battery just died

[FTD]

When my battery died it seemed to go quickly - a few polite hints in the morning and then I was lucky to get the car started and get it to a shop that afternoon.

There is a NAPA service center near work. The owner is a Porsche buff, races, always has P cars in the lot, and sponsored our PCA autocross school, so I went there. They said, "we have a something or another in stock for a kabillion dollars, we can put it in right now and test your alternator" and I said "OK". I bought an expensive 7 year battery.

Lessons learned: I should have reacted at the first hint of a problem. There is a lot of good info and opinions on this forum I could have referenced. And I probably could have gotten a 4 year battery from Walmart for a third [or less] the price of the 7 year.

Oh well.

Bottom line, you don't have to use Porsche OEM.

[Samson]

Originally Posted by FTD

Bottom line, you don't have to use Porsche OEM.

Exactly. Never go to the dealer for a battery. Go to Autozone for a Duralast with a 2-year free replacement and 7-year warranty. $90.

Or, if you're feeling saucy, spend $150 on a 3-year free replacement with an 8-year warranty.

[Blue-S]

If you need a battery, you might want to consider an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. This type of battery can be of particular benefit in a Boxster because it does not need a vent, and therefore will not leak acid nor will it need added water. I have wanted to try the Deka AGM group 91 battery in my car, but as it turns out my battery passes load testing just fine. Here's a link:

http://www.remybattery.com/Products/AGM-European-Performance-Battery__9AGM48.aspx

It's 2x the price of a conventional battery, but it should be much longer lasting. Unlike the similar Optima battery (also AGM design), the Deka is a direct fit into the Boxster with no modifications necessary.