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Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc
I did a search and read six pages and also book marked Mike Focke's info on batteries and maintainers. I have a 2002 S with a standard wet cell battery it is a house brand. Recently per my maintainer/charger the battery went down to 75 % charge and obviously the car turned over slowly. After my charger said it was at 100% it turns over normally but I do think the battery is starting to lose it's edge. I will have it checked locally via load test but I have a few questions.
1.For those of you that have switched to AGM batteries have you been happy with the performance of the battery ? Other than price any negatives ?
2.I have used Optima brand batteries in the past and had good luck with red top but horrible luck with yellow top. And if you believe the internet since Optima moved off shore for manufacturing they are not the battery they once were. Anyone using Optima batteries manufactured in the past year or two happy with them ?
3.I want to purchase a maintainer with desulfication mode that hooks up via the cigarette lighter, are CTEK and Battery Tender still the go to brands ? I want to go this route because with my current charger I have to pull the frunk light as it stays on even with the hood in the down position but not latched closed.
4.For a street car/weekend toy are the high end AGM batteries like Braille or others worth the extra money ?
5.Last question ( I promise  ) I am having a 3.6 litre being built with a very slight bump in compression over stock. The CCA for a stock battery I believe is in the 650-700 range that should still be enough for a larger displacement engine correct ? It generally doesn't get that cold in Ga. this winter being an exception. But I don't drive the car when it is extremely cold or crappy out. I'm more concerned about 90-95 degree summer heat and starting in those conditions after the engine being hot and sitting for 10-15 minutes and restarting.
Real world advice is appreciated. Thanks |
1. AGM batteries are an excellent choice for these applications as they eliminate any chance of corrosion in the battery tray area, tend to be longer lived, and deliver excellent cold cranking ability.
2. While some have had issues with Optima, we sell and install them on an everyday basis. We have had very few issues with this brand, and anytime something did crop up, Optima honored their warranty and promptly replaced the unit. To use an Optima, you will need to also acquire an adaptor kit (we use adaptor kits from Yellow Dog Motorsports
Yellow Dog Motorsports | Corvette, Porsche and Alfa Romeo Parts | Store) with excellent results, but some people have actually fabricated their own from kitchen cutting boards.
3. Ctek is by far one of the best maintainer lines on the market, with every unit having a desulfating step in the charging profile, as well as a specific charge profile for AGM type batteries like the Optima. The people that own Ctek were the original inventors and manufacturers of the Optima line before they sold it to Johnson Controls, so they know AGM battery technology intimately.
4. AGM batteries are an excellent choice for street cars, but I would be careful about some of the high priced "lightweight" batteries on the market as they often rate their Cold Cranking Amperage using a methodology that is not generally accepted by the battery industry. We have had customers running lightweight units from a couple manufacturer's that consistently had problems with dimming headlights during high load situations, some even doing it when the car's high output stereo was cranked up. Stay with a recognized street battery like the Optima, which is actually a bit lighter than the OEM unit.
5. You would be fine with an Optima for this application, as well as other manufacturers of AGM products designed for street applications. That said, this is yet another reason to stay away from lightweight replacements.