I'm hoping someone here can help me out because I'm in a bit of a tricky situation and I'm not sure what to do. My 2016 BMW 520i has been acting up for the last few days – the start-stop system keeps showing errors, the dashboard lights flicker occasionally when I start the car, and yesterday I got a warning message saying "battery discharging while stopped" which definitely didn't make me feel great. I know these modern BMWs are really sensitive to battery voltage and if the battery isn't perfect, all sorts of weird electrical issues start appearing. I had a similar problem a couple of years ago and ended up having to go to the dealership, which cost me a fortune, and I'm really trying to avoid that this time around. I've been looking at independent garages and mobile services because I've heard they can be significantly cheaper while still using quality parts, but I'm just not sure which ones are trustworthy. I remember seeing this website a while back – it's the
Car Battery Replacement Abu Dhabi homepage I think – and it seemed to have quite a bit of information about different battery brands and services, but I never really looked into it properly at the time. The thing is, I'm not even 100% sure whether my battery is the actual problem or whether it could be something else like the alternator or a parasitic drain from some module not going to sleep properly. I've read online that BMWs are notorious for software issues that can cause battery drain, and the last thing I want is to spend money on a new battery only to find out the problem was something entirely different. I'm also not sure whether I should go for an AGM battery or a standard flooded one – I know the car originally came with AGM because of the start-stop system and all the electronics, but I've heard some people use standard batteries and just disable the start-stop to save money. I'm a bit wary of doing that though because I don't want to mess with the car's systems and cause more problems down the line. Ideally, I'd like to find a service that can come to my location, test the entire charging system properly, and then fit the right battery if needed, all without having to tow the car to a garage. If anyone here has used a reliable battery service in Abu Dhabi recently, I'd really appreciate a recommendation because I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options out there and I don't want to make a bad decision that costs me more in the long run. Also, if anyone knows roughly what a good quality AGM battery for a 5-series should cost including installation, that would be really helpful because I want to make sure I'm not being overcharged. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.