The car will run without the battery being coded. If you have a car that requires battery coding and you don't do it the life of you battery may be shorter than normal.
3) Look at the battery.
4) Any good quality battery that meets the specs of your current battery.

Note, better answers might be achieved by asking on other Mini specific boards.

[Cremaster]

(un)intelligent battery management system. LOL.

I don't think that my cable has one of those things on it. I changed the battery today and it started finally. Tried to code the battery, it let me put in the date. I have no idea how the car would know the date without power for this long but it also let me change the type from lead acid to what ever type it is. It would refuse the other part and it would state that the IBS system was broken, so that would explain that. Thanks for the info and the joke. Take care.