I need a car battery which should I get?

I need a new battery for my e46 2002 330ci. Which car battery should I get? Should I go oem or should I get aftermarket? If you guys have any links to car batteries that would be great. Thanks for your help.

i just went with aftermarket since its usually cheaper. the oem bmw battery is a arm and a leg. if your pockets aren't tight i always try to stick with oem.

49DL at Autozone is $100. They might try to sell you more expensive one, but this one fits great. Hook up vent...don't forget!

(Vague recollection that maybe they don't make it, but I'm not sure)...there's one at Walmart guys get too...

You don't need OE at all.

Originally Posted by dmax

49DL at Autozone is $100. They might try to sell you more expensive one, but this one fits great. Hook up vent...don't forget!

(Vague recollection that maybe they don't make it, but I'm not sure)...there's one at Walmart guys get too...

You don't need OE at all.

Is the one at walmart the same battery number 49 DL or is different. How about brand though? What aftermarket brand to get? And what you mean by hooking up the vent? This is the first time I will be replacing my battery myself. Does coding need to be done after installing the new car battery?

Originally Posted by dmax

49DL at Autozone is $100. They might try to sell you more expensive one, but this one fits great. Hook up vent...don't forget!

(Vague recollection that maybe they don't make it, but I'm not sure)...there's one at Walmart guys get too...

You don't need OE at all.

+1 I have an AutoZone battery for 4 years already.

It is this battery correct? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...dentifier=4490

That's the one...it doesn't fit a vert, but otherwise most e46s.

There is a vent tube on your old battery...put it on new one. It should come with an adapter.

All you need to do to get battery out is loosen cables...clamp, vent hose...remove old battery.

Inspect ground cable for tightness where it's attached to body...clean corrosion...install new battery...and pay attention you get red cable to + terminal!

You have to make some minor modification somewhere...I forget...like a spacer under the clamp...very straightforward whatever it is.

For me, the hard part was learning how to get battery tray out! Just push back on the lining a bit...it's part of the fun!

AFAIK, Autozone doesn't carry the 49DL anymore. They offer their Group 94 battery now (yellow) for something like $200. I got that one. Its a bit more powerful (CCA) than the 49DL and fits a little better.

If you want to spend baller money could go and get a lightweight lithion ion battery for a few hundred. Outside of that wallmart, autozone, costco, whichever has a hassle free return warranty. I have an interstate battery that i've gotten rather fortunate to get two free one's out of as they only really last about a year or two and the warranty is/was 36 months.