[Horse3000]

Just want to say hello everyone and sorry in advance for the noobie question.

I just bought a used 2010 328xi Coupe (n51) back in august and have been loving it. Only a couple issues, had to replace the starter and inner DISA valve. Did them myself thanks to youtube lol.

But now I'm wanting to change the battery, and im so confused with all the options out there. I understand the difference between having to code a new battery and registering. I just want to register, which means i need a factory battery i believe, an 90ah/720CCA non AGM battery.

I took the car to a shop that did a courtesy scan to see if the car has ever been coded for a different battery spec and it hasn't. The last battery put in wasn't even registered.

So my question is where in the hell do I purchase a new battery lol I cant find OEM BMW batteries anywhere.

When I look into autozone online they're top battery for my car is "Duralast Platinum Battery H7-AGM Group Size 94R 850 CCA" which I dont think is correct? That looks like it would require me to code.

Any insight/help is greatly appreciated as the shop i had look at it quoted me $430 for a new battery/install. I know how to click the "register new battery" with an app/OBD2 scanner. Rather not pay someone 200 bucks to do that lol

[e91Owner]

I buy mine from Walmart and register them with Carly (because it's easy), but you can use several options to register it. Walmart has one of the best warranties out there. Also remember that neither Walmart nor BMW actually make batteries. There's no reason to pay for a genuine BMW battery unless you just want to pay more.

My '11 e91 takes an H8 for 130.

[Horse3000]

Originally Posted by e91Owner

I buy mine from Walmart and register them with Carly (because it's easy), but you can use several options to register it. Walmart has one of the best warranties out there. Also remember that neither Walmart nor BMW actually make batteries. There's no reason to pay for a genuine BMW battery unless you just want to pay more.

My '11 e91 takes an H8 for 130.

Do you know if e90's come with AGM as default by chance?

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by Horse3000

Do you know if e90's come with AGM as default by chance?

Mine did not. The original BMW battery that I replaced (I'm on number 3 in 10 years) was a standard flooded battery. FWIW, according to realoem, Exide (the manufacturer of Walmart's H8 battery), makes the warranty replacement battery for BMW.

You can replace it with an AGM, though. It's up to you if you think it's worth the extra money. The only thing you have to specify when registering the battery is the capacity in Ah, which can be difficult to track down on some.

Here is the realoem page on my e91's battery page:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=61_5704

[wormtownhero]

I just replaced mine (Autofix scanner tool with registration onboard on the way!) with a DieHard Platinum (Standard Flooded, which is what I pulled, which as far as I can tell was OEM original with BMW logo) Size H7 (note H8 came out as my anchor bracket was reinstalled in a narrower hole) 730 CCA 910 CA 120 RC, AdvanceAuto part number 48H6-RP (4-year warranty) Mass Tax included all in for $167 after core refund and 10% discount (Online Code H10). I have a 2011 328i xDrive.

[HB E90]

looks like I'm going to need a battery now. I keep getting the battery discharge warning. Seems like the alternator is doing its job (14v when running). will begin researching but it looks like I can register using MHD which I have for tuning?

[fgpalmer71]

Not sure if you can register a new battery with MHD.

To the OP, from my experience coding and registering are the same thing. My 2009 E93 came with an AGM battery from the factory. I replaced my battery not long ago with an H8 AGM battery and used bimmergeeks protool to register it. You just need to pick one, find a coding/registering solution, enter the AH, battery type and voila, you can move on to the next thing on your list. I fretted over this for days, it's no where near as complicated as some made it out to be.

[Tambohamilton]

If your car has any of the following options, it will have an agm battery:

For vehicles with
Auto start/stop function
or
Brake Energy Regeneration
or
Additional energy supply
or
Unmasked official vehicle
or
Patrol vehicle, camouflaged
or
Auxiliary heating

Otherwise you'll want a standard battery, as is your case. I believe the BMW part no for the battery you need is 61217604822. In the UK, the cheapest place to buy a (new) OE battery is actually eBay; there's a dealership that sells there. Varta were reportedly the OE supplier, so it's likely they will be a near-identical product. Any other quality battery with matching specs should be good too; Yuasa, etc. Note that the specs don't need to match exactly; eg 750CCA 90Ah would be no issue.

In the UK, the OE battery is available for £120, just for reference... The equivalent AGM is £195. That said, your car may not have an IBS (battery monitoring sensor), and therefore an AGM battery may not be suitable despite being an available coding option.

[mehrlovin]

I'm in the process of replacing my battery as well. Its old and was replaced once but I have no idea if its AGM or lead acid.

Is there an easy way to know if the current battery is Lead Acid or AGM? Is Walmart the cheapest place to get a new good battery?

I am going to borrow a friend's carly app to reprogram.

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by mehrlovin

I'm in the process of replacing my battery as well. Its old and was replaced once but I have no idea if its AGM or lead acid.

Is there an easy way to know if the current battery is Lead Acid or AGM? Is Walmart the cheapest place to get a new good battery?

I am going to borrow a friend's carly app to reprogram.

AGM is also lead acid, so I think you mean AGM vs flooded. The battery itself will usually say it right on the top or the side.

As far as where to purchase it, Walmart tends to be the least expensive and have the best warranty for H8 batteries, but double check on the prices. There are a limited number of manufacturers out there and they are simply just relabeled according to the retailer. For instance, the H8 Everstart (Walmart) AGM is the same as the H8 Diehard (AutoZone) AGM, but the Everstart is $50 cheaper.

[HB E90]

mine says part # 61 21 2 353 808
cca 640
80 ah
its 12" long
cant see under the big red cover if it says AGM?
Can anyone tell by those specs and part #?

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by HB E90

mine says part # 61 21 2 353 808
cca 640
80 ah
its 12" long
cant see under the big red cover if it says AGM?
Can anyone tell by those specs and part #?

It's a flooded battery.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by e91Owner

It's a flooded battery.

+1

[HB E90]

Awesome! Thanks all. I'm getting the excessive battery discharge warning all the time now so need to do this soon. I see the battery reg option in MHD so is that all I need to do after changing it? No coding?

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by HB E90

Awesome! Thanks all. I'm getting the excessive battery discharge warning all the time now so need to do this soon. I see the battery reg option in MHD so is that all I need to do after changing it? No coding?

Nope just register the battery with any number of software options.

[cliffschum]

My understanding is that not only does the new battery have to be registered, but the vehicle electronics need to be reprogrammed. It's a 1-2 hr process at dealer. I've gone both routes, ended up having dealer install high output AGM. Amazingly, there is no low battery warning icon on my 2006 E90, vehicle just dies...when you least expect it.

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by cliffschum

My understanding is that not only does the new battery have to be registered, but the vehicle electronics need to be reprogrammed. It's a 1-2 hr process at dealer. I've gone both routes, ended up having dealer install high output AGM. Amazingly, there is no low battery warning icon on my 2006 E90, vehicle just dies...when you least expect it.

That's incorrect at least in the context of the questions on this post. If you are switching from flooded to AGM or vice-versa however, separate coding MAY be required. It depends on the tool you are using to register the battery. Carly and ISTA-D essentially take care of the coding in the registration process. "Coding" is required to adjust the charge rate by the alternator, registration is just telling the ECU that a new battery of some type has been installed, although posters often use these interchangeably. If you are using any of the easier interfaces like Carly or ISTA-D, all you have to know if the Ah and type (AGM vs flooded) of the battery you are replacing. Although the battery is a pain to get to compared to some cars, I can't imagine why it would take 1-2 hours to do this except for the matter of charging someone more money.

[HB E90]

I just got a battery at Costco (interstate). I searched online and sure enough they carry an H7 non agm for $146 plus. Had to ask the guy and he pulled one out from the back. I assume everything going to get reset during the change? Is there anything I can do such as putting a float charger on the jump terminals or?? Or is it a non issue?

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by HB E90

I just got a battery at Costco (interstate). I searched online and sure enough they carry an H7 non agm for $146 plus. Had to ask the guy and he pulled one out from the back. I assume everything going to get reset during the change? Is there anything I can do such as putting a float charger on the jump terminals or?? Or is it a non issue?

The charger isn't required nor would you want to change the battery necessarily with current flowing to it. Other than resetting the clock and clearing the nuisance faults along with registering the battery, there isn't anything extraordinary about changing it. Just make sure that you don't forget to reconnect the vent hose.

There are about a million diy videos out there if you need one.

[mehrlovin]

I ended up getting a $129 H8 battery, lead acid, from Sams club. 3 year warranty and registered with Carly App. So far so good!

[whyzee125]

I know Bmw doesn’t make their own batteries but it’s a shame they aren’t selling the ones for our cars anymore. I haven’t found a battery that lasted even close to as long as the originals. I got 11 years out of one of mine and close to that out of a few others.

[mehrlovin]

I got a Lead Acid H8 Duracell from Sams club for $129. 3 yr warranty. I borrowed a friends Carly app and reset it and registered it for the new battery type. So far so good. Carly is expensive but easy but if you can find a BMW car club friend in your area, its a 5 min to borrow it at a meet up.