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First, some history:
* My car got a new Interstate battery with an 85-month warranty.
* This battery lasted 20 months. I got a replacement under warranty at my local independent shop. The owner said he was stopping selling Interstate due to so many returns.
* The replacement Interstate lasted 55 months until stopped holding a charge on a cold 32-degree night in the San Francisco Bay Area--which would just be considered cool in other parts of the country. I didn't even bother with the warranty. I'm done with Interstate.
I wanted a good battery, and Bosch does pretty much everything right when it comes to cars (and appliances, tool, etc.), so that's what I targeted. Not many car-parts stores carry Bosch, but my local Pep Boys did, and they were on sale.
For 996.2, I got the Bosch Platinum AGM H7/L4/94R. This battery is a little wider than the prior batteries, but there is another bolt hole on the battery holder that lines up perfectly. There is even another bolt hole beyond that one for an even wider battery, if desired.
With the Interstate batteries, even when new, when starting my car the engine would turn over slowly and took about 3 seconds to start. I figured it was just due to the high-compression engine. At the same time, the voltage dropped low enough that my aftermarket Alpine stereo would turn off. I then had to wait about 30 seconds for it to reboot. Quite annoying.
With the new Bosch battery, the engine turns over about twice as fast and takes about 1.5 seconds to start. The internal resistance of this battery is low enough that the voltage stays high and my stereo doesn't restart. Awesome.
If you're looking for a new battery for your 996, I can recommend Bosch and not recommend Interstate.
That's odd - lead-acid batteries aren't exactly new tech, so it's strange that one brand would suck so badly. Even weirder considering Johnson Controls manufactures batteries for both Interstate and Bosch - or at least they have in recent years. Battery subsidiaries get passed from company to company so quickly you have to check the month and year to be sure.
Regardless, it sounds like you now have a battery with sufficient CCA to the the car started without excessive draw.
You probably know this, but how often you drive your car, and the distances you drive, DRASTICALLY affect battery health and longevity...
I had a new Bosch battery that lasted less than 12 months. Pep Boys replaced it under warranty. The new one is 24 months old now and seems fine. I think sometimes it is just the luck of the draw.
So you went from the smallest Interstate (two holes less on the battery mount bracket at least - you don't mention any other spec's, but we'll assume that it did meet Porsche's recommendations) that "lasted" 55 months (not a bad run btw) to a larger Bosch, and you've determined that ALL Interstate batteries suck? Hmmm...I'd have to question your ability to be objective given the circumstances. Without getting to deep, it's difficult to determine whether you're comparing "apples to apples" but I think it's fairly obvious, that it's not the case.
He never said that Interstate sucks... he said the the ones he had were marginal or sucked.
That is his opinion. I also upgraded to the Bosch and love it! Its a great battery and the warranty from PepBoys is really good.
So you went from the smallest Interstate (two holes less on the battery mount bracket at least - you don't mention any other spec's, but we'll assume that it did meet Porsche's recommendations) that "lasted" 55 months (not a bad run btw) to a larger Bosch, and you've determined that ALL Interstate batteries suck? Hmmm...I'd have to question your ability to be objective given the circumstances. Without getting to deep, it's difficult to determine whether you're comparing "apples to apples" but I think it's fairly obvious, that it's not the case.
Dare I say this logic applies to all the fear mongering related to the M96?
I know someone that owned a few interstate battery shops about 10 years ago. They had multiple levels of battery, some were brand new others were reconditioned. I had one of their top grade lead acid batteries at the time last 7 years in a jetta, was a good one. I've also had bosch and panasonic batteries last 5+ years.
In the 996 I went from a huge Bosch (lead acid) battery to a medium size Autocraft gold (lead acid). The bosch actually tested slightly higher CCA, but both crank and start identically. One just weighs a few pounds less and has a warranty.
Lately batteries seem like ****, have had 4 batteries die in the first year from wal mart. I no longer buy batteries from there. If I could open up a battery and service it myself, I'd be a happy camper. Not quite that desperate yet.
As noted, battery life is typically luck of the draw. With a few exceptions.
Here in TX, an under-the-hood battery lasts 2-3 years at most. I've had OEM batteries replaced under warranty for every vehicle I've owned. The heat just kills 'em.
However, our 2007 Lucerne (built 10/2006) just last month gave up the ghost. This battery is mounted under the rear seat, away from the engine temps and in an air-conditioned environment. Nine years. That's a record for me in TX.
I always buy WalMart batteries. I drive a lot to various states. I know I can always find a WalMart open if I have battery problems.
I guess it is hit or miss with batteries. I put a Bosch battery in my wife's car and went through 3 of them in two years and it had an outrageously long warranty (don't remember exactly how many years but it was the "best" one).
My 996 has an Interstate battery that was in the car when I bought it 6 years ago.
As noted, battery life is typically luck of the draw. With a few exceptions.
Here in TX, an under-the-hood battery lasts 2-3 years at most. I've had OEM batteries replaced under warranty for every vehicle I've owned. The heat just kills 'em.
However, our 2007 Lucerne (built 10/2006) just last month gave up the ghost. This battery is mounted under the rear seat, away from the engine temps and in an air-conditioned environment. Nine years. That's a record for me in TX.
I always buy WalMart batteries. I drive a lot to various states. I know I can always find a WalMart open if I have battery problems.
That is a good idea, you'll always find a 24 hour Walmart somewhere in most major cities.
So you went from the smallest Interstate (two holes less on the battery mount bracket at least - you don't mention any other spec's, but we'll assume that it did meet Porsche's recommendations) that "lasted" 55 months (not a bad run btw) to a larger Bosch, and you've determined that ALL Interstate batteries suck? Hmmm...I'd have to question your ability to be objective given the circumstances. Without getting to deep, it's difficult to determine whether you're comparing "apples to apples" but I think it's fairly obvious, that it's not the case.
I went one bolt size larger, not two. The battery is maybe 20% larger, but it can turn my engine over twice as fast--without the system voltage dropping too much.
Did you read what I said about the first Interstate not lasting long, the second one falling 30 months short of its warranty, and my local indy stopping carrying them due to so many returns? My opinion is that Interstate is not very good. Now, it would be pretty funny if my new Bosch and the old Interstate were made by Johnson Controls in the same factory like Schnell said is possible.
01-28-2016, 05:52 PM
New Bosch Battery: Much Better than Interstate
