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Photos: Duralast Platinum H6-AGM Battery into Z4M

31K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  KevinC 
#1 ·
As set up in this thread, I didn't want to pay $275 - $295 for an OEM battery. So after a quick trip to AutoZone, I returned with a Duralast Platinum H6-AGM and got started:

One of the hardest parts was getting my hand in there to loosen the Velcro straps. Thankfully those little knobs on each side raise the tray the top folds into. Marginally.


BMW Strip-o-matic fasteners hold the bottom and three massively torqued 10mm nuts hold the top. This is the worlds most securely fastened flimsy battery cover.


Opening the wrong door on the positive terminal. Shut that now and never touch it again.


The correct positive terminal door. Thanks Ron! This level of visibility is impossible when changing the battery in a roadster.


Duralast Platinum H6-AGM left, BMW 61 21 7 553 951 right. Twins except for the stickers.



Duralast Platinum H6-AGM left, BMW 61 21 7 553 951 right. Note that the BMW battery has one of the venting holes plugged. You'll need to remove this and transfer it over to the Duralast. These batteries have vent holes on each side.


The vent plug.


Vent plug installed with vent plug installation tool.


Slightly different specs.



And now to hook up the negative terminal so we can test start it. Note the impressively tall screw for the battery bracket.


Started up like a champ. Reassembly commemorated with one last terribly fuzzy iPhone photo. Now to reprogram the Nav for clock/date and reprogram the auto-up on the windows. It somehow remembered my radio stations.


One extremely happy, unexpected change is that somehow my DICE came back to life with the new battery. I thought I had fried it with my CTEK during a reconditioning cycle, but it works once again, quirky DICE functionality and all.

Also the remote unlock and roof opening range has increased from about three feet to at least 25. I have not tested to determine its max range.
 
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#2 ·
Nice write up! I guess that since I still drive my same OLD Z and the battery in under the hood I won't be able to enjoy the benefits of your instructions. OH wait! The M3 has a buried battery too! Any chance you can make the drive next weekend? It's kinda like the year you were the ring master.
 
#4 ·
> BMW Strip-o-matic fasteners hold the bottom and three massively torqued 10mm nuts hold the top. This is the worlds most securely fastened flimsy battery cover.

Hahaha.... hilarious! :D

Thanks heaps for the write-up.
 
#7 ·
BMW Strip-o-matic fasteners hold the bottom and three massively torqued 10mm nuts hold the top. This is the worlds most securely fastened flimsy battery cover.
On realoem.com it looks like this fastener is #8, p/n 07147120304 (plug). Can anyone confirm this? My car didn't have any of these fasteners although I noticed that the holes are there.

 
#10 ·
Battery Replacement

Hi,

My batter died in my 2006 BMW 325i, and I am looking to buy the Duralast Platinum from AutoZone, I remember I called the dealer one time and asked them about battery replacement, and they told me the battery has to be registered at the dealer after you install it, its gonna coast $140 just to do the registration,so if i buy it and install it myself, i will still have to go to the dealer, is this true?
 
#12 ·
Hi,

My batter died in my 2006 BMW 325i, and I am looking to buy the Duralast Platinum from AutoZone, I remember I called the dealer one time and asked them about battery replacement, and they told me the battery has to be registered at the dealer after you install it, its gonna coast $140 just to do the registration,so if i buy it and install it myself, i will still have to go to the dealer, is this true?
I would assume an 06 325 is similar to the E85 Z4. If so there is not a registration process so the dealer is pulling your leg. I could be wrong and the E46 forum should be able to confirm, but I think I saw threads there where folks were swapping E46 325i batteries on their own.
 
#11 ·
Registration electronically mates the new battery to the car's charging system and can extend the life of the new battery by charging it more intelligently.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=545684&highlight=register+battery

However, registration is not cost effective if you must buy a new battery from the dealer that costs $350 including registration. Or if you buy a $150 Duralast from Autozone and must pay a dealer $140 to register it with your car's ECU.

It is cheaper to just buy the Duralast and replace it when it goes bad in 3 to 5 years. Like we have done for decades.
 
#14 ·
Ok, I bought a battery Yesterday from Autozone, and I was able to install it myself, and i started the car, it worked fine, the next day, I start the car,it start but with a weired noise, so i turn it off and start it again, the noise is gone, so once i started driving i had the ABS light comes on suddenly, and the radio Led were so weired,it seems they were getting more current than what they should, and also i noticed that the turn signal light, when i turn it on it wont go back to be off by itself ,like it used to be, i had to move the controller back to turn it off, so I parked my car and turn it of again and turn it on , and everything went back to normal like it was before,radio led is normal, turn signal back to normal, the ABS light is gone,so i am wondering if its gonna happen or its gonna be ok.
But I really want to thank every body for their response.
 
#18 ·
I will double check it once i get home, thank you though so much for your responses.

I have a question i don't know if i should ask it here, I read in one of the forums about resetting the throttle by holding it all the down to the ground for 30 seconds then push the start button, i know the process steps right,but what does it do to my car if i do it?is it gonna be like adding more power when i press the accelerator paddle cause i am not really satisfied with the way it is when i go from the 0
 
#19 ·
I know this is a old post - but to add a piece of info from my "Battery Source" guy, most batteries are coming from the factory only partially charged and they now charge everything prior to installing in a car or if you do it yourself they recommend overnight trickle charge before installing.

FWIW.

Regards
 
#20 · (Edited)
So, My Z4M Roadster is now almost 8 years old with 21,000 miles. I'm the second owner, bought it in 2009 as a CPO. The battery power and charge-holding capacity has diminished to the point that a replacement is warranted. I purchased the Duralast Platinum H6-AGM from AutoZone for $162. Upon exposing the old battery, I saw the :mad:DPO apparently installed a plain vanilla Interstate MTP-91, no AGM, AND he failed to connect the vent tube. What harm might have already been done, and what benefit does my car gain, if any, to now install my Duralast AGM? And exactly where does one connect the vent tube?

I decided to install the Duralast and once lit up, I needed to reset the clock and re-pair my iPhone, but my radio station selections and seat positions were intact. The intermittent left headlight outage seems to have repaired itself as well.
 
#21 ·
I would think the vent tube would still be back there when you opened the cover up and should just pop right into the new battery. A non AGM battery works fine- I replaced mine with a standard battery a couple of years ago and have had no issues. So you are on your third battery in 8yrs. That is pretty short lifespan. You will also likely need to reinitialize your auto up/down windows if you haven't yet.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Auto windows required no initialization. I'm also getting improved fuel economy.

The vent tube is present. The question is, how does one connect it to the battery?

Eight years since the car was first delivered to the original owner. Total of two batteries during that time, so let's say average life expectancy is 4 years on a car that is not driven that frequently. Is that really a short life span? The new Duralast warranty is only 36 months total.
 
#23 ·
There is a small hole on the back side of the battery(facing the rear bulkhead when installed) at the center top of the battery which the tube will insert into. IMHO 4yrs is a short life span. My first battery lasted from 2006-2011. My car is also rarely driven(18k miles on a 2006). I do trickle charge the battery monthly.
 
#25 ·
My original battery lasted until just after the 4/50 warranty was up. But that's here in Phoenix, probably the most brutal environment on car batteries in the country. It must help that they're not under the hood, getting even more heat than the Sonoran desert already produces.
 
#27 ·
If you want to change your battery and not lose any settings, and you have another battery or 12 volt source available, you can connect to the convenience terminal in the engine compartment and chassis with jumper cables. You can now remove the primary battery and the battery connected to the convenience terminal will hold the 12 volts on the electrical system so you don't lose anything. Just be careful not to let the positive battery cable touch the chassis or the negative cable since it's "hot".
 
#31 ·
#33 · (Edited)
Their web site and then I called the local store, the guy said it was not available. O'Riley's battery was exact match and works just fine, swapped out in less than 10 minutes last night. Used my trickle charger to keep some voltage going while I pulled out. Hardest part was getting the Velcro to un-stick on the goo bottle, it had fused and I had to used my plastic knife tool to finally separate it. :tsk: Other wise it was easy peasey. :D

The only thing I was wondering about was how old the original battery was. It looked brand new since it is tucked away under the cover unlike other car batteries in the engine compartment. There were no dates on it showing service life.
 
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