97_993C2

At the risk of being piled on I have a two-fold question.

I need a replacement battery for my 97 993. Recommendations? I know that this topic has been discussed ad nauseum but I can't find the previous threads ( searched: 993 replacement battery). Now my second question is how do I search to find them? I seem to be limited to 250 search results and every thread must have the words "replacement" and "battery" in them because my 250 hits only go back to 2/23/09.

I am looking for the discussions about the new Die-Hard and Bosch batteries... Johnson Controls, Interstate. I'm not interested in the Optima or Odessey(sp?) ones because I want one that will drop in without requiring an adapter. FYI, my current battery is a Porsche one. Either it's the original one!!!!!! or the PO actually replaced it with an OEM.

Sooner

Optima Red top is a direct fit without any adapter. You'll get a lot of recommendations for that whether you want them or not

davesnothere

Are you searching from the main bar ("Search") or from the 993 forum ("Search this Forum")? I have my best results using "Search This Forum" and then you don't need to bother filtering by 993.

Since you already know some of the options for batteries, why not include these as search terms, e.g. "battery replacement optima interstate".

Hmm ... playing around with this very example it seems our search engine is now ORing the terms instead of ANDing, giving very low s/n results. Grr...

Given that result, I would do a search simply on "optima interstate" (in other words use the most unique terms possible). That seems to be your best bet until some sanity is restored in the search capability.

(disappointed)

- Dave

911RufRT

Try searching just "battery", I recently replaced my 993 battery with the OEM unit. Make sure you buy a good battery maintainer, like a Ctek. Its exactly the same as the Porsche one at half the cost.

97_993C2

I'm not considering the Optima because of the issues I've read about them not maintaining charges after a short period of time - something about deep charging(?). I also thought the physical size was smaller and needed an adapter. I do like the fact that they use gel rather than liquid though.

I wished that I could find the old posts because my memory is failing me in my old age. I just vaguely remember a discussion about Bosch batteries (at Pep Boys?) and another about the new DieHards that were made by Johnson Controls that were similar to the old Interstates that were similar to the OEMs.

nile13

I have Interstate MTP-91 battery that fits fine and has 85 months warranty. Having said that, it's now 4+ years old and is discharged after sitting in the car outside for about 2 months. I need to charge it up to see if it's alive.

Alternatives are DieHard, Advance Auto Parts Titanium ($95), Autozone's Duralast ($90) and a host of others.

To me it's fairly simple. If a battery last 4-5 years, it's good. If it still has some pro-rated warranty left after it dies, great, I get the new one with a discount.

97_993C2

Thanks, that made a big difference. Since Search appears to be ORing, less is more. I searched for "DieHard" only and found the posts about the Pep Boys Bosch battery, but still haven't found the thread discussing Interstate changing suppliers and Johnson Controls making the new DieHard (International?). Maybe I dreamed it.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions and being gentle with me. The search continues.

NC TRACKRAT

I've got an OPTIMA in one car and an INTERSTATE in another, an ODYSSEY 680 in my MINI but, when it comes time to replace one of the Porsches, I think I'm going to try the DEKA 9AGM48. Here's a link: http://www.remybattery.com/Products/...y__9AGM48.aspx

H.H.Chinn

Optima batteries are nice because their sealed so you won't run the risk of having battery acid ever leak in the trunk area.

Texas993

Hey Dan,

I put an Optima Red Top in my former Targa. It dropped right in and never gave me any trouble. The car sat for a few weeks at a time and always started right up. The RUF has a Walmart battery in it. It works just fine. It is relatively new - date is stamped 2007.

However, if I have to replace the battery I will go Optima. I have seen too many leaking batteries make a mess out of the trunk.

Good luck. And let's get together soon.

97_993C2

Maybe I will re-consider the Optima. I do like the idea of not having to worry about leaking. I was just concerned about the stories about the Optima not holding a charge, especially if the car is not driven regularly. I guess I need to get a battery maintainer.

I was actually considering a Porsche battery because the one currently in the car looks brand new, no leaks or hint of corrosion on the terminals. Maybe I have just been lucky.

Patrick, yes we need to get together soon. I was going to meet with Tony on the 7th, but it looks like I have a conflict and won't be able to make it, especially if I haven't got a new battery before then.

Peter R.

I've done gel batteries, AGM batteries, spiral wound batteries, carbon fibre batteries, low budget batteries and everything in between.

I have returned to using conventional batteries, and then only Bosch, Varta, or, ideally, Hoppeke (which is NOT maintenance free).

For the 993 I have now bought a new Varta 'Black' Dynamic. It has the same footprint as any other battery of similar capacity, but is about an inch lower, which leaves some more space under the trunk panel !

Peter R.

bart1

Odyssey 925 and Rennline kit have been great for me.

Texas993

Dan, one more thing. It is my understanding that there are only 2-3 battery manufacturers. So many of the standard batteries are made by the same company. Also, RUF advices purchasing Autozone house brand batteries.

This may be one of those things to NOT overthink.

nile13

BTW, one viable option that I've used on other cars before - buy a "blem" interstate battery. That is a blemished battery, usually missing the main label or some other minor thing like that. They sell them for $50 and give full 2 years replacement warranty. That compares to $121 for the new Interstate MTP-91 and 85 months pro-rated warranty. So it certainly is an option to consider. To find it, find your local Interstate distributor.