New battery recommendations?

[S_PILOT]

hi folks,

we have an '02 S we bought 5 months ago in October. What a solid car.

We have not been driving it as much as we would like this winter, so of course, the battery is not holding a charge on our short drives. Instead of doing the charging thing, i was just going to get a new battery. Figure 2.5 years on the OEM is all I can expect in this climate!

Question. As a Porsche newb, I'm not sure what the hose is that comes off the left side of the OEM battery. I was hoping to buy a Diehard or Optima. will I be able to re-attach this hose, and what is it for(electrolyte overflow)?

thanks!

[Finallygottaporsche]

You can buy replacement batteries for the boxster at autozone. they have the lip on the side and a vent tube that can be connected to your porsche. 69 bucks.

[S_PILOT]

thanks!

what a roundabout. went to 3 places....every one that showed me the spec. battery was too narrow. so I went to a place that sells Bosch(they probably are the OEM provider to Porsche anyway....the batteries look identical), and we just found one with the proper cranking amps rating and measured to ensure it was the right dimensions.

the OEM battery did indeed test bad, so I got a new one and am good to go!

thanks again.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Many cars have the Battery in the Engine Compartment and have sufficient airflow to vent these gasses naturally. But not in the Boxster, where the Battery is enclosed.

The Vent Tube is to prevent Hydrogen Gas (explosive) and/or Acidic (corrosion causing) vapors from building up inside the closed Battery compartment. It runs underneath the Car where the underside airflow draws out the gasses through a Bournoulli effect, just like the vents on the headlights which prevent their interior from fogging. Unless you're using a sealed Gel Battery, you really want to have this vent. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[nastyboxster]

I have 2000 S and the battery just died. I got a quote from the dealership and it's $430 installed. I heard that you can get one for less than $100. There was one thread that stated that I can get one at costco for $50. I checked our local costco and they didn't have one that fit the car. Maybe a US costco would have it?


Also, do I have to make sure it's hooked up to a battery source when I change it, or else it messes up the computer? Any tricks to it?

[silverboxsters]

$90 at Tires Plus. Also a good idea to get a "Battery Tender".

Cheers

[S_PILOT]

I got mine from PepBoys....$89 with 3 year non-prorated warranty.

but as i said, it was NOT the battery their system spec'd for the car. we simply found another Bosch battery in the rack that matched the exact dimensions of the OEM battery and proper cold cranking amps rating(650).

fit perfectly.....

[nastyboxster]

Any tricks I should know when replacing the battery? I know I have to re-enter the radio code. Anything else?

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by nastyboxster

Any tricks I should know when replacing the battery? I know I have to re-enter the radio code. Anything else?

Make sure the + is on the + and the - is on the -. JK

Brucelee got his replacement at Costco for $47. That's the best price I've ever seen!!

[nastyboxster]

Went to the local Sears auto centre to get a Diehard battery for the car. However, when they tried to install it, they said that it won't fit into the compartment because the new battery is too small. They phone the local Porsche dealer and they wanted $300 for the battery(same dealer that quoted $430 installed). I phoned my local Porsche shop and they told me they can have one installed for $140, so I went down to get it installed.

When they pulled out the new battery, it was the same small size as the Diehard one! Apparently, there is a second nut brace hidden under the original battery that could accomadate the smaller battery.

I didn't pay anymore since the Diehard was the same price as the shop.

Just a note for those looking to replace their battery. Don't let the small size fool you. You can probably get the same battery from Costco for about $70cdn. On well, its done.

[Geoff U]

Hi Guys;
I live around Vancouver area BC and drive a 2003 Boxster but I think the battery is failing fast. Its a Federal Batteries 691MF 700 cca maint-free but I checked the fluid levels and topped them off but it still wont hold a charge for long. I trickle charge it but I think I need a new battery and I was reading Mike Focke's great info page BUT I can't find any of those choices around here for some reason.
I think as its a Boxster not an S it needs either a 48R or equivalent but Walmart in Van or Bellingham dont have any, Costco doesn't seem to sell batteries at all now (?!?) and Autozone/Pep Boys etc dont seem to be a viable option.
Does anyone have any good ideas or recommendations please ?

[newBgeek]

Originally Posted by Geoff U

Hi Guys;
I live around Vancouver area BC and drive a 2003 Boxster but I think the battery is failing fast. Its a Federal Batteries 691MF 700 cca maint-free but I checked the fluid levels and topped them off but it still wont hold a charge for long. I trickle charge it but I think I need a new battery and I was reading Mike Focke's great info page BUT I can't find any of those choices around here for some reason.
I think as its a Boxster not an S it needs either a 48R or equivalent but Walmart in Van or Bellingham dont have any, Costco doesn't seem to sell batteries at all now (?!?) and Autozone/Pep Boys etc dont seem to be a viable option.
Does anyone have any good ideas or recommendations please ?

When my 1 1/2 yr old BCAA battery died (bought by previous owner), I replaced it with a Motomaster Ultra AGM from Canadian tire. This was for my Boxster S and it fit perfectly. Even had the vent tube connector though I doubt that it would need it. I have only bought AGM batteries for the past 25 years and would highly recommend it.

[Geoff U]

OK thanks for that NewBgeek.
I tended to stay away from CDN Tire in the past but will explore that avenue.......cheers

[lkchris]

The new sizing is called H6 and a larger H7 is even better and both will fit with no problems.

[newBgeek]

Originally Posted by Geoff U

OK thanks for that NewBgeek.
I tended to stay away from CDN Tire in the past but will explore that avenue.......cheers

They don't actually make anything, just rebrand other manufacturer's products. Some of their stuff is actually very good, like their formula 1 synthetic which I use on my non-european cars (made by Shell and well rated on Bob's the Oil Guy).

The Ultra AGM battery is a rebranded Exide EXIDE® Edge. Plus it has a 5 yr free replacement warranty so you are good for at least 5 years. And it's not much more than a traditional lead acid battery.

I first got into AGM batteries when I needed my car to start in -40C weather and it has never failed. Definitely should not cheap out on one of the most important and often neglected components of your car.

[por356c]

Hello guys - I am new to Boxsters, but I have to pick-up on what some of the guys have said here - why in the world don't you replace a dead battery with a sealed AGM like an Optima? No acid, no fumes, fantastic cranking power. They last forever. What am I missing other than it doesn't say Porsche?

David Preston

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by por356c

Hello guys - I am new to Boxsters, but I have to pick-up on what some of the guys have said here - why in the world don't you replace a dead battery with a sealed AGM like an Optima? No acid, no fumes, fantastic cranking power. They last forever. What am I missing other than it doesn't say Porsche?

David Preston

Ummm...AGM batteries are lead acid batteries, so they do have acid (not that it matters). The only difference is the absorbent glass mat plate separator material.
FYI, I've never heard of a battery labeled "Porsche", so your remark about that is weird.

Why don't I buy one? Because I used to make them, so am immune to the hype. The price increase weighed against any potential benefits in a standard passenger vehicle don't add up. Not to mention the high rate of defects due to complex manufacturing methods. The return rate for AGM at a certain battery manufacturing plant in St. Joseph is about 7-8 times higher than standard.

That's why I don't buy them. Standard lead acid is good enough for 99%.

[por356c]

The battery in my car was put in by the PO at a Porsche dealership and it says Porsche on it - not weird - it says Porsche. Maybe AGM is hype - I guess I just don't realize that. All I am saying is that AGMs don't leak acid - no accidental spills, they have a much longer life span, and their cranking power is unquestioned and there is no fumes. They cost maybe $125 and how can that not be a good long term value? Or you can but some $60 battery every two years.

[Ckrikos]

I buy my batteries for turbo and boxster from Sears. The batteries so far have lasted quite a while and are much cheaper than Porsche.

[Gelbster]

Need to use the correct part number or designation for this thread to be useful.You can get in a muddle without specific part numbers.Here is an example:
Which OEM size battery options are there? - 6SpeedOnline - Porsche Forum and Luxury Car Resource
It used to be simple - just use the familiar BCI chart to find dimensions/polarity and determine interchange. For example look at 94R here:
https://www.batteryweb.com/bci.cfm
Then came DIN and EN to complicate things with multiple numbers and letters for the same item !H7 and H6 in our case.
European Norm (EN) Battery Design - WORLD SOURCEONE®
And no, DIN doesn't always have an EN equivalent.
So you have to drill down into the BCI dimensions/specs to find the sizes that fit:
http://www.batterysales.com/downloads/battery-replacement-data-book-1994-2013.pdf
The short version is that the Boxsters from 1997 to 2005 take Type 48 BCI
Later Boxsters take 94R - see page 170 here :
https://parts.cat.com/wcs-static/pdfs/PEGP7801-06.pdf
If you want to fit a lighter+smaller Odyssey battery,they don't have dimensional equivalent to the BCI48 nor (4R,so you need the BCI dimensions & then look here:
Odyssey Battery - Wholesale Odyssey Batteries
PC1220 may be a good substitute?
http://www.odysseybatteries.com/batteries/pc1220.htm