Good Replacement Batteries for the e39?

Although I've seen enough comments on other batteries (the Interstates and East Penns etc, even Walmart's) that I wouldn't pay Autozone's price again, when my first 49-DL died it was nice to find that the local Autozone will readily honor the warranty and had my purchase record in their database. Another thing is that they fortunately didn't have any confusion when it came to which Duralasts would work. When I bought the first one, they already knew the 49-DL would work, and that's what they had in stock and recommended. So much for the website....

The battery compartment in an e39 trunk has two or three screw holes for the bottom clamp, to handle batteries of different lengths. When I bought my 49-DL, it looked "close enough" dimensionally that I didn't even bother measuring. One thing I did notice is, it's somewhat lighter than the original BMW unit.

Originally Posted by bluebee

Current price of the Autozone Duralast 49-DL out here is:

• $105 + $8.66 tax ~= $114 (+$12 core refunded on return of old battery)

+1. picked up the duralast 49-dl today at autozone. put it in the car. no problems.
cheers,
larry

Originally Posted by pleiades

I wouldn't pay Autozone's price again

What is cheaper?

I can't find anything cheaper yet, at least by calling all the local stores:

• Autozone
• Kragen (owned by O'Reilly)
• O'Reilly
• Napa
• Pep Boys

Originally Posted by pleiades

The battery compartment in an e39 trunk has two or three screw holes for the bottom clamp, to handle batteries of different lengths.

I took my battery out today, and I see what you mean; it looks like there is plenty of room for shorter-length batteries than the BMW battery.

Originally Posted by pleiades

it's somewhat lighter than the original BMW unit.

I see what you mean; it was difficult to get out of that deep trunk compartment!


My BMW battery is 720 CCA; I think the Duralast is more so I'm surprised it's lighter.

Originally Posted by Monkeyking

Picked up the duralast 49-DL today at autozone.

I don't make decisions that easily. I am still debugging mine. I took the vent caps off. Added 15 ml to most of the cells; had to add 60 ml to one and 30 ml to another though. Then I charged it for a few hours. Pegged the needle at 6 amps for about an hour; then dropped down to 3 or 4 amps.

From googling, I find that most American batteries are made by three companies:
- Consumer Reports: Car Battery Buying Guide

Originally Posted by consumer reports

Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers:

• Delphi
  • ACDelco
  • & some EverStart batteries (Wal-Mart)
• Exide
  • Champion
  • Exide
  • Napa
  • & some EverStart batteries
• Johnson Controls Industries
  • Diehard (Sears)
  • Duralast (AutoZone)
  • Interstate
  • Kirkland (Costco)
  • Motorcraft (Ford)
  • & some EverStart batteries

My BMW battery seems to be made by "DBMC, Winston - Salem, North Carolina", which turns out to be Douglas Battery, which is the OEM battery manufacturer for BMW, in America (apparently).



BTW, I couldn't find a battery chart on the Costco website; but I did find this chart on a private web site that agreed that Costco doesn't list the available batteries online as of February 2011:
- Costco California, Kirkland Auto Batteries, summary

Unfortunately, they don't seem to have the group 49 battery.

Since Johnson Controls Industries makes the vaunted Duralast 49-DL, I will probably pick one up tomorrow if the battery fails the specific gravity test.

BTW, what specific gravity tester do most of you use (since I have to buy one tomorrow)?

BlueBee

Firestone tire shops have the Interstates and occasionally have coupons for $10 off.

From what I've seen, Walmart Everlast is usually $20-30 cheaper than Duralast (here, in Eugene....). Core probably doesn't even matter....

BatteriesPlus stores would have the East Penns, you might want to ask but they were the most expensive choice here.

Knecht's had the cheapest 49-class battery ($62) when I last checked a few months back. That one even had the "eye."

If warranty matters (in my case the Autozone premium paid off), juggle your options. Also, if you find the Duralast or equivalent cheaper, Autozone -might- price-match. They've reportedly done that for some folks.

Originally Posted by bluebee

BTW, what specific gravity tester do most of you use (since I have to buy one tomorrow)?

Since that is off topic to what batteries fit in our E39s, I opened a separate thread on the battery electrolyte tester:
- What tool do most of you use to test the specific gravity (hydrometer) of the battery

Originally Posted by pleiades

Firestone tire shops have the Interstates

It's midnight so I can't call Firestone, but, from their web site, they have two Interstates that fit, but, their horrid web site lists no prices, nor even any specs, nor even specific model numbers for the batteries. (I'll call them tomorrow.)

Originally Posted by pleiades

and occasionally have coupons for $10 off.

I never do coupons unless they fall into my lap. I tried to find an Autozone coupon, for example, just yesterday based on these threads and I gave up in disgust at the results that Google found. Then I remembered why I never do coupons!

If the store handed me a coupon, as I walked in (or if one could be found easily on the web), of course I'd use it ... but I'm not about to give my email address to anyone to spam me day in and day out sending me things I don't need or want at the time they're sending them. So I opt out of all those kinds of things and simply shop when I need them.

Originally Posted by pleiades

Walmart Everlast is usually $20-30 cheaper than Duralast

The Walmart web site doesn't list a single battery! It has dozens of battery chargers, and scores of battery accessories, but, at least here in my part of California, not a single Walmart store came up with any automotive batteries. As with Firestone, I will try to call tomorrow ... but I've been on the phone with Walmart before ... and it's not a pleasant experience so I might give up after a half hour of waiting for someone to pick up in the right department.

Originally Posted by pleiades

BatteriesPlus stores would have the East Penns

I had never heard of them; but there's one in San Jose on Stevenscreek Blvd, so I looked in their web site; alas, they list two batteries, both Rayovac, but, no prices nor any specs other than CCA. So I can call them tomorrow for details.

Originally Posted by pleiades

Knecht's had the cheapest 49-class battery

Again, I had never heard of them. Running the Knecht's Auto Parts store locator, I find the nearest store is in Oregon, so, that won't do me (in California) any good.

Originally Posted by pleiades

If warranty matters

I 'never' buy by M A R K E T I N G warranty! See details here:
- When does a battery/tire replacement warranty make sense (1)

If a warranty 'ever' matters, it's only as a tie breaker; but with batteries, there are plenty of other tie breakers to choose from so I doubt it will matter (to me) one bit what the warranty is (I've never made good on a parts warranty in my life!).

Following your advice, and doing additional research (so others benefit from the results), I find these batteries are listed as fitting my 2002 BMWS 525i sedan:

Pep Boys:

• PB/Johnson Controls PJB
  • $105+ 9% tax, Bosch 49-850B, 850CCA, 140 RESERVE MIN
  • $155 + 9% tax, Bosch 94R730B, 730CCA, 140 RESERVE MIN
  • $200 + 9% tax, PS Platinum 95R850PP, 950CCA, 110 RESERVE MIN

Napa Auto Parts

• $256 + 9% tax, Napa Legend International, BAT 7595R, 850 CCA, 190 min reserve
• $144 + 9% tax, Napa Legend International, BAT 7549, 900 CCA, 185 min reserve
• $235 + 9% tax, Napa Legend International, BAT 9849, 850 CCA, 170 min reserve
• $169+ 9% tax, Napa BAT 8449, 900 CCA, 185 min reserve

O'Reilly (Kragen)

• $157 + 9% tax, Super Start 94REXTJ, 765 CCA, 140 AH reserve capacity
• $165 + 9% tax, Super Start 95R72J, 110 AH reserve capacity

Autozone

• $155 + 9% tax, Duralast Gold 94R-DLG, 730 CCA, 140 min reserve capacity
  
• $167 + 9% tax, Duralast Gold 95R-DLG, 850 CCA, 110 min reserve capacity
  
• $125 + 9% tax, Duralast Gold H8-DLG, 760 CCA, 100 min reserve capacity

Firestone:

• (prices not available on the Firestone web site), Interstate Mega-Tron II (specs not available on the Firestone web site)
• (prices not available on the Firestone web site), Interstate Mega-Tron Plus (specs not available on the Firestone web site)

BatteriesPlus

• (no price on the web site) Rayovac Maximum SLI94RH7M, 790 CCA, no reserve listed [Replaces: 694RMF, MTPH7, SLI94R-LI, SLI94RH7-MERGE06252011]
• (no price on the web site) Rayovac Maximum SLI49H8M, 900 CCA, no reserve listed [Replaces: 649MF, MTP93, MTPH9, SLI49-LI, SLI49H8-MERGE06252011, TY25224]

Sites that failed to bring up any batteries for a 2002 BMW 525i:

• Walmart (the Walmart California sites brought up ZERO batteries!)
• Sears (they didn't have the right size)
• Target (nothing came up)
• Costco (they don't have the right size but that's not listed on their web site; it's listed here)
  • Costco California, Kirkland Auto Batteries
    

The problem with the research above is that I'm typing my vehicle (2002 BMW 525i sedan) into their battery locators, which only give me the BMW-official sizes (apparently).

So, it's hard to compare prices with the (slightly off-size & cheaper) Duralast 49-DL equivalent batteries, simply because they don't show up in any of the searches.

Of the batteries that do show up, the only one that is close to the Duralast in specs & price is:

• $105 + 9% tax, Bosch 49-850B, 850 CCA, 140 reserve minutes (Pep Boys)
• $105 + 9% tax, Duralast 49-DL, 850 CCA, 150 minutes reserve capacity (Autozone)

Of course, now that I've exhausted the 'proper' battery searches, I should then do the more generic search suggested by QSilver7:

Originally Posted by QSilver7

look for any 49/H8 or 95/H9 battery class size

I see also someone by the name of "Q" (BMW CCA Member #191509) has a thread on bimmerboard.com suggesting the same thing!
- You can use any 49/H8 or 95/H9 battery of your choosing...there

Bluebee, your list is missing the Deka battery. I have the Deka 694MF. Fits exactly like the OEM and has bigger power capacity.

Originally Posted by doru

Bluebee, your list is missing the Deka battery. I have the Deka 694MF. Fits exactly like the OEM and has bigger power capacity.

Only I don't think it is sold in the USA.

Search of the dealer page resulted in nothing:

http://www.dekabatteries.com/default.aspx?pageid=843

Weird. They are made in the US, and I had some hard time sourcing it here in Canada......The seller told me they imported them from the US?

P.S. From their site:


Export Sales
East Penn exports its products to virtually every corner of the globe. Contact us with your requirements so we may send a quote. Please note: Minimum factory shipment requirements are one pallet load. For best freight rates, container quantities are suggested. Thank you for your interest.
For export information into the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Central and South America, please contact:
American Battery Company
a division of East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc.
2800 S.W. 4th Ave. Unit #20
Ft. Lauderdale FL 33315
Phone: 954-467-8967
Fax: 954-467-8973
Email: dekabatteryftlauderdale@dekabatteries.com
For export information for the rest of the world, please contact our Headquarters address:
East Penn Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Export Sales Department
Deka Road
Lyon Station, PA 19536 USA
Main Phone: 610-682-6361
Customer Service: 610-682-4231
Fax: 610-682-4781
Contact Us

Originally Posted by doru

Weird. They are made in the US, and I had some hard time sourcing it here in Canada......The seller told me they imported them from the US?

P.S. From their site:


Export Sales
East Penn exports its products to virtually every corner of the globe. Contact us with your requirements so we may send a quote. Please note: Minimum factory shipment requirements are one pallet load. For best freight rates, container quantities are suggested. Thank you for your interest.
For export information into the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Central and South America, please contact:
American Battery Company
a division of East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc.
2800 S.W. 4th Ave. Unit #20
Ft. Lauderdale FL 33315
Phone: 954-467-8967
Fax: 954-467-8973
Email: dekabatteryftlauderdale@dekabatteries.com
For export information for the rest of the world, please contact our Headquarters address:
East Penn Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Export Sales Department
Deka Road
Lyon Station, PA 19536 USA
Main Phone: 610-682-6361
Customer Service: 610-682-4231
Fax: 610-682-4781
Contact Us

Maybe the search page is busted? Well, I am sure if BB wants a Dekka, we'll have the details soon enough.

Originally Posted by dvsgene

I am sure if BB wants a Dekka, we'll have the details soon enough.

I think the confusion is partly due to TWO DIFFERENT lists of batteries.

The list I generated for this thread is merely a search of a SPECIFIC vehicle (namely the 2002 BMW 525i sedan) at SPECIFIC recommended LOCAL web sites (namely at Autozone, Kragen/O'Reilly's, Pep Boys, Napa, Winchester Auto Parts, etc.).

There 'is' a more complete list in this thread:
- How to test a BMW battery & alternator at home

You'll note that this more complete list, based on reading scores of 'what battery?' threads, contains the Deka ...

What battery to buy:

• OEM specs are Group 49, 720 CCA, vented
  • BMW 61.21.8.381.762
  • USA 729905-10
  • EN 12V 90Ah 720A
  • SAE 160 RC 720 CCA.
• Aftermarket batteries (simply look for any Group 49/DIN H8 or Group 95/DIN H9 battery class size as per these threads (1) (2))
  • Duralast 49-DL (Autozone, Walmart) <=== this is the most often recommended battery!
  • Duralast Gold 94R-DLG, 730 CCA, 140 min reserve capacity
    
  • Duralast Gold 95R-DLG, 850 CCA, 110 min reserve capacity
    
  • Duralast Gold H8-DLG, 760 CCA, 100 min reserve capacity
  • Deka 649MF
  • Interstate Mega-Tron II
  • Interstate Mega-Tron Plus
  • Interstate MTP-93
  • Interstate H9-110VW (MTP-H9)
  • Batteries Plus Werker 95R-LI
  • Bosch 94R 730B (Pep Boys)
  • Bosch 49-850B (Pep Boys)
  • PS Platinum 95R850PP (Pep Boys)
  • Optima 34R
  • Odyssey 1700
  • Sears Die Hard 49
  • Super Start 94REXT (Kragen, O'Reilly)
  • Super Start 94REXTJ (Kragen, O'Reilly)
  • Super Start 95R72J (Kragen, O'Reilly)
  • Exide Classic 49-60 (850 CCA)
  • Exide Classic 94R-60 (730 CCA)
  • Exide Global Extreme L4/94R-E108 (790 CCA)
  • Exide Global Extreme L5/49-E108 (900 CCA)
  • Napa Legend International, BAT 7595R, 850 CCA, 190 min reserve
  • Napa Legend International, BAT 7549, 900 CCA, 185 min reserve
  • Napa Legend International, BAT 9849, 850 CCA, 170 min reserve
  • Napa BAT 8449, 900 CCA, 185 min reserve

If shopping for a battery at Walmart...they usually sell 2 batteries that will work...either the Everstart Maxx 49 or Everstart Maxx 94R....and they usually sell them for somewhere between $75-$79.

Yes, I did say look for a 49/H8 or 95/H9 battery class size...sometimes you will find that a vendor is selling a 48 or 94R battery class size...those sizes will work as well. The specs for the 48/94 will usually be slightly less...but they will still work. And then 48/49/H8 batteries are usually vented from the top center whereas the 94/95/H9 batteries usually are side vented:

Originally Posted by QSilver7

they usually sell them for somewhere between $75-$79

As always, this is great information from Saint Q himself!

I couldn't find prices anywhere near those!

The (unintuitive) trick, of course, is NOT to look for a battery for your specific car, but, to look for those battery sizes that are known (empirically, by others) to work!

Is this the right list of 'sizes' known to work?

• Group 49/DIN H8
• Group 95/DIN H9
• Group 48
• Group 94R

BTW, I did check Walmart, but only from their web site (which was useless for automotive batteries) and from calling a couple of stores nearby:

• Walmart, 777 Story Road, San Jose, 408-885-1142
• Walmart, 5502 Monterey Hwy, San Jose, 408-363-9050

In hind sight, it was a waste of time 'calling' Walmart. They kept sending me over to the sporting & outdoor departments, and nobody would answer. I finally gave up. (Perhaps I should have 'visited' them.)

BTW, the 'venting' on the Duralast 49-DL is, shall we say, somewhat 'problematic'.

See details in this thread:
- Pictorial discussion of charging, testing, removing, & replacing the BMW E39 battery

By way of summary, here is a picture of my original somewhat rigid BMW vent which is designed for a side-vented battery:


Here is a sequence that shows, if you're not careful, that you can quite easily crush the flexible hose between the heavy battery and the plastic box jutting out just at the wrong point of the battery compartment!
For the record, these next pictures show why, I think, Autozone shows the Duralast 49-DL as NOT fitting the BMW E39:

Megatron For the win... We all need a little deceptacon In our bimmers

interstate is the best hands down... regardless of price or where you get it from....

we should move this to ... "where can i get the cheapest interstate" from

i still cant believe you guys put recycled auto-zone and advanced auto garbage in your 70K bmw

It's not 70 k anymore. Maybe a small fraction of that.
Maybe that's why people start buying also budget tires?

Originally Posted by Burning2nd

i still cant believe you guys put recycled auto-zone and advanced auto garbage in your 70K bmw

Really?! My recycled Autozone 49-DL is nearly 9 years old now and still going strong. The OEM BMW lasted only 5 years.

The only recycled crap I'd stay away from are the Sears Diehard. Went thru 3 Diehards on another car within a 6 yr period!! Even 20/20 did a special report on that practice.

Originally Posted by Burning2nd

i still cant believe you guys put recycled auto-zone and advanced auto garbage in your 70K bmw

Well I used to love to hate on autozone batteries too, but properly cared for they are perfectly serviceable. I traded one out last spring that was originally installed in 1995. I have another that's going on 8 years. My builds and daily's get AGM batteries these days b/c they are lighter and a little more reliable but I've yet to find a reason to put much money into batteries that are on the charger 99% of the time, and could easily see with others don't want to spend out 2x-3x as much for a "very slightly" improved battery for a daily driver sedan.

Originally Posted by Burning2nd

... interstate is the best hands down... regardless of price or where you get it from...i still cant believe you guys put recycled auto-zone and advanced auto garbage in your 70K bmw

Not sure where you get the info that all the AZ & Advance batteries are recycled while the Interstate batteries aren't...because all 3 batteries (Duralast (AutoZone)/AutoCraft Titanium (Advanced Auto)/Interstate) are ALL manufactured by Johnson Controls. Interstate recycles batteries as well...and you can find Interstate outlet stores doing just that. And as long as the plates are clean and the electrolyte is fresh...the battery will produce energy...and that's all we need.

Every wonder why the Interstate MTP-93's battery case looks just like the Duralast 49 DL & Autocraft Titanium? Again, that's because all 3 are manufactured by Johnson Controls. Same case, basically the same specs, different labels:

Interstate MTP-93 - vents from the top center


Duralast 49 DL - vents from the top center


AutoCraft Titanium 49-1 - vents from the top center

Originally Posted by bluebee

...
The (unintuitive) trick, of course, is NOT to look for a battery for your specific car, but, to look for those battery sizes that are known (empirically, by others) to work!

Is this the right list of 'sizes' known to work?

• Group 49/DIN H8
• Group 95/DIN H9
• Group 48
• Group 94R

Yep...that is the best way to go about pricing a replacment battery. Every location has different venders/resellers...so the best thing to do is look for the correct battery class size ...then compare the specs and prices that work for your particular application.

BlueBee, although I don't have a ready pic to show, thought I'd mention something. You've noticed no doubt that the Duralast + terminal cover is flush. The positive terminal plastic cover on the original BMW batteries will fit into the Duralast battery because the "feet" have the same spacing but the original BMW version has a gap that I found useful to channel the Duralast vent hose across the terminal and through and into the car-side hose. Works better for me than routing the hose around the positive terminal corner. If you kept the cover from your original battery, try it.

You can also trim off a piece of the vent kit's vent tube (about 1/8") where it Ls into the vent on the battery. this shortens the distance from the battery's vent hole to the side of the car...and allows the tube to amble over to the car's vent tube.

Originally Posted by QSilver7

all 3 batteries (Duralast (AutoZone)/AutoCraft Titanium (Advanced Auto)/Interstate) are ALL manufactured by Johnson Controls.

I was going to mention the post the past few people are responding to was quite possibly a troll (I have that particular poster on ignore but I surmise this from the responses).

Originally Posted by QSilver7

• Interstate MTP-93 - vents from the top center
• Duralast 49 DL - vents from the top center
• AutoCraft Titanium 49-1 - vents from the top center

It's interesting that the VENTING is the biggest difference between the OEM and the suggested alternatives. Thanks for summarizing that so well for these batteries.

Originally Posted by QSilver7

the best thing to do is look for the correct battery class size ...then compare the specs and prices that work for your particular application.

This is the kind of empirical information we need!

So that others benefit, I added your 4-size recommendations to the canonical thread on testing the battery. I referenced back here so as to leverage all your work without having to repeat it! I always try to leverage your stuff because it's just so good!

Originally Posted by pleiades

the original BMW version has a gap that I found useful to channel the Duralast vent hose across the terminal and through and into the car-side hose. Works better for me than routing the hose around the positive terminal corner.

That's a GREAT IDEA!

I think the biggest problem with the Johnson Controls Duralast 49-DL is that the vent hose 'might' get pinched (which is likely why it's never listed as a direct 1:1 replacement in the 'official' battery searches).

So, anything we do to alleviate that pinching, is something we must report so that OTHERS don't end up with exploded batteries due to ignorance of these tricks.

Luckily, it just so happens that I don't think I gave Autozone my old red battery terminal cover. So, I'll try out your suggestion and post a picture if it works well!

In addition, if it works, we need to get the word out so that others know not to return the red plastic battery cap cover!

Originally Posted by bluebee

That's a GREAT IDEA!

I think the biggest problem with the Johnson Controls Duralast 49-DL is that the vent hose 'might' get pinched (which is likely why it's never listed as a direct 1:1 replacement in the 'official' battery searches).

So, anything we do to alleviate that pinching, is something we must report so that OTHERS don't end up with exploded batteries due to ignorance of these tricks.

Luckily, it just so happens that I don't think I gave Autozone my old red battery terminal cover. So, I'll try out your suggestion and post a picture if it works well!

In addition, if it works, we need to get the word out so that others know not to return the red plastic battery cap cover!

Here's a pic of the OE cap that covers the positive battery cover...installed on a Duralast 49 DL:

Originally Posted by pleiades

The positive terminal plastic cover on the original BMW batteries will fit into the Duralast battery because the "feet" have the same spacing

Here is a picture of the 'feet'. The spacing is very similar although the more substantial BMW positive terminal cover is better built all around.

I found it only slightly difficult to press fit the little feet into the holes in the Duralast 49-DL battery - but overall - it's a much nicer component than the flimsy Johnson Controls piece.

Originally Posted by pleiades

but the original BMW version has a gap that I found useful to channel the Duralast vent hose across the terminal and through and into the car-side hose.

Hmmmm... I don't see what you're talking about - but - I do see that the BMW positive terminal cover is muuuch more undulate than the cheaper flatter Johnson Controls cover.

Would you kindly snake a drawn arrow where you're suggesting we route the flimsy battery vent tube (this will help me, and also everyone to follow in our footsteps - so it should be worth the effort):

Originally Posted by QSilver7

shortens the distance from the battery's vent hole to the side of the car...and allows the tube to amble over to the car's vent tube.

That idea should work!

Notice in the picture above and in the picture below, the elbow of the Johnson Controls battery vent tube extension is pinched by the plastic sides of the BMW E39 battery compartment.

I understand what you say and will see if I can shorten the battery side of that flexible elbow, in the hopes that it prevents it from being pinched (for others, please look here for what happens if the vent tube isn't venting).

Originally Posted by QSilver7

Here's a pic of the OE cap that covers the positive battery cover...installed on a Duralast 49 DL

And, here's a QSilver7 picture of a similar (maybe even the same?) battery showing that the Duralast 49-DL vent elbow isn't pinched in all cases; at least this QSilver7 picture seems to show slightly more room for the elbow than I seem to have in my battery compartment.
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > Battery Weak found Replacement

Originally Posted by QSilver7

make sure...positively make sure...that they INSTALLED THE VENT tube to the battery. You do NOT want to be driving around with the battery NOT vented. If it's an EXIDE mfg'd battery, then the battery's vent hole should be on the side of the battery like the original BMW battery that was installed. So you won't be able to see it because it's on the side of the battery by the positive battery post. If it is a Johnson Control mfg'd battery...then the battery vents from the top center (like the Duralast pictured below).

Originally Posted by Bluebee

That idea should work! ...I understand what you say and will see if I can shorten the battery side of that flexible elbow, in the hopes that it prevents it from being pinched...

Yes...I think you see the light. Trim off just a little bit from the tip that connects directly to the battery's vent hole...and it should extend over to the car's vent tube without being pinched between the battery and the air vent/grill (in the battery compartment):

The pic below is my set-up in the 540iT...as you can see...my trimmed vent tube is not squished in the pic...I used a pair of scissors & cut off approx 1/8" after measuring twice (cut once). I laid the tube along the path over to the gray vent tube to see how much of the tip needed to be cut off to bring the extending section closer to the battery and to prevent it from being squished up against the vent/grid that is directly behind the elbow section of the extending vent tube.

versus yours (which is slightly pinched) in the pic below (and where you've nicely circled the area in white to highlight the location)

Just an FYI...this pic below (that you circled) is Jamie (Jamesdc4) from BimmerForums...that image is taken from his great battery replacement DIY on that forum. And I think that his vent tube isn't "pinched" in the image because the battery isn't really set in place yet. His cables aren't attached and the battery hasn't been pushed all the way back up into the corner yet:

(this pic belongs to Jamesdc4)

.

Originally Posted by bluebee

Hmmmm... I don't see what you're talking about ....

Okay, here are a couple of close-ups.