Replacement battery that IS NOT a Duralast DL-49

[angeleye540i]

haaa, haaa, Haaaa, HAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Walmart tech?!?!?!?!!!!!

HAAAAAA, HAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Wtf
Yeah I had to Duralast, less than 2 years old pop open and leaked all over my trunk acid everywhere... so I got an AGM by Duracell dry cell battery... Thing is very serious

[Porange]

It's not. Or at least I couldn't find it. I have one, too.

Can't you call the EverStart number on the battery? I'd think that if EverStart is a Walmart brand made by Johnson Controls, then they probably would have Customer Support for EverStart.

[Qsilver7]

Does anyone know the Ah rating on this EverStart battery? I've read on some forum that it's 80 Ah, but can't really find any official info to confirm it. Thanks!

When I went to Walmart's website and pulled up the Everstart H8 battery...a potential buyer had asked this question...and another buyer answered that they had emailed the manufacturer and was told it was an 80 AH battery.

See the 2nd answer in the attached screen shot (at bottom of post) that I took from the website...that reply was posted on 3/1/2016:

- - - Updated - - -

BTW...if you have no issue shopping at Walmart (I don't)...and you are a Sam's Club member...your better buy is to get the Duracell 49/H8 battery. It is manufactured by East Penn...and has slightly higher specs than the Everstart 49/H8...and costs about the same. Last year...it ran $115 for the Duracell H8 (see pics below)...and it is a 100 AH battery based on the East Penn battery chart:

{pic taken March 2015}

[angeleye540i]

AGM by Duracell dry cell battery is the best bet... I've had them all over my 12 years of ownership and the AGM is just like the 400$ battery from BMW it just doesn't say BMW on it so it's half the price

[quattro PETE]

When I went to Walmart's website and pulled up the Everstart H8 battery...a potential buyer had asked this question...and another buyer answered that they had emailed the manufacturer and was told it was an 80 AH battery.

Thanks!

[quattro PETE]

Does anyone know if the EverStart Maxx is a maintenance-free battery? When I look on Walmart Canada description, it does mention maintenance-free, but Walmart US does not mention anything.

Regardless, would it be advisable to pry off the top panel to get to the cell caps (assuming that's where they are) and top it off with distilled water? My EverStart Maxx H8 is coming up on 4 years now. Just want to make sure I am doing everything I can to prolong its life.

[Qsilver7]

Does anyone know if the EverStart Maxx is a maintenance-free battery? When I look on Walmart Canada description, it does mention maintenance-free, but Walmart US does not mention anything.

Regardless, would it be advisable to pry off the top panel to get to the cell caps (assuming that's where they are) and top it off with distilled water? My EverStart Maxx H8 is coming up on 4 years now. Just want to make sure I am doing everything I can to prolong its life.

Do you have the (wet) lead acid or the AGM? If you have the (wet) lead acid type...and it looks like the battery in the pics below...if the top is removable and you can check the fluid level inside...what could be the harm? If the top is not removable and there doesn't appear to be access to check the fluid...then I'd recommend to leave it alone:

{does the top of the battery look like this? if yes, then is there anything that is removable? yes? no?}


{does the top of the battery look like this? If yes, then there are obvious ways to open to check the fluid level inside the battery}

[quattro PETE]

It looks like this:


That top panel (with the label on it) does not seem to be easily removable. It also has the vent holes on it so I don't want them to break as I'm not sure how things are routed below this panel.

[taggart]

Don’t know about topping off but the Everstart Maxx I bought in 10/11 is still working good. No top offs but I’ve recharged it a couple of times through the years.

[quattro PETE]

I recharge mine every now and then as well.

Whenever I check voltage after driving and then sitting for a while, it only shows 12.2V. I thought it was supposed to be closer to 12.6V, but my car has always been like this, as far back as I remember.

[taggart]

Car electronics probably still working. Keep trunk open after shutting down and check voltage after 20 min.

[quattro PETE]

Car electronics probably still working. Keep trunk open after shutting down and check voltage after 20 min.

That's what I do.

[taggart]

You can also verify the car electronics are off if the shifter light is off. If it's still at 12.2v, try disconnecting the connectors and checking the battery then. You could have something else going on like the blower resistor causing parasitic drain.

[taggart]

Found out Costco is now selling the Interstate brand H8 battery. Unfortunately, they just raised battery prices from around $117 to $138. Comes with a 40-month replacement warranty. Walmart seems to be the place to go with their 3-year replacement and 2-year pro-rated.

[quattro PETE]

You can also verify the car electronics are off if the shifter light is off. If it's still at 12.2v, try disconnecting the connectors and checking the battery then. You could have something else going on like the blower resistor causing parasitic drain.

No shifter light - mine has a manual trans.

I replaced blower resistor some years back.

[taggart]

No shifter light - mine has a manual trans.

I replaced blower resistor some years back.

Ack! Am at a loss then except that you must still got some power pull from somewhere causing the battery to read 12.2v. Mine showed results like that when the system hasn't gone to sleep mode yet.

[JimLev]

I bought a NAPA Legend battery for my 540 in the summer of '08, ten years ago. It's still in the car, never had a problem with it. It looks just like the original BMW battery with the removable caps. Think they are around $150 now. When this one bites the dust I'm buying another one.

[quattro PETE]

Ack! Am at a loss then except that you must still got some power pull from somewhere causing the battery to read 12.2v. Mine showed results like that when the system hasn't gone to sleep mode yet.

My parasitic drain is about 0.08A, measured with a clamp meter. I measured it approx 40 minutes after engine shut off, closing all the doors and opening the trunk.

[taggart]

I bought a NAPA Legend battery for my 540 in the summer of '08, ten years ago. It's still in the car, never had a problem with it. It looks just like the original BMW battery with the removable caps. Think they are around $150 now. When this one bites the dust I'm buying another one.

Is that an AGM? You got more than your money's worth on that one!

My parasitic drain is about 0.08A, measured with a clamp meter. I measured it approx 40 minutes after engine shut off, closing all the doors and opening the trunk.

Any third party electronics on board? You can try pulling out the fuses one by one until the drain stops then you know the source of your problem. A bit time consuming but should work.

[quattro PETE]

Any third party electronics on board? You can try pulling out the fuses one by one until the drain stops then you know the source of your problem. A bit time consuming but should work.

Are you suggesting my 0.08A current draw at rest is unusually high? I thought it was pretty normal for these cars. BTW, I re-checked battery voltage at rest again, and got 12.55V, so I guess it's not that bad.

As far as third party electronics, I do have an old DICE iPod interface installed. I'd have to look up which fuse it rides on. It gets power from the trunk CD changer wiring.

[JimLev]

Is that an AGM? You got more than your money's worth on that one!

Its not an AGM, just a regular lead acid battery. I don't drive it in the winter but keep it on a battery tender which helps extend its life. Also add a little distilled water to each cell every year or two.

[quattro PETE]

I bought a Bosch battery from Pep Boys. It was about $175, and they have a coupon code for 30% off for online ordering, so ended up being about $125 plus tax...

Was it the H8-900B model?

Does anyone know if this Bosch H8-900B is a correct fitment for my '02 530i, as far as size and vent hole locations go?

When I look it up on PepBoys website, it's telling me "This product may not be compatible with your 2002 BMW 530i/iA" but I don't see anything about it that would make it incompatible per se.

https://www.pepboys.com/bosch-premiu...product/672418

And I can't find it on Bosch's website at all.

[Mike WW]

I don't recall the P/N, but I bought a Bosch from them for the 00 528it we used to have and it fit fine, with vents. Call the local store and ask?

[Chedley]

Its not an AGM, just a regular lead acid battery. I don't drive it in the winter but keep it on a battery tender which helps extend its life. Also add a little distilled water to each cell every year or two.

So, last summer I bought a similar battery for my daily drive car : Napa Legend Bat 7549 , lead acid battery.
I hook it on the battery charger/tender overnight once a week.

I'll see if I can hold it for 10 years...??.

[Mike WW]

Are you suggesting my 0.08A current draw at rest is unusually high? I thought it was pretty normal for these cars. BTW, I re-checked battery voltage at rest again, and got 12.55V, so I guess it's not that bad.

As far as third party electronics, I do have an old DICE iPod interface installed. I'd have to look up which fuse it rides on. It gets power from the trunk CD changer wiring.

IMO 80 ma is high after it's gone to sleep, if it's gone to sleep. IIRC mine was more like a third that. I'm not sure how to tell when it has gone to sleep if it has a real transmission like yours, mine, actually my wife's, is a A/T so it's easy.

But... these cars are rolling computers with an engine. I've been unable to find a fuse in the trunk that is actually ignition switched. They're all, always hot, but rely on the buss to tell the individual devices when to turn on and off, so if you have something that's not seen by the computer it could very well be the problem. To give you an example, I was having radio problems. It would cut out, not work and be completely non responsive. But kill the battery overnight. Drove me nuts. This particular car has Nav with the radio on back, but regardless, it points to the way it's designed. A completely non responsive radio would kill the battery.