Replacement battery that IS NOT a Duralast DL-49

[BMWPlanetDude]

By plugged off you mean what? If you had totally disconnected the alternator you wouldn't have been driving even for a week. With a full battery you can drive maybe 1 or 2 hours max. If your saying you removed the connector at voltage regulator sure, I think it's just used to adjusting the voltage. Even without it plugged in, the alternator will keep on charging.

Must have been the regulator you are right. I noticed my battery light was not working anymore then battery died a few days later.
Got new battery in, all good since. Battery light still was not working and a month later brought the car to an alternator specialist and he found out the plugwas just hanging there. Batttery light is back since.

[nabilalk]

There are also 2 major types of batteries...the lead-acid & AGM (absorbent glass mat)...and again, regardless of the type...they BOTH still need to be vented. Most of the newer batteries vent from the side like the original BMW battery. There still may be a few 49 class size batteries that vent from the top (these require the extending vent kit)...but most of the new H8 or 95R/H9 batteries vent from the side.

Regarding the venting, do the newer batteries, the one's that vent on the side, require you to connect the vent kit to them? I'm looking to purchase the Everstart Maxx H8 for a 2004 325ci and I have read conflicting reviews on Walmart's site, that some come with a vent kit and others do not. Thanks. Alsp. for those wondering about current pricing, Walmart is charging ~$120 + tax (and not sure if there is a core charge or not) http://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-...ttery/16782659

Update: Went to Walmart today and confirmed that the vents are now built into the side. No need to add a vent kit or anything like that. The battery sold for $119 and come change + tax. And, they installed it for me, free of charge. Also, regarding the 5 year warranty that they have, 3 years of free replacement, with the last 2 years being a prorated replacement. Meaning, if your battery dies after 4 years, they give you 40% off the purchase of a new one. If it dies before the end of the 5 years, you get 20% off a new battery. Also, they will charge your battery, if it gets low, free of charge. Compared to the $180 that Autozone wanted for a comparable battery, I think I got a decent deal.

[Random77]

Since the battery nomenclature change that was mentioned near the end of the old posts in 2011...the battery class sizes to look for are either the 49/H8 or 95/H9 batteries. The brand is up to you...the prices are all over the place, and remember that most of them are usually made by one of the big 3 battery mfgs...regardless of the name brand on the label:

1. Johnson Controls
2. Exide
3. East Penn

FYI, East Penn is currently the manufacturer for BMW OEM batteries in the USA.

[RyansBMW]

Anybody have issue or experience with Bosch premium performance h8 batteries? Here's what I'm looking at-

http://www.pepboys.com/product/detai...es/?quantity=1

or duralast

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...9459_712884_0_

[freethrowdunk]

^ I purchased that Duralast Platinum battery from Autozone well over a year ago and can't be any happier with it.

[quattro PETE]

My Duralast 49DL has been well worth the $65 paid. Going on 8 years and still running. Despite the cool winter we had this year AND only weekend driving on the car.

After 6 years, my Duralast 49DL is currently on its last legs. Battery charger says "weak battery", but is still attempting to recharge it. Car has been sitting for the past month or so, and has been my weekend car for the past 3.5 years, so I'm pretty sure the battery has sulfated itself to hell. Time for the EverStart from Walmart, I guess.

[larrym3711]

I have had lots of Duralast batteries over the years and, with average use, I got an average of about 5 years, but none lasted 7 years. One died within 4 years. AutoZone does track your purchase and credits you with the unused portion of the warranty , if any.

larrym3711
2001 540iA Sport

[Cyrix2k]

I forget what's in mine... I think it's Group 48, but it may very well be a Group 49. Any generic battery should work fine, just make sure it has a vent kit & enough CCA to handle the cranking load during the winter months. Mine was actually a "blem" from Battery Warehouse and cost a whole $50 in 2008. I've put almost 100k on the car since then and the alternator and battery are both going strong, although since the car has been sitting for weeks on end without use lately, I expect to kill this battery shortly Personally, I wouldn't pay extra for a warranty. Just chance it and you'll likely come out ahead monetarily.

[quattro PETE]

just make sure it has a vent kit

So, about that... the EverStart I just picked up from walmart did not come with a vent kit. How big of an issue is that?

[jstern]

It's a pretty big issue. Batteries give off hydrogen gas which can go BANG in a big way if it builds up in the trunk area and is set off by a random spark or possibly a hot bulb. In addition the emissions from the battery can corrode the electrical connections for the right tail light causing bulb out warnings with all bulbs working and other electrical problems with that light cluster.

Can't you rig up something from your old battery or find some way to connect the vent on the new battery with the existing vent hose. Shouldn't be that hard!

[Qsilver7]

So, about that... the EverStart I just picked up from walmart did not come with a vent kit. How big of an issue is that?

If you got the new style battery case...then you won't need a vent kit...just use the existing hose that came with your vehicle (unless someone threw it away with the old battery. The only tie you need a "vent kit"is hen the battery vent hole is on the top center of the battery.

The EverStart is made by Johnson Controls (in most cases...Walmart buys batteries from both Exide & JC)...if your new EverStart battery case looks like the new Duralast battery pictured below...again, these now vent on the side like the orig battery...thus no kit is required...just oe connecting vent tube:

New Style Battery Case Style Used by Johnson Controls: now vents from the side

below is the OLD STYLE battery case that vents from the top center...a vent kit is required to reach over to the car's vent tube)

[larrym3711]

Be careful about "any generic battery should work just fine". If it needs venting , assure you have the proper venting hardware. Secondly. The battery compartment has a hold down to fit a size 49 battery. A size 48 battery is a much smaller size. Thirdly , my engine requires a CCA of around. 900 amps, not available in a size 48 battery. Buyer beware.

larrym3711
2001 540iA Sport

[ViolinARC]

I was just forced to buy what O'Reilly's had in stock due to an alt failure. A SuperStartXtreme listed at $249.99!!!! He gave me the "discount" but it was still $149.99+$15 core! It is a "ventless" type battery and seems MUCH stronger than the former replacement (NAPA Legend 75@850cca vs. 900cca), which was always puking acid since Nov 2011. Guess I now have a backup batt to keep on the trickle charger...

Edit: It appears this is NOT a ventless batt but where the heck is the vent hole? I looked and must've missed it. Anyone?

[Qsilver7]

Ditto about the 49/H8 battery class size...and if need be, a 95R/H9 battery class size will work,too. You can see the specs of the various battery class sizes below in this East Penn battery chart. The Johnson Control & Exide batteries have similar specs as in the chart below...they may not be"exactly the same"but are close in specs. A 48/H6 or 94R/H7 battery will do if that's all you can find...but you can see that the specs are lower...so if you have a large electrical consumption...you may want to stick with the 49/H8 or 95R/H9.

The battery compartment has 2 or 3 threaded holes for the battery hold down (which is the triangular piece with the long threaded bolt that gets screwed down over the foot of the battery...which prevents the battery from moving up/down & fore/aft). The brace across the top of the e39 battery isn't for holding the battery down.

[quattro PETE]

if your new EverStart battery case looks like the new Duralast battery pictured below...again, these now vent on the side like the orig battery...thus no kit is required...just oe connecting vent tube:

Yes, it looks like the ones you posted and is made by JC; however, it appears that it has two vent holes, one on each side. I only have one OE vent tube though.

[jstern]

There are little plastic plugs that fit is the other vent hole. Last time I bought a battery I was amazed that a new vent elbow and plug didn't come with the new battery. I actually drove back to the place where I purchased the new battery to get my old fittings for the new battery.

[BimmerBreaker]

I used to own a car battery business, maybe I will make a long knowledgable post here sooner or later

Short story:
If it has no vent hole, you dont need one
If it has two vent holes, use one and plug the other
Not all 800cca batteries are the same. Generics will not last as long as a proper size battery. There are several components to a battery that differentiate them - ever wonder whats different between a deep cycle RV battery and a car battery? Its the same difference that applies to the different sizes/types of car batteries. Basically it comes down to the differences in the lead plates inside. More surface area or more thickness, or more cells. Generics will work for awhile but if not at the correct size for your car it will very quickly get sulfur deposits on the lead plates which make it unusable.

I also recommend people go to Interstate and buy their "econopower" batteries. They are what I used to sell and without going into detail they are refurbished (MANY batteries are!), come with a warranty, and its cheaper to buy one of these every year vs buying a new battery for like $150 or something. I've had one in my truck for 2+ years no problems and keep 3 in BMW size around for when I need them... 1 year is if you are unlucky. That price is crazy... they jacked the prices up after lead prices shot up years ago and they just never lowered the prices...

[Flounderasu]

Go to walmart. 3 year full on replacement thereafter it's a 2 year pro-rated warranty for $125; kinda hard to beat that.

[jp5Touring]

I have the Bosch for past year. Bought it through my Indy. He gave me a very good deal on it. Good guy good service, He gets my money.

[Qsilver7]

Yes, it looks like the ones you posted...however, it appears that it has two vent holes, one on each side. I only have one OE vent tube though.

Ditto what BimmerBreaker wrote in his post above...the battery is designed to fit ANY car...thus there are vent holes on both sides so that it will work for any application.

Also, check to see if the vent hole is actually open. Sometimes there's a then "skin" of plastic covering the hole which must be pierced to allow venting. In this case, just pierce the hole on the side your vent is on.

And sometimes there's a built-in plug designed into one or both of the covers that protect the positive & negative terminals...check around the battery to see if there's one that you can plug up the opposite side's vent hole (if it is open and not a sealed hole).

[quattro PETE]

Will check. Thanks.

Another problem: the factory vent tube does not fit into the vent hole of the EverStart H8. Where can I get a proper adapter for it?

[Qsilver7]

Another problem: the factory vent tube does not fit into the vent hole of the EverStart H8. Where can I get a proper adapter for it?

If you've lost the original "L" shaped black elbow that transitions from the car's vent tube to the vent hole in the battery...they are very inexpensive from the dealer. You could go to a hardware store & fabricate a connector...but again, it's an inexpensive part even from a BMW dealership's parts dept and you know that it fits the car's vent tube without modifcation.

The BMW part nbr for the connector is 61211377835...it's #11 in the diagram below...BMW average MSRP is $1.93...if you're a BMW CCA member...remember to ask if they offer a discount (usually between 10%-20% off):

There's a pic link in the part nbr index for #11 if you want to see an image: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...61&fg=30&hl=46

EDIT: just remembered I have pics of the vent tube & little black connecting elbow...the images below are from the e38 battery compartment...but the vent tube & elbow are in the same location and are the same part:

[BimmerBreaker]

You probably need the oval vent tube adapter to the round one the E39 uses. Check Autozone or your equivelent, they should have it.

[Qsilver7]

You probably need the oval vent tube adapter to the round one the E39 uses. Check Autozone or your equivelent, they should have it.

Just an FYI...this was brought up in some of the posts above...but if you're referring to the old Johnson Control battery vent kit that had the "L" shaped adapter that fit the large oval vent hole in the top center of the battery...the new JC battery case (as pictured in posts above by the OP and me) don't have that top center oval vent hole in the battery any longer.

Johnson Control's new battery case has the regular small hole on each side of the battery now...like in the pic below...which allows direct connection using the car's vent tube and elbow adapter:

The old Johnson Control (manufactured) batteries...required the vent kit pictured below if it vented from the top center (instead of on the sides):

Vent Kit required with old battery case style that vented from top center

[quattro PETE]

If you've lost the original "L" shaped black elbow that transitions from the car's vent tube to the vent hole in the battery...they are very inexpensive from the dealer.

Yup. That's exactly what I needed. All set now. Thank you!

- - - Updated - - -

And sometimes there's a built-in plug designed into one or both of the covers that protect the positive & negative terminals...

Yup. There certainly was one plug attached to the positive terminal cover. I guess I should have read the tiny instructions booklet that came with the battery.