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I just replaced the battery on my 993 with a new one, looks to be an Autozone private branded battery made by Interstate.
With the engine/alternator running the system voltage is between 13.6 and 14 + volts
The moment I turn off the battery the voltage falls to 12.6 Volts and then over an hour or so under 12.5 volts. My understanding is that a brand new fully charged battery should reach 12.8 volts shortly after charging.
This is in 50-degree F conditions and without any extraordinary parasitic drain ruled out.
When placed on a 1.5 Amp. with float charger overnight it never gets above 12.6 Volts
The car easily starts and runs well.
Did I purchase an old stock or simply a marginal new battery to begin with where it's initial voltage being low will have a shortened service life?
Other's thoughts?
Andy
Interesting factoids when considering a battery brand:
Interesting factoids when considering a battery brand:
Car Battery Brands
"Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market; Exide; and East Penn. They are sold under various names and built to the specifications of retailers, so performance can vary. Most stores will test, install, and match a battery to your car’s needs. Here are the major brands and where they are sold."
I really wonder if a retailer is in any position to engineer specifications for their battery offerings. The battery manufacturer does this and provides warranty periods and wholesale pricing based on the standard designs he may offer. I guess the retailer can "engineer" what the label on the battery looks like and a choice of the color of the housing plastic based on what the manufacturer options are offered to him.
This seems to be the biggest differentiating factor as to why one should consider one brand over another for a conventional maintenance free car battery:
"Batteries lose strength over time, even when in storage. For optimum performance, purchase one that is less than 6 months old. Three months is even better. Most have a shipping code on the case. Some use a letter for the month ("A" for January) and a number for the year ("8" for 2018); others use a numeric date."
Also, I would prefer one where the caps are designed to be removed to refill electrolyte levels or absent this one that can be pried open and resealed even if the manufacturer doesn't intend for you to do this. Both my last Interstate battery and the Autozone Branded Interstate battery that replaced it are maintenance free but the cells are easily opened, topped off and resealed.
Here is the form factor of the top of both batteries:
The battery has a molded plastic lifting handle that folds down into the housing top and a smooth plastic cover that extends the full width of the center of the battery top. With a screwdriver, this center section can be pride open to reveal that it is actually one long cell cover with six individual cell caps molded into its underside. Reinstalling it involves making sure the top is fully pressed down flush to the top of the battery as it was before removal.
Andy
Just purchased AGM battery from PepBoys for the cayenne and 993... online I saved 25% (ended up being $167 for cayenne) and then when I was in the store they provided me with rebate certificate for $40 with pep boys in-store gift card. Went online and filled out gift card request and should have in a week or two...
Total price for cayenne Bosch AGM battery was $127... even though I have to spend the $40 there, I'll buy oil!!
With a small parasitic drain while connected, not surprising to see it drop to 12.5v after a short period. A cheap multimeter may not be accurate beyond 50mV anyway.
That said, with current LiFePO4 options, I can’t imagine any reason to use a lead acid battery.
with current LiFePO4 options, I can’t imagine any reason to use a lead acid battery.
I took a quick look and found Lithium-Ion batteries packaged for automotive use with traditional levels of Cold Cranking capacity (750CCA) run around $600,
A price point where they become a somewhat attractive but expensive alternative. If they were in the $200 range switching over to one would be a no-brainer for me.
Am I missing something here? Can lower CCA rated (cost) battery of the LI type say with 350CCA @ $350 work as a replacement for a lead-acid battery with higher CA ratings in our cars?
Andy
I took a quick look and found Lithium-Ion batteries packaged for automotive use with traditional levels of Cold Cranking capacity (750CCA) run around $600,
A price point where they become a somewhat attractive but expensive alternative. If they were in the $200 range switching over to one would be a no-brainer for me.
Am I missing something here? Can lower CCA rated (cost) battery of the LI type say with 350CCA @ $350 work as a replacement for a lead-acid battery with higher CA ratings in our cars?
Andy
This is an area we specialize in. WE are Antigravity Batteries and sell Lithium for Automotive, Powersports and Motorcycles. We have been on Rennlist for a while and have hundreds of posts about Lithium.
Don't worry about the Cranking Amps, any Lithium Battery over 10Amp Hours would easily start a Car including Porsches and V8 motors. They are much more energy dense and have much higher pulse discharge than equivalent Lead/Acid Batteries. The more important factor is the AMP HOURS because that is the capacity of the battery and determines the more important factor such as how long your car can sit without being driven and still easily start, and how many extra accessories you can have in your car such as Camera and Radar detectors and not drain as fast. A smaller Amp Hour Battery is not a good option because they can drain faster. You want to get in the 30 or 40Amp Hour range for a Passenger Car. If its track only or you don't mind keeping it on a maintainer than you can get a 24Ah model.
Our Lithium Batteries are also some of the most advanced with a full Battery Management system, and WIRELESS Built-In Jump Starting, which mean you will NEVER be stranded by a dead battery again. I put a video below. The main thing you want to look at in a Lithium Battery is that is has full protections, meaning a complete Battery Management System (BMS) which some don't have. This prevents the battery from being damages and prevents dangerous issues from arising from over-charge and other abuses that may occur. The BMS won't allow the battery to be over discharged, or over-charged or short circuited. Antigravity Batteries have all that and more. If you have any questions let us know.
01-15-2020, 11:42 AM
New or Not-So-New Battery
