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For battery replacement, I would try to match these to the original:
- Type: AGM or Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) FLA will have liquid that can be heard to slosh around if shaken.
- Capacity: Best if you can match the RC spec. E90 original 90 AH FLA has RC of 160 minutes speced. That is what I had. If RC spec is not available, then match the AH spec.
- Size: My factory battery (90 AH RC 160) was size 49 (H8). Size 49 is the longest that fits in my sedan. The width and height also right at maximum. Anything smaller will also fit but have to match the capacity.
If you match the type and capacity, you only need to "register" the new battery to the computer. If you don't register car will still work, but supposedly computer will keep treating the battery as old and will charge it differently than a new battery. And computer may decide to cut off certain things earlier if you turn off the engine and keep the car on listening to music or running the fan etc. It may make the battery last less and blah blah..
If you change type and or capacity you need to "program (code)" the computer to know what the new type and capacity is.
From what you are describing and assuming you had FLA, your original battery was same as mine: size 49, 90 AH RC 160.
You can find many options as replacement. I have been using an AdvanceAuto branded one, which was speced RC 150. I had to replace it again after 4 years I think this winter a couple weeks ago. I bought again AdvanceAuto same part but this time got a "Made In Germany" sticker one on it. Doesn't matter much.
My 2nd battery started to die early because for at least a year I had been commuting very short distance, battery was hardly recharging at all.
BMW made this battery replacement way too complicated than it should have been.
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