Battery Replacement Info - Update

[X5 in AK]

I had to go shopping for a new battery for my 4.4l yesterday, so thought I'd share what I found.

First, there is an article here: http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/g...ernatives.html
that provides some information, but its a couple years old, so I'm adding some new info to what's there.

You do not need to go to the dealer to buy their $200+ battery!
The 4.4 liter calls for a type 49 (group 49) battery with a 850 Cold Cranking Amp capacity. The 3.0 liter uses a smaller battery (750 CCA, I think). The battery tray has three mounting hole options, (at least mine does) so you should be able to put the larger type 49 into a 3.0 if you wish. I always have believed in bigger battery, bigger capacity, less potential problems, your call.

First, what I bought:
-Energizer Type 49, made by Johnson Controls, who makes batteries under lots of different brands. $63 at Sams Club. 3 year full warranty, 8 year pro-rated. 850 CCA. Perfect fit and match for original BMW battery. Has a vent tube for hooking into the factory battery vent.

Here's a couple other options:

-Optima. Type 34 Red Top, $120-150. (for 4.4 and 3.0) Sold at Sams club, was sold at Sears (see below). Also various auto parts stores and possibly Costco. The best battery, if you want to spend the money.
Totally sealed (no need to vent it), long life, good performance. Do not buy the blue top or yellow top for your X, those are deep-cycle batteries, not suitable for starting applications. Comes with a mounting kit that should make it a plug and play in the X5, despite the smaller physical size.

-Interstate & Exide. Type 49. $80-120. Regular lead acid battery. Make sure you get one with a vent provision. Sold at various auto parts stores

-Diehard International. Sold at Sears only. $110-$120. In my opinion, overpriced. I've used this battery on my '85 728i and had to take the battery back for warranty replacement every year. Finally gave up and bought an Exide last year.

-Diehard Platinum. Brand new. Salesman indicated the price was "going to be more than the Optima", which I took to mean around $200. I went to Sears and they had literally just unloaded their first shipment off the truck that morning, weren't even on the shelf yet. Same idea and constuction as the Optima (which Sears is discontinuing and replacing with the Platinum). Sears is offering the Platinum in all the various group sizes. I think they are doing that because this makes the replacement a plug and play. The Optima only comes in one physical dimension, and I suspect the Sears techs were having problems fitting the Optima in customer cars. This battery is probably great, but I think the Optima is probably a better bet in the X5 due to the price.

Installation:
EASY! All you need is a 13mm socket and a 10mm socket. Find the old battery from underneath the spare tire and the air resevior. Disconnect negative cable first. Unplug the vent line. Pull battery out. Remove the black vent hose 'tee' from the side of the battery, you will need it for hooking up the new vent line. Install new battery. Using the supplied hose with 90 deg fitting that came with your new battery, hook up the new vent line to the factory vent line, connecting the two with the 90 fitting you pulled out of the old battery. Hook up positive cable first. Air resevior and spare tire back in, and DONE!

There's a pic below of my new Enegizer battery. I didn't get a picture of the Energizer Bunny on the label, I'm sure that will add a second or two to my 0-60 time!!
The black hose on the battery is there because I didn't get a battery with the new vent hose on it. Used a piece of vacuum tubing for now, have to go back to the store to get the new vent hose.

As a side note, my old battery was 5 years old. With the new battery, I immediately noticed that my interior lights were brighter! A sure sign that my old battery was not up to snuff.

[dkl]

Good write up The information is very much appreciated as I will be looking into a new battery within the next year.