Quote:
Originally Posted by atorreon
Looking for some guidance here. Has anyone replaced their car battery with a non BMW one? Duralast, Optima,etc... Was there any benefit to not going oem? Thanks
|
I can discuss this topic in my sleep only because Ive seen this discussion since my first forays into BMW forums that started in 1996 on my Apple MacPerforma connected to the internet on a dial-up modem using Netscape.
The biggest benefit will be cost savings for the battery...and installation (if you do it yourself). In the US market...there are basically 3 large battery manufacturers that make most of the battery brands...and you may find a few “boutique” battery brands. The two you mentioned (Duralast and Optima) are manufactured by Johnson Controls. About a decade or more ago...there was some large acquisitions made in the industry where some battery manufacturers were bought out or acquired. Johnson Controls was one major player that did so.
Back in the 90s...BMW used VARTA batteries which was a European battery manufacturer owned by the Quandt family. The Quandts are also the 1st family of BMW...they own the majority shares of BMW stock. Johnson Controls acquired VARTA about 10 years ago.
BMW NA also used to use Exide and Douglas batteries...so again...the brand name is usually less of an issue versus purchasing the correct battery class size.
Most modern larger BMWs like the 5/6/7/8/X5/X7 will at least require an AGM H8/49 or H9/95R battery class size for its starter battery. If you have certain options you may require additional batteries which may include a smaller AGM or Lithium battery.
So if shopping for a non BMW branded starter battery...check the size that you have...then shop for that battery class size...the “brand” will have specs that are very similar to each other. Their specs RC (reserve capacity), CA (cranking amps), CCA (cold cranking amps), and AH (amp hour) will fall very close within specs. Also make sure that you understand the “venting” set up if the battery is installed in an enclosed space.
You can see the battery specs of the H8/49 and H9/95R battery class sizes in the East Penn battery chart below. Again, if you’re shopping for a Duralast, Duracell, Optima...or the battery selections from Advanced Auto, Pep Boys, O’Reillys, Walmart, etc...shop for the correct battery class size.
