WWYD - 7y old AGM battery still shows 85% of rated CCA

My old BMW 535xi used an H7 or optionally, an H8 battery. Not AGM yet, as my brother had a newer 528i XDrive that mandated the AGM, so I could still use a standard battery.

In my case, the battery still had the ability to crank the car over and run it, but it had a lot of electrical quirks and warnings going on… codes that countered each (low then high voltage), etc. i installed a NAPA The Legend battery in H8 size and that fixed all the problems. I didn’t yet have a code reader that would register the battery, so on my next service I asked the dealer to do it for me. They did it and had no issues or concerns over my non-BMW dealer supplied battery.

Car was sold with it still going. I’d change it and get a coder that can register the battery and save a ton of money. 😎
 
If you know someone with a costco membership and can wait, they sell the Energizer H8 AGM for $289.99CAD + $10 core fee.

Product # 2387650

Looks to be out of stock right now:

EDIT: forgot to mention, also has a great warranty

Screen Shot 2022-10-04 at 10.35.17 AM.jpg
 
i installed a NAPA The Legend battery in H8 size and that fixed all the problems.
FYI - these are East Penn / Deka batteries, and is what I'm currently shopping for. Napa is the only place up here where I can definitely say they are EP.

If you know someone with a costco membership
I have a Costco membership. Every time I've looked for years, including right now, they do not have an application for my vehicle in store or online, H7 H8 or H9. Item 2387650 is "ooops not found" for me (logged in with my Costco account and home store set) but that does seem to be the way Costco Canada says "out of stock" half the time or more. I'd like to know what battery is under the Energizer label at Costco, but I have yet to ever see one of the Costco Energizer AGMs in person because they never have any.

I may pursue Costco further
 
UPDATES: no purchases made. Costco Canada doesn't seem to have any AGM group 49s any time I've looked - no returns to searches, none in stores. Haven't pulled the trigger on anything, but Canada retail pricing seemed to be dropping. The recent drop in CAD$ value relative to USD$ might reverse that, however. Nevertheless, I noticed a change at Napa Canada today.

So just to extend this thread and ask if others think what I'm thinking.....

Napa Canada now shows two different AGM group 49 options - one a "Powerstart" sub brand, the other a "Legend" sub brand. The stats show they might be the same battery under the label, but oddly the price is half and the warranty looks the same? Publishing error? Am I right?

The PowerStart is $381, shows East Penn as the mfg, and mfg model# 9A49, 850 CCA, 92Ah.
The Legend Premium is $597, shows East Penn as the mfg, and mfg model# 9A49, 850 CCA, 92Ah.

Other than the NAPA sub brand difference, these batteries look identical. I cannot find any difference in warranty or any specification to account for the difference in price. Anyone seen anything like this at NAPA before, or have any insider info as to why the difference?

FWIW, the cheapest "unknown" AGM battery in Canada is now down to ~$300CAD, and driving to the US for an East Penn comes out to $342CAD after exchange and still plus double taxes (pay NY tax at store, pay Canada tax at border) and would have no warranty. Anything ~$3xx is worth buying in Canada IMO.

Note: I'm not asking if the Legend is "worth" another $200+, that's not my question. The "PowerStart" option at $3xx was not available to me until just now, and looks identical to the $600+ option I've been seeing since COVID. Just wondering if there's a catch. I would have expected a lesser warranty or something to account for the price difference.
 
Craig, in direct answer to your question, I would keep your present AGM battery. I liked the advice several people gave, which was to carry a jumper pack with you.

My experience with AGM batteries has been only positive.

1. Optima Red Top - installed in our '97 Mazda MPV in early 2011. Still flawless when the van was retired at the end of 2018.

2. Optima Red Top - installed in our 2001 Mazda Protege in early 2009. Still working perfectly when the car was retired in mid-2016.

3. Canadian Tire AGM installed in our 2009 Kia Sedona in early 2018. Still working perfectly.

4. Canadian Tire AGM installed in our 2009 Mazda5 c. October 2018. Was run absolutely flat a couple of weeks ago due to an interior light being left on for several days. This was in freezing weather, so a conventional battery would have been destroyed by being frozen. The battery took a charge fine and seems to be 100%.

By contrast, I always considered a conventional aftermarket battery to have done well if it lasted three winters here.

The AGMs have actually been cheaper to run than conventional - "Buy once, cry once" as they say.
 
UPDATES: no purchases made. Costco Canada doesn't seem to have any AGM group 49s any time I've looked - no returns to searches, none in stores. Haven't pulled the trigger on anything, but Canada retail pricing seemed to be dropping.

FWIW, the cheapest "unknown" AGM battery in Canada is now down to ~$300CAD .....
Canadian Tire AGM batteries seem to be fine and they go on a pretty good sale periodically. I put one in my Accord three years ago and the BMW even earlier. Canadian Tire has a good warranty program too.

I don't drive the Accord very much and if it's been sitting for a long time I put it on the CTEK charger.
 
that battery is totally fine. especially if you put it on a charger often. whatever you do, don't turn it in for the core charge it's worth way more than that. but yeah $600??? there's walmarts in Toronto you can get one there for 200. or heck even amazon delivered for 250 probably.
Yes, Walmart's price on AGM batteries are terrific but the problem is there are times they are "Out of Stock". It happened to me, my Everstart H7 AGM died in just less than 3 months, went to get a replacement NONE. Called to all the nearest WM in my area, NONE. For 3 weeks waited NONE. I told the cashier, "Look I want my money back, it's been 3 weeks". The cashier ask the manager, he gave me a refund. I am glad, I didn't get over 3 months or else I will never get my money back.
I went to NTB & got myself an Interstate for $50 more. Lessons learned. I will never buy AGM batteries at WM. Yes, I will still buy batteries at WM but only the flooded ones.
 
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