Average OEM Battery Life?
 

on 6th year now (01/3.0i)? is it something that needs to be changed as a preventive measure? no sign of dying .. maybe i just want to change something on it?? TIA!

I'm on the same track: 3.0 '01 delivered 9-'01, build 8-'01...
I suspect the clock is ticking for both of us.

I cannot locate a non-oem batt. anywhere in my area, however.

The stlr's oem replacement, for $200+ would be my last pick.

wow, pretty good battery life then huh! i have an '03 so i hope i have a couple more years left on mine.

although, i am paranoid about it though...had battery on my other SUVs died on me before and its not a good thing getting stranded at 3am on the freeway for sure...that's why i'm paranoid now...hehehehe!

I bought one at Sears for around $130. Its good to replace them every 3 - 4 years.

think about the cost/benefit
 

most batteries last 4 or 5 years. sure i've had batteries that last longer. but they don't always show signs of age until they croak for good. My '02 3.0 died last year at just 4 years of age.
My point is that you can change it now under controlled circumstances or risk getting stuck. Then you have to call AAA or get a jump and you're wasting time that is probably worth way more than the little bit more use you get by keeping it.

Do you have a model # from Sears? Perusing the Sears site
shows that group 94R doesn't exist there...this is one hard to
find fookin battery.

well, in that case...i'll definitely change mine as well as my wifes SUV as well, both are 2003 models and so therefore are 4 years old

I just replaced my failed OEM (X5 4.4I built April 2001) battery on 06/09/07 with an NTB (National Tire & Battery) Exide battery. Cost was $130.99 but because they had just "dinged" one of my rear wheels while installing new Diamaris tires they sold me the battery at half price so I got the battery for $70.37 tax in.

There are lots of non-oem battery options out there.
I paid $66 for a battery for my 4.4l at Sam's Club. Fit perfectly.

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...s+club+battery

The 4.4 batt is a group 49...there are several brands of that
group on the mkt.; the tough find for me, here in western NC,
is the group 94 batt. for the 3.0.

I just pro-actively changed my 01 battery after I found it dead after a two week trip. I figured it would be better to change on my schedule, not to mention a potential boost charge. I got an OEM battery under a different name for C$145.00

01' 3.0i 73k miles and I just replaced my battery last winter, it give me a little signt that's time to change, Stealer wanted around $400 so I found local guys for $130...

practically each 2nd gas station offers a simple test on life longivity of the acumulator..proximity of 2-4 month probably does not matter.
they say original should live 6-7 years .it.is possible...depend on a lot of things..

I would assume the group49 would fit the 3.0 as well. So, if you can find the group49 battery, why not give that a shot?

The group 49 does fit the 3.0! The battery boxes in all X5s have the proper mounting holes for bolting down both sizes of batteries. Just a matter of screwing the hold-down bolt into a different hole.

My oem battery died two days ago, it lasted about 3 years. I bought 100amp battery (oem is 90amp) made by Varta Germany to replace it. Fits good! Costs about US$120.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Bought a Group 49 Autocraft Titanium from Advance Auto $80 ... and its the same size as the OEM one that came out ... same dimensions everything .. even used the same mounting hole ... even the width was same ... (from what i have read on the web, there is a difference of almost an inch in width between 49 and 94R) ... i am the first owner of the X5 . .so either my 3.0 came with 49 battery or switched by the dealer for some reason ... or there is no physical dimensional difference between the two ...

FWIW, Autozone had the duralast for $70 - but it looked beatup and dated 01/07 ... Advance Auto Autocraft I got was 05/07 ...

I didnt lose any preset stations / GPS retained all the locations etc .. all i had to do was reset time and date ... hth!

they say the batteries are maintenance free but i was wondering if adding water to them once a year would keep the battery running for a longer time?

No

Mine is now 28 months old with 32k on the odo, and is 'suspect'. Went flat due to a faulty tailgate mechanism in February and the dealer is not yet convinced of what the problem is. They can't find a current drain, but after about 4 days or so the engine gets progressively slower to turn over. Two weeks and it's dead.

You are close enough to do a midnight swap at the factory:rolleyes: :rofl:

I bought an Interstate MTP-93 which is sized for the 4.4 when my battery on my 03 3.0 died on me a few months ago. The OEM battery lasted me a little over 4 years. So far, so good.

Is there a difference from one battery to another? I've always gone OEM in everything I replace or repair (although I know it cost more). Are some of the choices people made based on a belief that the new battery is 'better' than the OEM, or is it more a financial decision?

I've tended to go OEM out of a belief (maybe misplaced) that the battery that the manufacturer picked or designed for the car must be better than the others. Is that not true - if any battery will do, then I'll go for a savings too.

i am that way as well ... after starting this thread i did the due research ... looks like there are only two major manufacturers .. and not much difference between the different brandings ... looks like bigger the better with batteries ... higher the CCA cold crank amps .. the better .. besides that longevity wise go with longest warranty ... hth!

Change it now so you're never left sitting in a parking lot. I did mine on an '01 3.0 a year ago, methinks you're due.

Batteries are a testament to planned obsolesence. If it says it's a 60 month battery, (under "normal" conditions) you can be sure you are on borrowed time beyond that. If it's 4+yrs old and winter is around the corner, it's time for a new one. Winter kills batteries. It's that simple. You don't want anything less than a 5yr battery. Not with the X5, since it's such an electrical hog. Check out the other "battery" threads, if you'd like. Usually, it will give out somewhere far from help, late at night after the stores are closed, or when it's raining (been there, done that, no more) It's just too simple to replace it before it's advertised life cycle. DIYers might want to have it installed every other time to get the charging system checked out.

I am wondering why most are going with non-oem batteries when the BMW (OEM) can be had for $140 (last year). That is what I paid to the stealer and I just changed it myself. It takes about 15 minutes to change and is not difficult at all.

PS: the original battery lasted aaround 6 years

My only "local" stlr, Fletcher BMW in Asheville, quoted me
$200 + tax for the batt., and $250, plus a $20 "shop fee",
+ 6% tax installed. :rolleyes:
You must have a good stlr, MiCkey!

I got my Interstate MTP-93 through my work for roughly $100 after tax. We're an Interstate dealer. Even w/o my discount, this battery retails for $120ish before tax. The MTP-93 has a better overall rating than the OEM battery and is STILL cheaper.