Best Speedster batteries

I want to update the battery in my Speedster and was considering an Optima. Just wondering if folks on here have tried the Optima and how did it perform?

For a battery in the Speedster I don't mind paying, so performance is the main consideration.

Any other favorite batteries you can recommend?

Thanks for some advice!

I like my Odyssey gel-cell battery. It is less than half the size and weight of a normal battery, and has worked great for several years now. It only weighs 14 pounds and you can carry it in one hand. Mike McKelvey has one as well.

Oh yeah, you can mount it in just about any position and it doesn't leak fumes or fluids.

Thanks, Lane--I know Mike's battery--I just put one like that in my BMW motorcycle Perfect fit and working very well. It looks so small to be used in a car!

Good to hear it's working for you. Thanks.

Lane, so far my original is working, it just cranked up the Speedster last week after sitting for a couple of months. Sooner or later I'll need a new one. Any specific part/item # on this battery recommendation that you can recall?

i`m also running a sealed battery. it`s tiny and has more than enough cca for my T4.

I'll see if I can dig up the part number. I got the metal cased one recommended for high heat situations since my battery is in the engine compartment.

I always thought that the front end of our speedsters was too light, so I found the heaviest battery I could find - just the opposite of an Optima. I had a deep-cycle marine battery in Pearl until recently because it was the biggest, heaviest, baddest one I could fit in the space. At least it kept Pearl's nose down on the track..... something to think about when bugged by cross-winds on the interstate.

Jack, my battery is an Odyssey PC680.

I used a similar battery, a Dynabat, to crank a Cadillac Northstar V8.

They don't give,em away..The one required for my 911 Carrera 2 is a mere $350!!! Weighs darn near 50 pounds! At least the battery doesn't have to be vented through the left front wheel well.

Thanks, Mike. I'll check it out.

I had read so much about the Optima on other sites that I thought it was the best battery out there. Maybe not.

Thanks again---Jack

My red top Optima is now 7yrs old. I've noticed that it doesn't hold a charge like it used to. Blackie is nearly perfectly balanced so I need to maintain the weight up front. I'm thinking about trying a yellow top Optima for a hoped improvement from the deep cycle end of it when everything is runnIng.

~WB

Jack, here is a picture:

I can't find the part number for mine, but I believe it's the same as Mike's with the exception of the metal casing. I recall it as costing about $110.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/autospecs.html

Pick your battery then take a look at the MSRP. At $350 for the Carrera Battery may be worth it. The monster draws 500 mil-amps
just standing and nothing on. I have to charge up if the car sets for 4 days.

The battery is new, but ain't enough,

I bought the Yellow Top Optima battery 9 years ago. Still works very well. What can I say? Even with the car sitting for 4 months without starting, the car still starts up after several attempts.

Nice setup there Michael, real slick.

Mike's car is full of detail work like that. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Aaron.
Please explain. How does it draw power if nothing is really on?

Wild Bill. I bet you could probably squeeze another wrench or two in there if you tried! ;-)

Aaron?

That ain't right... That car should be able to sit for 6 months or longer and fire right up. I've let the gel battery in my 911 sit for more than a year and it started the car right up.

angela

Aaron must have a short somewhere (could also be a collapsed plate inside the battery) or a humongus electric clock. He should have it checked at a local shop or installed a battery cut-off switch.

Jack, I have the Optima red-top like Bill does. I don't have any fancy electronics, so the only thing I'm asking my battery to do is start the car and run my cooling fan.

I believe the yellow-top is overkill for us; they're recommended for cars which are heavy on electronics; power this and that, stereo equipment, 12v adapters and the like. Red ought to do you fine.

I installed mine in 2006, and it's still got plenty of juice.

Cory, you really should consider an Odyssey whenever your Optima dies. After all an Odyssey IS orange.

My Porsche Mechanic (factory trained) is my source. I was told that I have the wrong battery up front. If I leave the key in the switch it becomes worse. The ignition system has a spring loaded switch that the key is literally "popped out" of the switch when it is extracted. The Key is no longer allowed to stay in the ignition switch. Just a word so that you all know, this Porsche (911 Carrera 2 964) has 32 idiot lights on board plus a dash full of gauges and an electronic interior weather control.Everything is electronic. The starting system does its own thing. Just turn the key to position 4 and it starts. No help required from the driver!

I currently have a new Duralast that has a 3 year 100% replacement warranty and a 5 year prorated. This was the only brand/correct size that was available a month or so ago. I replaced an Interstate that had been in car since 2004. The Duralast Platinum is now available in the correct size. Now the getter... my 25/75 amp charger says that the battery has a sulfated cell and sometimes says the battery has a shorted cell. The big but is, I can still get the battery too charge. I would have bought an Optima, but they don't manufacturer one that can be used in the 964.

A friend up on another mountain has a RS American and has experienced the same problem. When he is away, Buck has the mechanic drive his car.

Aaron,

964? If your 964 has climate control, let me suggest this...

There is a little tiny fan that samples air from your cabin to determine what to do with the climate control to get to the temperature you want. They are KNOWN to be problematic with the neato trick of staying on after the key is removed.

The fan is silent, you won't hear it running. But it will pull from your battery. 500 mA is unacceptable. You should be nowhere over 100 and I would even consider that a bit dodgy.

Obviously you need the right battery for the car and it must be fully charged. But don't overlook this, it's pretty common.

And yes, remove the key when the engine is off.

Back on topic - we've got an Odyssey in the spyder. Dollar for dollar, it's the best battery we've ever owned.

angela

Again, wierd how this board is full of people fine with adding weight. Just different to where I used to lurk before buying. I'd love to drop a few hundred pounds, especially out back. The Lotus guys rave about Braille batteries.

Well, Steve, it's not really weird for rear-engined replicas to be adding weight as far forward as it can go, in an attempt at a "two-fer", getting adequate charging capacity and addressing rear weight bias.

My Odyssey is only 14 pounds. That's a whole bunch lighter than any other battery I've seen.

Angela,

Yeap! it is a 911 Carrera 2, 964 Cabriolet with Tiptronic transmission. It was 1 of a 1000 manufactured and was picked up at Stuttgart.

Climatic Control module is only $1000 just for the part(Porsche part). How many times do I need to charge the battery to recoup that cost :)?

I would like to get the Odyssey, but the one that is recommended for the 964 Carrera 2 is the PC1220 at $347.74!

The Duralast Platinum H6-HGM at $154.99, an Autozone product. I can upgrade the installed Gold version to the Platinum for $25.00 which I may do this afternoon.

Is there an easy way to see if the fan on the climatic control module is always running?

Thanks

To see if ANY load is being drawn w/ the switch off: Disconnect the Ground cable and the insert a meter between the cable and the battery post. If you read volts or amps (a better diagnostic reading)then something is draining the battery and you can pull fuses to narrow the search. If you do not have a meter then you can watch for a spark when you touch the cable to the battery post. MAKE SURE there's NO fumes in the area when doing this. The amount/color of spark will give an idea of the current draw (yellow= some and blue= a lot).

Did a little snooping around re: Climate Control fan; Laneco, is this the little fan you referred to?
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/993-1995-1998/353218-how-to-remove-whirring-sound-from-993-dash.html
Would disabling this.... "screw-up" the on-board computer (or generate a trouble/code light?)

I went with the Optima red top. Hope I'll be ok with it!

Thanks for the advice and interesting comments.

That is the CCU and cost $1000 to buy a new replacement. The fan sucks in cabin air at ambient temp and decides how much heat or AC is needed based on the temp setting.

I had Autozone check the battery and it wouldn't hold a full charge...very slow drain. I had it replaced with a H6-AGM size 48.(a gel battery). Both batteries are vented to the outside of the trunk, but the H6 has twice the reserve cranking power over the first. Both batteries were of the gel type.

As I said before,at times my charger indicated a sulfated cell and/or dead cell readings.

You'll be happy with it, Jack.

Cory--the size was perfect and I liked what I read about them. Anything will be better than the "No Name" that's been i the car for 4 years. Thanks for the encouragement.---Jack