[MCL968]

When I purchased my 968 almost 10 years ago, it had a near new Interstate battery. It was great, it lasted over 4 years and I replaced it with a battery from Batteries Plus, from their Duracell line. That one lasted 2.5 years, and was replaced for free under warranty. The replacement lasted 2 years, and they just replaced it, again under warranty.

 

These batteries seem to be of lesser quality than the Interstate that I had originally. I read that most batteries are produced by Johnson, and if that is the case, are they all destined to last only a few years? While I appreciate that I have received three new batteries and only paid for one, I would like to have a little more faith in the battery's ability, regardless of the maker.

 

Anyone out there have the same issues or a solution? I drive the car regularly, so it gets used. I have a tender that I can use to keep it charged, but that has never been an issue since it gets out regularly (weather permitting).

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

 

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[ds968]

They may very well be produced by the same company, but there are many grades / quality of batteries.    I have had, and continue to have Interstate in all of my cars ( five cars now , and ranging  from sports , to SUVs, to sedans all with different alternators, and parasitic draws )  and have never had a battery go bad / die in any less than six years.    But, the very moderate year-round climate in which I live  ( almost never below 50 F and almost never above 85 F ) may have a significant impact on their longevity.            

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[Waylander]

Batteries and factories are a non talking point here right now

But you are correct about the different standards, and there are nog that many battery factories for lead acid left, so most are made in one place and have different labels

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[MCL968]

Batteries and factories are a non talking point here right now

But you are correct about the different standards, and there are nog that many battery factories for lead acid left, so most are made in one place and have different labels

Sorry Martin, I can see that is a sore spot for you and your family.

 

Take care, and best wishes to your brother. I hope he continues to enjoy his new car.

 

M-

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[Waylander]

Thanks Matt



My historical family is just me and my brother, my dad passed when I was 15, and mum 11 years ago that is it total



But this is about batteries

My brother worked for Exide for 20 years, so we know a bit about them

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[tejon007]

Matt,



We are proponents of Optima batteries and use them pretty much in all our cars, but in the 968 you will need to mount it on its side, otherwise the posts will hit the hood.



However, we will be replacing those with LiFe batteries going forward due to less weight and better performance.

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[Dutch968]

There are a lot of batteries you can use. Varta is still one of the best brands now!

If you want to upgrade, get a lithium ion battery.

The problem with the upgrade in an all original car is the way of mounting and the connectionpoints.

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[ds968]

There are a lot of batteries you can use. Varta is still one of the best brands now!

If you want to upgrade, get a lithium ion battery.

The problem with the upgrade in an all original car is the way of mounting and the connectionpoints.

Sorry to be the voice of dissent on this topic, but lithium ion batteries are not an “upgrade” in any respect, other than weight savings, which is why they’re popular with racing / track cars.  They produce higher voltage but have less cranking power ( regardless what you read in the marketing BS ), they have less longevity, and many are downright dangerous ..combustible , sometimes without rhyme or reason prompting that .  A bunch of guys on the Maserati forum bought those, none lasted more than two years .   And they’re often 3x the price of a regular battery .   

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[Dutch968]

Sorry to be the voice of dissent on this topic, but lithium ion batteries are not an upgrade in any respect, other than weight savings, which is why theyre popular with racing / track cars.  They produce higher voltage but have less cranking power ( regardless what you read in the marketing BS ), they have less longevity, and many are downright dangerous ..combustible , sometimes without rhyme or reason prompting that .  A bunch of guys on the Maserati forum bought those, none lasted more than two years .   And theyre often 3x the price of a regular battery .   

I understand your point, but apparently these people did not buy the correct ones.



Batteries is what I do for a living so there is plenty I can tell you about, but them failing in 2 years is not part of that info..

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[ds968]

I understand your point, but apparently these people did not buy the correct ones.

 

I suppose just as is the case with regular batteries, not all lithium ion batteries are created equal, so it’s quite possible those guys did buy incorrect ones, or a lesser quality grade , or whatnot . What led me to lump all lithium batteries in one characteristic is that the poor experience was shared by more than just one person, there was consistency in lack of longevity and occasional starting problems as well .   Also the granturismo model tends to have a greater parasitic draw than most other cars, so maybe that was a factor as well.    

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[MCL968]

I suppose just as is the case with regular batteries, not all lithium ion batteries are created equal, so it’s quite possible those guys did buy incorrect ones, or a lesser quality grade , or whatnot . What led me to lump all lithium batteries in one characteristic is that the poor experience was shared by more than just one person, there was consistency in lack of longevity and occasional starting problems as well .   Also the granturismo model tends to have a greater parasitic draw than most other cars, so maybe that was a factor as well.    

I wondered the same thing about the Duracell batteries. After two failures, and after also having a bulletproof Interstate battery, I wondered if the under-hood temps of the 968 were just too high for the Duracell batteries. Perhaps that is the issue with the GT Masers, maybe they are cooking the batteries?

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[ds968]

Could very well be, the engine temps of that car ( it has a Ferrari engine ) are stupid-hot .    But no one has ever had a problem with Interstate batteries yet ( myself included ) , which seems to be the battery of choice for that forum’s members , so there must be something in the construction of the Intestate batteries that tolerates heat as well as parasitic draw more so than other brands or battery types.  

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[hot968]

just brought a Die Hard battery guy in store said it was made for my car?? Had interstate for 10 years no problem? Any one have ie Hard T6

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[MCL968]

just brought a Die Hard battery guy in store said it was made for my car?? Had interstate for 10 years no problem? Any one have ie Hard T6

I have had a Die Hard in our Volvo for years, and it has performed above expectations.

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[MCL968]

Update:

 

New battery was working great. I was so confident that last week I went and filled the tank (ouch) with the intention of doing some driving this week. Went out to the garage on Wednesday to take her out, and the battery was dead. Totally dead, as flat as a battery can get.

 

So, I put the charger on it and waited for it to come back up. After an hour or so, I noticed a strange ghostly light from the interior. You guessed it, the glove box was not completely closed. When I bought gas, I tossed the gas cap key back into the box and shut it, but it was not closed 100% of the way. It was only about 95% closed, and the last bit was enough to keep the light on and kill the new battery.

 

Lesson learned, close the glove box ALL THE WAY. The bulb may be small, but over a few days it will kill the battery.

 

I did glue a small pad on the button to press the button a little further so if I close it 95% of the way in the future the light will still go out.

 

Happy Trails!

 

Matt

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[ds968]

Yup, two ( often hard to notice )  battery drain killers on our cars,  if for some reason they stay on ; the glove compartment light and the hood light . The latter has a similar glitch where the contact doesn’t quite shut it off .   And according to what I remember from this forum it’s more common than one would think . 

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[Waylander]

If I put the alarm on the battery will last 2 weeks, no alarm 6-8 weeks

I now never put the alarm on, leave the car in the garage unlocked

The immobiliser is enough, if they want the car bad enough it will be gone regardless, same as locking wheel nuts, no point, takes far too long to steal the wheels, the whole thing would go



The other big drain I discovered is dirty door switches for the interior light

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[ds968]

Alarms nowadays are completely useless IMO.    Almost no one pays any attention to them sounding off, or look to see if someone is trying to break into a car, or even then,  do anything about if .   So unless you’re nearby your car when the alarm goes off  ( let’s say if you regularly park it outside the garage , or in a car port, or don’t have a garage ..). I seriously doubt that alarm is of much use.   The question is can you disconnect the alarm ?  In some cars that’s not possible ..there are no fuses you can pull, so unless you cut the wires to the alarm horn, you’re stuck with it ..and the battery drain . 

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[tejon007]

It actually took me a few years to figure out that the 968 came with a light by the hood/bonnet latch. This was because the bulb had burned out before I bought the car & I just never noticed it was there.



So, I replaced it (with an LED bulb). Then I forgot about it.



A few months later, we came home late & I was tired... However, I wanted to check the oil before the next drive, so I popped the latch to remind me to do so.



Next drive, I checked the oil & tried to start the 968. Dead. So, don't do that .

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[tejon007]

Dup

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