[stevekat]

I am about to replace my old Interstate type 91 battery. I am likely to go with AAA since they have a three year replacement warranty. Also, they come to your location when you first purchase it, and they are available pretty much everywhere if it fails, including coming to you for the replacement. I have AAA batteries in most of my other vehicles for this reason. Currently I have a type 91 in the 968, but understand a type 48 may also work (and may have better CA and CCA specs.) Do type 91 and type 48 both fit? Is either preferred? Is there another type that fits and would be recommended? Not interested in an Optima or other lightweight - looking for best reserve capacity and longevity.

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[flash]

i use AAA batteries in my remote controls, but i've never thought about using them in the car - lol



seriously, i never heard of those



interstate has always been my battery of choice - never failed me



i am running an optima 3478 right now, but until i switched to the yellow top, i can't say it was the right choice for me - it was not any lighter - i went with the big one - the red top did not like sitting for extended periods - the yellow is fine with it

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[stevekat]

Just to clarify, rather than just saying AAA, I should have been clear and specifically indicated they are the Auto Club of American (CA) batteries and battery service. :-) What Interstate Type did you use, prior to the Optima. If I were concerned with weight, I might go with an Optima. Don't like the idea of the very close clearance on the top of the red battery, at least from what I have seen. Also, just from some spot reading, I got a sense they might not last quite as long as quality lead acid flooded batteries, and though they can crank the car, they have less reserve (or tolerance) for things like parasitic drain (since I use the car infrequently.) Though I have added CTEK 3300 battery chargers for all my vehicles to try to avoid premature battery degradation. I am becoming a fan of pulse charging technology, having first used it with Xtreme chargers from BatterMart for my motorcycle Gel/AGM batteries. Got my gold terminals in from Amazon in order to cannibalize the terminal bolts and nuts. Turns out they are 8mm, was expecting 5/16, so that was a nice surprise.

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[flash]

funny - i've been a AAA member for over 30 years, and i wasn't aware that AAA sold batteries - i'll see if i can find out what brand they are, as i am pretty sure they don't make their own



as for which interstate, it was whatever size was specced for the car - i've had quite a few - i don't know which model - i always go for the longest warranty and highest power i can get in a size

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[smshirk]

Is the yellow top Optima a direct drop in replacement? I was told at auto parts store that Optima didn't have one to fit.

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[flash]

3478 - comes in both red and yellow



i have not dropped it into the car to see, as i moved mine to the rear, but others have done it - do an advanced search here and you will probably turn up a couple of people who have done it

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[stevekat]

Had them stop by with the AAA battery today. $140 plus tax for members. They took the old battery, so no core charge. They replaced my Interstate 91 that had been a real trooper with their own 91H. Same CCA at 700. They did not have a spec for CA. 110 reserve. While I do not know the longevity and other aspects of the battery, the case is top notch. Warranty is free replacement for three years. Then three year prorated after that. And they come to you. Home, work, on the road, national service. Nice offering. One could also use a Group 48, but that is slightly taller. Same CCA, slightly higher reserve. But it looks like a tighter fit as it would sit higher than the engine bay cowl. So I went with the 91.

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[PhilG968]

I have the red top Optima. One of the cables needed rerouted a bit to fit. Otherwise a drop in fitment.

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[gbarrier]

48DL sounds right. Have had a couple in my 944s and 968s over the last years. About a hundered bucks these days at Autozone and they last well.

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[SILVY968]

I got the same Autozone battery 2 months back and it has been fine and there are no height or cable routing issues.

Brian

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[ds968]

Does anyone know if Insterstate batteries are still being produced ? No one seems to carry them anymore - I checked with half a dozen places. Need to replace the battery in my six speed and I can get something else, so not a big deal but would prefer the Interstate, those always worked perfectly for me and for a very long time...

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[986boxster1998]

Dan, I called my local Interstate Battery just now and they said they are getting a shipment in today that has the Porsche 968 Mega Tron Plus # MTP-91/T6 on it and quoted a price of $148.95



I've also had good luck with Interstate Batteries, but am currently using Odyssey 925 w/ Rennline Battery Mount which I love!

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[williamoss]

Aroung Portland Oregon is a company called BatteryPlus, that sells all kinds of batteriers including car batties. Any freed back on them?

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[ds968]

[quote name='986boxster1998' timestamp='1389022612' post='154196']

Dan, I called my local Interstate Battery just now and they said they are getting a shipment in today that has the Porsche 968 Mega Tron Plus # MTP-91/T6 on it and quoted a price of $148.95



I've also had good luck with Interstate Batteries, but am currently using Odyssey 925 w/ Rennline Battery Mount which I love!

[/quote]



Thanks for the info ! So what's the key reason you love the Odyssey ; weight ? dry battery ? better longevity than Interstate ? other reason ?

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[MCL968]

I had an Optima take out the alternator on a boat years ago. I was told that the battery requires a lot of "push" to charge, and it is hard on some alternators. Are those of you who are running the Optima's also running adjustable regulators? Boat parts run a close second to Porsche parts for cost, so using the Optima was a costly lesson.

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[flash]

i have had a few optimas now. all 3478 size. the red tops don't like to sit. i killed 2 of them that way. the yellow tops are better with it, but i'm on my second one of those too. the design flaw in both is the cell plate. it is known to crack. also, when they die, they really die. they hate overcharging too.



for lead acid, i run either interstate (when i can find them) or bosch. i've probably purchased at least 200 batteries at this point, and they have always been the best.

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[ryker]

I like Bosch as well. My current Mercedes is going on 8 years with the original Bosch battery. My last Mercedes got 7 before I replaced it just because my mechanic recommended it but it was still going strong. I put a Bosch in my blue 968 too.



Ironically, I now own the car that started this thread, and the AAA battery is still working well. I've been a Premier AAA Member for 15 years (and I get full use out of my membership owning so many cars!), and I too was not aware of this service. You never know what you will learn here.

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[JTP]

I'm not sure what make it is but my VW has its original factory battery since I bought the car new in 2004. The car has sat in storage up to 13 months in storage during my deployments, survived Alaskan winters and Arizona heat and the battery just keeps going. When I get home (in about 2 months) I will see what brand it is.

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[ds968]

Wow, I have never gotten more than 4 years out of any battery , in any of my cars, in over 40 years and I live in some of the most temperate year-round climate in the country ... I thought 4 years is a pretty normal longevity for a battery, so I'm totally surprised to hear of how much life you guys are getting out of yours. Sheesh, what the heck am I doing wrong ?

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[flash]

for non sealed lead acid batteries, do you make sure to top up the water with distilled water every year?

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