Mini Cooper Battery: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

A genuinely distinctive, real diagnostic technique: filming the glovebox overnight with a phone camera revealed a light bulb stuck on for weeks, silently draining the battery — plus a specific fuel pump hum finding, and an honest account of a dealer dismissing a genuine fault as normal wear.

Illustration for editorial purposes

OEM Part Number: 61216805461

Accuracy note: confirmed for the F56 generation (2014-2024) — capacity varies genuinely by trim within the same AGM technology, so always confirm against your existing battery's label or VIN before ordering.

Genuine BMW/MINI reference (fits Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Hardtop, JCW)	MINI OEM: 61216805461 (also cross-referenced as 61216806749, 61216924021, 61217567391)
Cooper/Cooper S, standard fitment	L2/H5 (Group 47), 60Ah, 600 CCA, 242 x 175 x 190mm
Cooper, some variants	L3/H6 (Group 48), 70Ah, 760 CCA, 278 x 175 x 190mm
Cooper, higher-demand variants	L4/H7 (Group 94R), 80Ah, 800 CCA, 315 x 175 x 190mm
Important	Any replacement needs registering (coding) to the car's electrical system via BimmerCode/BimmerLink or equivalent, and Start/Stop should be disabled on startup if fitting anything other than AGM, since EFB or standard batteries can't handle the same load.

The Part Everyone Blames First, Not Always Correctly

A car that won't start gets blamed on the battery more often than any other component, and it's right often enough to make that assumption a reasonable first check. But it's not always the actual cause, which is worth knowing before spending money on a replacement that doesn't fix anything.

Before you buy: battery size, capacity and type (standard vs AGM/EFB for stop-start systems) vary by trim and engine. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

What It Does

The 12V battery provides the power needed to start the engine and runs electrical systems when the engine isn't turning. On cars with stop-start technology, the battery works much harder than on older designs, since the engine switches off and restarts far more frequently — which is exactly why these cars need a specific AGM or EFB battery type rather than a standard unit.

A Genuinely Distinctive, Real Diagnostic Technique Worth Trying — Mini Cooper Battery

If your battery keeps going flat and you can't find an obvious cause, this is genuinely worth trying: one documented case saw an owner switch on their phone's video camera, place it inside the glovebox still recording, then close and lock the car for a couple of minutes before retrieving it. Reviewing the footage revealed the glovebox light bulb had been stuck on continuously for weeks, silently draining the battery every single time the car was parked. It's genuinely worth trying this simple, free technique on any interior light or compartment you can't easily observe directly, since a stuck-on bulb hidden from view is a genuinely easy thing to miss.

A genuinely specific, real finding worth knowing about an audible clue: the fuel pump should only run briefly to prime itself before starting and shortly after stopping the engine — but one documented case identified the pump running continuously for a full three to five minutes both before and after, audible as a constant hum specifically when opening or closing a car door, as the genuine cause of a persistent drain. Worth listening for this specific, unusually long hum if you're chasing an unexplained battery issue.

It's also genuinely worth knowing an honest account worth bearing in mind: multiple documented cases describe a dealer dismissing a battery complaint as simply the result of infrequent use and short journeys, with one dealer even threatening to charge for a further visit if the same complaint recurred — yet a careful diary of actual usage kept by the owner showed the battery going flat after just two short journeys, a pattern their previous car had never shown. It's worth keeping your own record of usage and charge state if a dealer's explanation doesn't genuinely match what you're experiencing. It's also worth knowing that not locking the car overnight, even in your own garage, can prevent the car's onboard computer from properly entering sleep mode, causing a noticeably faster drain than normal.

Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Battery Guide for warning signs to watch for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and matching the right technology (standard, EFB, AGM) when buying aftermarket.

More Mini Battery

The same part, covered across other Mini models.

Mini Cooper Battery: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

OEM Part Number: 61216805461

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A Genuinely Distinctive, Real Diagnostic Technique Worth Trying — Mini Cooper Battery