Eric - Plug Guy

I notice Porsche offers two

980 611 981 00 for around $50-$60
955 044 900 54 for around $110-$120 w/a few more features

Comments?

997Turbo

I went with the Battery Tender 980 611 981 00 since it has been around for over 15 years and has been proven to be reliable. I stayed away from the newer one, 955 044 900 54, because I read that it had fried some batteries and it had issues of overcharging and not shutting down.

I had used the 980 version with my 993 Carrera for over 10 years and when I sold the car, I gave it to the buyer. I went down to my dealer and bought the same one which I now use on my Turbo. The dealer likes to sell the more expensive one for obvious reasons and if you just ask for a charger, they will pull out the 955 version. I had to ask for the 980 version and the parts guy said that it was just as good and I saved $60

RJFabCab

Eric, could you tell us which Interstate battery model they threw in there?

RE not warrantying the battery due to 'low' mileage... WHAT A COMPLETE JOKE!!! It's like the RMS... we're not going to pay for your RMS because you don't drive enough... we're not going to pay for your RMS because you track.............. huh???

FWIW, I had a dead cell in my TT. I always keep my rides on maintainers (it's like a ridiculous habit now), and it started and ran fine, but the electronics were going haywire. PASM faults and sensor messages IIRC. They warrantied my battery no questions asked about mileage. Perhaps they changed something. My TT's an '07.

I keep my TT on a CTEK Multi 7002 which is like a super-luxe version of the newer Porsche unit. 7002 will desulphate and it has a winter/AGM mode which is helpful. I'd pick up a 7002 and a cig adapter if you're going to be dropping $120.

Eric - Plug Guy

Got a nice deal on the 955 yesterday and have it plugged in now. Will see how it goes.

It is a CTEK product as well.

Interstate Battery installed:
MTP-91
700CCA
875CA
85 month

jhbrennan

Porsche has had so many battery problems that the reference to 6,000 miles is in the warranty book. The Walmart equivalent to the Interstate is the MAXX 94R. Locally here, Sams carries the Interstates.

RJFabCab

Thanks

gradyex

I replaced my OEM battery with the 34R Yellow top Optima. In the past Optima had some issues with batteries not lasting very long. Prior to Feburary 2009 a lot of Optimas failed way before their time but since then there have been improvements and the newer ones are more reliable.The yellow top is a deep cell battery and can take bigger loads longer especially with the load our cars can place on it. You should always check the voltage present with a good voltmeter. If a battery goes below 12.4 volts you better get a CTEK on it or it will be damaged and need to be replaced. I purchased a CTEK Multi US 7002 and love it. It has a bunch of settings for different types of batteries and can even recondition them if they are not too far gone. I didn't modify anything to install it. They sell adaptors for european cars or you can just use the OEM clamp, reposition it and be done with it. You have to flip the clamp over to get it to hold the battery down. I didn't need to extend any cables but it just made it. As a precautionary measure I put a few dabs of epoxy between the tray and the bottom of the battery. When time comes to change it you just need to get a small putty kife/hammer to loosen the area thats glued. We are taking about a very small amount or you'll need to use a Jack hammer! Another good choice is an Oddessy battery. Either one will last a long time if you stay on top of it and charge it regularly.

sbkim

I am with you on Walmart battery. It's been great so far. Not many people seem interested probably bc of off brand (even though there are only a few large battery mfg) but it's probably been the best find yet.

jhbrennan

I thought Yellow Top was only 34 not 34R. You can get the 34R in the Red Top

gradyex

jhbrennan you might be right. Looking at my receipt I have the 34/78 Yellow Top. The battery also has 2 terminals in the front that you wont need so I just left the plastic caps on. The positive and negative are reversed compared to OEM but I had no trouble fliping the battery around and reaching the terminals with the stock wires. I beleive they also make the exact same battery without the extra front terminals. Its a 34 series but I can't give you the exact model #. Maybe someone else can chime in here?

jhbrennan

Shops usually stock the 34/78 Yellow Top and you have to special order the 34 (without the side terminals) - except for the terminals, they are the same battery. The Red Top comes in 34/78 with side terminals and also in 34 and 34 R - the R has the Pos/Neg terminals reversed and in some installs that makes it easier for the cables to reach.

DINOROCZ

installed an interstate in my turbo before the winter, great batteries, I actually sell them in all my shops and they have a great track record. I see around 10-15 defect batteries (with a few of them most likely having been caused by another issue with vehicle) per year. I sell around 600 batteries per location per year. That should give you some comfort with Interstate's product

supercup

Eric,

I have used the Battery Tender for the past 4-5 years. I have a both the big one and the junior. I have them on the boat, the car trailer, the toy box, the quads, the Cup car and the Turbo (bought mine within a week of you) and never have any battery problems. Never had a dead battery or an overcharge.

Battery Tenders link: http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/bat...der-plus1.html


All Battery Tender battery chargers are designed to fully charge and maintain a wide range of styles of lead acid batteries in ways that avoid the potential damaging effects that can be caused by most trickle chargers. All Battery Tender battery chargers have the five following characteristics:
Fully Automatic: At the end of the regular charger cycle, every Battery Tender battery charger automatically switches its output voltage to a safe, storage or float level that eliminates the need to constantly check on the conditions of the battery.


Full Output Power at Low AC Line Conditions: Battery Tender battery chargers will deliver full output power with input AC line voltages as low as 90 VAC. (Excluding chargers with output current of 2 amps or less).


Zero to Minimal Current Draw from Batteries: When the AC power is disconnected, most Battery Tender battery chargers draw zero current from the battery. A few of the higher power models draw less than 1 milliamp from the battery.


Compact, Lightweight Construction: At any given power level, Battery Tender battery chargers offer some of the highest charging power density in the industry.


Visual Indication of Charge State: Every Battery Tender battery charger has some combination of colored lights to indicate the progress of charging.

Battery Tender battery chargers offer a variety of power levels: 7.5, 15, 70, 300 & 600 watts, maximum charge currents: 0.75, 1.25, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 15 & 20 amps, and nominal battery voltages: 6, 12, 24, 36 & 48 volts. Various charging algorithms are available to acommodate the wide range of lead acid battery styles: Flooded, Sealed, VRLA, GEL & AGM. Check with the factory for the combination of power, current, voltage and battery style that best meets your needs. Battery Tender battery chargers are equipped with a variety of safety and interconnect options, not available on all models. Safety options include: spark free operation, reverse polarity protection and continuous short circuit protection. Interconnection options include: alligator clips, fused ring terminals and quick disconnect DC output cable harness. A variety of AC input power options is available.




Battery Tender Plus 12V @ 1.25A $64.95

Battery Tender Junior 12V @ 0.75A $39.95


Both my wifes 2008 X5 and my 2006 M5 batteries took a $#!^ a few weeks back and BMW said they would not replace, due to milage - both had around 46,000 miles on them. Then the relented and said ok, milage was at least 10k per year and at least 1k per month for the prior 3 months so they would cover. But on the bill when I picked them up both said "no future battery warranty applies to this vehicle, BMW only will replace 1 battery under warranty during the initial or extended warranty period".

Got it done, but kind of funny that both died in the same milage range, both get driven everyday, yet BMW said it was our fault in both cases. On the X5 they said the DVD player was left on 22 times, but it turns off with the key so ??? On the M5 they stated the driving mileage was not sufficient to maintain a proper charge. I guess they must have to replace a lot of these crappy batteries.

I have used the Interstate battery as a replacement on my Cup car in the past and it worked great. Better warranty and 1/4 the price.

JCM