In the market shortly for a new replacement AGM battery for the original in my '16 GTS. My pops always told me to 'buy the best battery you can afford'- probably sage advice. I have always associated Interstate with being the best overall and that is what my indy stocks. Pricing however seems a little steep at $270 or so for 'good' and $380 for 'best'. Many guys seem to go with the EverStart Platinum from Walmart which seems like a pretty great deal for $179 with 900 CCA and a 4 yr full replacement guarantee. Any thoughts?

 

There are differences in the materials used. Also note that there are only so many battery manuacturers producing batteries for themselves and chains.

I like Exide and I use an East Penn.

About a month ago, I contacted Banner in Austria to ask why we can't get their batteries in North America. They got back to me with East Penn is making their batteries to their spec in the US and Canada.

I'll likely be buying an East Penn for my 991.1 GTS, the identical 12V 80 Ah battery.

 

Always use everstart. In Houston where temps are brutal get 3.5 years and then free replacement on dailey driver. On boat 10 years and I replace based on time.

 

East Penn Intimidator Automotive Flyer attached...

 

It’s an interesting question. You didn’t say where you lived. In Phoenix, batteries seldom last more that 2 years .. typically. So I just purchase a reasonably priced battery that fits my vehicle and move on until the next change. But this 911 is different. I’m still on the original going on 4 years. It’s the longest lived battery I have ever had. When it comes due, I’ll pay more attention for quality maybe even talking to the dealer. If a battery last 5 years rather than 1 or 2 years, it’s worth it.

 

I've always had good experiences with Interstate, which COSTCO sells for a good price. They do not install. If you are replacing an AGM with an AGM no coding except resetting the windows. A good maintainer like CTEK helps longevity IMO. The Start/stop not working has always been the first sign of failure on my cars, Porsche and non-Porsche.

 

Pep boys used to carry but no longer and now i cant find. They had 48 replacement on premium german car version. I got 6 years out of one and it was still good when I sold the car.

 

I'm curious about a previous post stating he contacted Banner to ask why we can't get their batteries in NA. I'm new to Porsche ownership and battery replacement, but my 2012 991 had a Banner in it when I bought the car last year. So, are they not available now? I have not looked for one. I do need to replace mine and I'm looking at an Odyssey Performance AGM. Does anyone have experience with an Odyssey?

 

My dealer and independent uses Interstate. Just had a new Interstate AGM installed last year. Can't say if there's a noticeable difference between them, but I always hear positive experiences with others that use them and I haven't had issues with previous Interstate batteries.

 

the original battery lasted about 4 years.
I used a Duracell agm (physically larger than the original) and it went 7 years.

I now have an Interstate agm - while I did not get it from costco, they carry that brand

 

Banner is a European brand used by Porsche as original equipment in their cars. The Banner brand batteries themselves are not available for sale in the USA.
I've no knowledge of Odyssey batteries one way or the other.

 

The main thing with a Lead/Acid Battery is NOT allowing it to over-discharge ever. So make sure you maintain it well and you get the best life from it.

Additionally the Walmart Platinum, is the same as the Bosche, is the same as the Die Hard, is the same as MANY other and even your Banner. Just look up H6 Battery and if the Case is EXACTLY the same... they are the same battery. The internals and specs are the same. I don't have the time to post pictures for you but you can easily check this out.

 

There are only like 2 main battery manufactures in the US, so most are just rebranded one of those two.


as long as the specs match and it’s an AGM, it should be fine. I am on some generic pep boys AGM 5 years ago and it’s still going strong. It was under $200 at the time. I think they go by the “champion” brand.

I have used Interstate and they are great as well.

 

That makes your original Banner battery at least 10 years old. My original Banner battery is 8.5 years old when I stored it for the winter a few months ago. And prior to storing it, I tested it and it looks like I'll get more time out of it.

As I mentioned, in an email that I received from the engineer at the help desk at Banner in Austria, their batteries are being produced in the US and Canada by East Penn battery, a major battery manufacturer in the US and one that I trust since I already have one of theirs that I bought in 2010. The battery will have East Penn's label on it and not Banner.

Back in 2010 when I replaced a Porsche Moll-Kamina battery in my 993, the East Penn I replaced it with was 100% identical physically other than case color.

There are only so many battery manufacturers: East Penn, Johnson Controls (and the countless battery manufacturers/companies & brands under them).

I have a Banner H7 94R (12V 80 Ah) and I'll replace it with the same size. And for about $250 it is better than the $1200 option based on my life expectancy with batteries.

By the way, non-North American cars have batteries that we cannot get here. The Toyota and Honda I had both came with Panasonic batteries not available in the US/Canada. Too bad, because they lasted over 16 and 14 years, and they were conventional batteries.

 

No, I'm confident my battery is not the original. The date stamp shows 06/20. So, I'm assuming the previous owner had the dealer install it. The Odyssey batteries are pricey at $350. Since I live in Florida, and my garage gets up to 85-90 degrees (F), I may go with a less expensive battery. I have a Costco nearby, and I've heard good things about Interstate in addition to what has been said in this thread.