I also did mine just a couple of months ago. I have an '04 and it has been 6 years. I read about an earlier post some years ago about this place in So Cal (BREA to be exact) look for Batteries Plus that sells batteries that fit perfectly to the tee and sure enough when I called the day before, to make sure they had it and there was a few on their shelves. The manager's name is Scott and he even installed it at the back of the shop for me at no charge. Just google it and use the store locator.

I have the 3.0 Inline 6 so the Item Number is SLI94RH7. As you can see on the pics attached, it is completely a match when it comes to size, height and vents available. I believe I paid $120 for it plus tax of course and it even had a $10 rebate at the time I bought it.


http://www.xoutpost.com/members/eks-...e1257-bat2.jpg

http://www.xoutpost.com/members/eks-...e1258-bat3.jpg

http://www.xoutpost.com/members/eks-...e1259-bat4.jpg

http://www.xoutpost.com/members/eks-...e1260-bat5.jpg

After reading this thread I had the battery and charging system checked at my local dealer fully expecting that after 6 years and 40,000 miles the battery would be "tired". They responded that it checked out just fine and no need to replace. I haven't suffered any symptoms or problems with my existing battery. It has never had to be recharged from dead, my X is typically kept in a heated garage and is driven almost every day.

I'd appreciate any opinions on whether I should I just ride it out another year or spend the $300 to have a OE battery "pre-emptively" installed?

Your battery will fail, it is just a question of when. When it does fail, you may get some advance warning (slow to start), but if you don't you will be stranded. The reason to replace it is to control the time when you replace it, ie in your garage and not in a parking lot somewhere on a dark night. Only you can decide what the inconvenience is worth to you.

If it costs $120 and lasted six years, that is $20 per year. If you get another year out of it, you can reduce that $20 to $17 per year. But if you have to pay for a tow or a jump, or even a taxi ride home, you won't be better off.

After six years, I would replace it at a time and place of my choosing. But I wouldn't spend $300 to have it done at a dealer.

:iagree: $300.00 at the dealer? Ouch.:yikes:

$311 to be exact.:yikes:

They wanted ~$250 for the OE battery if I wanted to buy it and put it in myself. Thanks to you all I am now leaning towards buying the battery now and installing it myself. I would prefer to purchase a BMW battery...any suggestions on where us Canucks can get the best deal on an OE battery??

I wouldn't be looking for OE, BMW don't manufacture batteries anyway.

I would be at Lordco, possibly Canadian Tire, or other automative parts outlets. As long as it is the right size, correct vent, and has the right ratings, it will be fine.

I am not sure what the Alberta equivalent of Lordco is. Maybe somebody knows.

Do not worry about what other people say, and I personally NOT :iagree: with this one: (If you have not been experienced any such issue with your battery as you mentioned: the battery never been discharged when wake up in the morning, even after 2-3 days engine has not been running. Or after playing radio about: 1hre/2hres and engine still started right-up without hesitation, than there's no need to waste your money to buy a new battery.

I used to have all these bad symptoms about dead battery, the worst part was: If I drop my friend somewhere and got in the trunk to grab his luggage out, the engine would not start when I get in the car because of the rear lights that lighted-up for a second. I wen't to sears and got me a new battery of: Group 49 for a total with tax: $152.55. Every since I bought it, my car starts right-up and it's been already a year now.

01 X5 4.4i

My X5 wouldn't start so I trickle charged it and fired it up. Everything was fine except for the appearance of the dreaded Self Lvl Susp Inactive! I crossed my fingers and hoped that it was just the 6 yr old battery giving me gremlins. I bit the bullet and bought the $250 replacement at Calgary BMW. I followed the steps in the thread and it went in smoothly. Unfortunately, after the test drive the suspension is still out. The suspension control module was replaced under warranty less than a year ago. I guess I need to check fuses then return to the dealer. The roads are really sloppy here now due to melting snow. Has anyone experienced suspension errors due to dirt and debris on the sensors underneath?

BATTERY REPLACEMENT/SELF LEVELING SYSTEM
 

For the self leveling system, it had happened to me in the past by having the rear vehicle totally down due to a bad blown fuse in the back of the vehicle. Once replaced, the entire rear suspension system has been lifted-up completely about: 30mtes. And once in a while, if I don't start my vehicle for 3days, the rear seems to go lower slightly N'till the next start-up.

Specially now with the "sloppy road outhere with snow melting down as you mentioned, everytime I park my X5 on top somewhere by having one of my rear tires up/not level to the ground, next time I start my car, it will cause the self level system automatically comes on. But I'm really not worry about it because I found a way to make it disappear in my dashboard by: backing-up the vehicle about 6 feet and move forward after that. If it doesn't go away, turn the engine off and start the car back on, the (Self level suspension system should go away)

If it doesn't go away by doing so, than you might have some serious self suspension problem or the sensors gone bad. Otherwise this only happend to me when I park my X5 with the rear not level.

(01 X5 4.4i)

The fuses checked out good so the problem persists.