330i Replacement Battery

[the_communists]

It's been almost 7 years, and my original battery got me through 140k miles on my 330i - one of the first to get off the boat in California in Sept 2000 (2001 model). This morning, it slow cranked on me. Uh oh! Battery death was approaching. Stranded at night in my work's parking lot, or worse a grocery store lot late at night with weirdo's lurking in the shadows looking at me as I sit helpless, or late in the morning for that important meeting - all these unpleasant stranding experiences flashed through my mind at once. Uuuhhhhhh!

What bothered me is not only the money that reputable BMW service garages charge, it's the inconvenience and time spent of dropping the car off and getting a ride, then picking it up. Oh, and on top of that, it's $200+ for any BMW garage to do anything simple like change the oil.

I wanted to try and do this myself and save time and money. It shouldn't be much more complicated than what I do every 1 or 2 years with my TV remote control, except at 46 pounds, maybe 1000x heavier.

I found BMW 3-series batteries almost non-existent at first from most places except dealers and good repair shops, but I would have to pay their labor. After some research, I found Batteries Plus carried an 'OEM' battery for $130 and an auto parts store called 'Autozone' carried a battery called 'Durlast 49-DL' for $85.

The OEM battery rated at 765 cca was warrantied for 18 months replacement, 56 months pro-rated. The Duralast 49-DL from Autozone was 24 month replacement/7 years prorated and 850 cca which represented a better value.

I normally like the idea of OEM parts, but the price+warranty difference seemed high and the several online forums reported good experiences with the 49-DL. I took off on my lunch hour and bought one at Autozone nearby and just put it in my trunk for swapping out later when I had more time and in the cooler evening. Glad I did what I did, as when I turned the key in the parking lot of Autozone in San Jose (Monterey Ave), the fateful 'sounds of silence' from the starter punctuated by the solenoid clicking. Wow, after the slow crank that morning, I could only manage 3 more starts a few hours apart before I entered battery Hell. Perfectly timed. Well, weirdo's or not outside, I gotta change it now.

I had no tools except the BMW field kit in the trunk lid. But, that's all it took to replace the battery. It only took 15-20 minutes. It fit perfectly in the compartment, with only 1/4-inch of extra clearance on top that easily adjusted with a screwdriver in 10 seconds on the top bracket adjustment and snuggly tightened/fastened it in. Even the red positive terminal shield from the old battery fit on the new battery. A small adapter and vent hose was provided with the battery that I connected. Even felt terminal pads came with it. The weight was much less a problem than I thought to lift out or into the compartment.

Just when I was wrapping up, an employee came out from Autozone and tried to offer help with tools, etc. I was very surprised at the offer - I thought he was trying to kick me out and yell at me with "Hey you! No repairs in the lot you moron!" Partly because of this, I decided to make a post of my experience so that others don't pay too much and give credit where it is due to the retailer which is hard to find these days.

The car started up without problems except the clock had to be reset - I then got my core fee of $12 back.

Autozone DOES NOT have this Duralast 49-DL listed in their computer for usage on a BMW - don't tell them your car make/model to search at first - ask for it by battery model # to see if they have it. Even so, they did warrantee it for use on my 330i and it fits in the 330i (E46) was without any questions - probably fits other BMW's as well, but check first. I would not hesitate to get a 49-DL again or recommend one.

- Saved in San Jose.

[72mg4me@comcast.ne]

I just wanted to let you know how helpful your post was to me. My wife's 2002 330i has just turned 100K and we have now had it six plus years. I've never had a battery last more than 6 yrs., and although we haven't had any trouble yet, I'm getting a little nervous. AutoZone surfaced in the Seattle metro area about two years ago, and although I rarely patronize them, I will definately check them out on this issue. Thanks for taking the time to post!

[Broken-wrench]

I live in the deserts of Arizona where cars eat batteries every 2 years. Go to Sears & get yourself the top of the line DieHard. I have one now that has gone 6 years with no trouble. I also use them in my Ford F250 Super Duty with the same results. I never worry about batteries with these units from Sears.

[rdialber]

Anyone that can share some comments on older BMW's. I love the car (a 2002 BMW 330 cic. It has 84,000 miles on it and lately oil and power steering leaks. What is up with these cars? People tell me at this point a lot of repairs are in order. What do many of you experience? In the last 3 months I replaced: The power steering pressure hoses, the power steering cooling hoses, the two belts, power steering pulley, the oil gasket connection from the engine to the oil filter housing, and the oil pressure switch. I love the car and it is only a little over 6 years old. I want to keep it another 2 to 3 years at least. Can some of you older BMW owners tell me what you think? How long do you hang onto your cars?

[drcharlie1]

Anyone with experience replacing the battery for a 2000 323iT? Can't find the model listed on Auto Zone site. Cheapest local quote just under $300.

Thanks,

Charlie

[Bear]

Batteries are interesting cases. I bought the replacement for my '88 750il from Advance auto parts for about $77.00 (there batteries are made by Interstate) and there are only about three battery manufacturers in this country and they produce batteries under many labels.