3.2SLANTNOSE

I installed a wallyworld battery in mine in April 1998, it has finally decided to take a dive. I have to say that this is the longest I have ever had a walmart battery last. I think one major reason for it lasting so long, was the extraordinary care that it received, being it was in this particular car. This means that it was checked, serviced, etc, more than I would have normally have done in any of my other vehicles. I too found that the wallyworld batteries generally appear to last about the length of their warranty, if not going sooner. I have not decided just what will be its replacement. Tony.

sig_a

These two will fit:

http://www.remybattery.com/Departmen...e-Battery.aspx

Manufactured by East Penn Manufacturing - largest independent battery manufacturer in the world - google DEKA

Two sizes at 11" and 14 1/2"

The smaller is about 10 pounds lighter than the Interstate.

Vino

I just got a Duralast from Autozone like 2 weeks ago.
We'll see but heard good things about them and has the vent tube in the correct place.

Amazingly the original battery was an interstate from 2001. They did a load test and said it was perfect
When I had the car PPI'd a little over a year ago they said it failed or was on its last legs.
I did have the battery trickle charged with my battery tender over a year so who knows if that keeps the battery happy for extended time?

From experience I have had terrible luck with Optimas, I've had two and they both failed in a year and I don't think they can be trickle charged, maybe it was the climate or altitude or just bad luck. One was in a VW and the other in a 126 series Mercedes.

I also believe interstate has some how revived, I had them in the mid to late 90's in the above car and I was lucky to get 2 years out of them.

WHAT a PITA to change out a battery in a 911, they use a huge battery!

wpriller

I had a Optima in my S2000, lasted about year in half. Advance Auto Parts in my area stopped carrying them for a while because of reliability issues.

ron mcatee

I went to Optima to get away from the acid. Had it three years now and not a burp from it.

bgiere

Optima. You'll never use anything else after you see a non-sealed lead acid battery spew acid all over the inside of your trunk. Why wouldn't you use one is the question.

sig_a

The 3.2 liter Carrera has two battery mounting points; one for the huge interstate at about 14.5 inches and 47 pounds, and another for an 11 inch long/36 pound DEKA pictured here:

http://www.remybattery.com/Products/...y__9AGM48.aspx

No mounting modifications required. Look closely -- there are two mounting point. Most people don't require the huge interstate as the smaller has 760 cca.

Batman 357

Get a regular battery and use a battery tender. It will last much longer than the way overpriced Optimas.

Antony.

I hate batteries, I've never had much luck with any brand except the OEMs that come in my Toyotas. I've stayed away from optimas after seeing or hearing of many die back in my 4x4 days but that's a more brutal existence. I went with a Sears after my Porsche Battery died recently, I should go back through the receipts and see how old it was.

Mitch Leland

Go to the Pelican web site and search for the Optima battery tech article by Ed Hughes. The Optima battery is the only way to go. No acid rusting your floor pan... Sooner or later it will happen with an over charging or over filled condition. I would rather have the safety of the Optima than any longevity that an acid filled battery might have.

Nine11

My charger has different settings to accomodate the gel type batteries and I've trickled charged mine without issue.

KC911

As I posted earlier, imo the acid/corrosion issue is reason enough alone to go with a Optima. Everyone's experiences are different, but I'm absolutely sold on the longetivty of the Optimas, but they are not like "normal" batteries, and even some Autozone's "might" not have a clue. Keep 'em charged, and they'll FAR outlast a conventional battery, but if they do discharge, they will appear to be dead (and test that way), but they're not, and a typical battery charger/tender won't revive them. It takes a short relatively high amp charger to "wake them" up initially (10 minutes w/ my big charger that has a setting for 40 amps works fine, but higher is even better), and then they can be slow charged on 10 or 2 (I always use "low & slow"). As I also posted, I have three Optimas on my bass boat, with two 1.5 amp trickle chargers on the starter and my newest (two years old) HUGE blue top (deep cycle) trolling battery. Two weeks ago, I took my boat out for the first time this year (other issues), and fished/trolled all day long. When I got home, much to my surprise, I had been trolling with my "ancient" Optima (2001 on the sticker), that's half the size of my new one, and I had written it off (thus it hasn't had a charger on it in a few years), but I always charge them fully after each use. I had switched the cables around last winter (attempting to troubleshoot my trolling motor switch) and forgotton about it ). As a comparison, conventional deep cycles (I've been through more than I can count since purchasing my boat MANY years ago) don't even come close. Just my .02 worth and personal experience...I'm sold on 'em.

Keith
'88 CE coupe

slownrusty

I am running the 14lb Odyssey PC680 in my car, have been for well over a year and its been perfect. Even in the middle of winter when I take my car for a drive from time to time.





Yasin

theiceman

i have a conventional battery with no issues . I feel the regular battery does the job. I must note however I have a voltmeter installed in my car to monitor for overcharging , and below my battery I sprayed with high quality undercoating. Never been an issue but thought it was a good precaution.

DWalker

I have had mixed luck with the Optimas lately, a couple of red tops have gone downhill prematurely and depending on where you bought it warranty can be an issue. Previously I have seen incredible service from them- including a couple that were literally 10 years old.
For a daily driven car I still like the Odyssey type "dry" cell batteries. If you take a few small precautions- use a float charger if the car is going to sit for more than a few days for example, they last a long time, dont weigh much, and I can now get them in several sizes for less than the Odyssey. The trade-off in weight is battery life, and while it seems these things last forever on the shelf or on a float charger, leave them in a car with a constant drain for weeks on end with no recharge and you will be replacing it sooner than later. Although a lot of the Mitsu Evo guys running the similar PC680 setups in daily drivers seem to be getting good life out of them- in fact I have a customer who works at a ski area during the winter and I dont think his car has had to be jumped in the past couple of years using a PC680. In the past it seems I am lucky to get much more than a year or so out of one, but thats likely due to me not following the rule of not leaving the car sit for weeks on end without some type of float charger.

All that said, if I were to buy one today for a daily driver it would be a yellow top Optima in the "honda" size or a larger "dry" cell, and I would permenantly wire in a float charger that plugs into the wall of my garage. With all the electronics in our cars today that stay on constantly- alarms, radios, on-board computers, etc.- its just good common sense to use a float charger to keep the battery fully charged when your not driving it, no matter what battery you use.