Here is the scenario. Ive been away at college for 8 weeks and the P-car has been getting no activity. came home, the batteryw as dead, so i jumped it. drove for 1 hr, came back, turned off the car, tried turning it on, the battery was dead. jumped it, drove for 4 hrs. turned it off. battery was dead . now im charging it at 10amps

is it too late?
do i need a new battery?
where can I get a new battery ASAP?
is it tough to install?

 

It's dead.

 

God damn it. I just charged it up, it turned on, i unplugged the power source, the car ran fine. turned the car off. back to DEAD BATTERY ZONE.

now, what battery should i get? Optima Lightweight battery?
just a replacement.
How much do the optima's go for?
how much are the regular replacement ones.

also, how tough is the isntall on the regular batteries?

 

Sears battereis are very good. They have a range of quality, so
get their best and enjoy. Take the old one in for trade-in (they
re-use the lead), and so they can be sure to give you an exact
same-size replacement.
If Sears is near enough, you can probably drive to the shop,
but don't turn the car off on the way...
Get a battery tender and use it. I'm on my original battery still,
and it's been since August 2000.
Joe

 

Porsche will replace the battery free under warranty if you drive the car regularly or use a maintainer. The dealer battery is overpriced and only average quality. You can get a bolt in direct replacement of better than stock quality at Sears, or any place that sells Interstate batteries. The Sears diehard gold is made by Interstate and is identical to the premium Interstate battery. I've seen Interstate batteries at Autozone, Walmart, Sams, etc.
Most places also sell the sealed drycell Optima battery for about $110. It's supposed to last longer, self discharge slower, and weigh about 15 pounds less. However it takes some minor fabrication to make it fit. A sealed battery seems like a good idea since the battery is inside the car. The red top Optima comes in 2 models with the posts on opposite sides. If you get the wrong one you will have to get a longer ground cable to fit it. I would have gotten the Optima except the dealer replaced mine under warranty.
Be sure you have your radio codes before you disconnect the battery. I doubt if your battery can be rejuvenated at the dealer. If the voltage was OK with the engine running then you know the charging system is OK.

 

ebaker,

Little correction. The battery really is not inside the car. Open the hood. Look at the sealing. The battery is outside the sealing and gasses can easily vent to the exterior.

 

If a battery's over three years old and won't hold a charge, dump it 'cause it's not going to be reliable. Interstate is a good choice for replacement.

 

Where can I pick up a Porsche Battery Maintainer?

Is it a tough job to take out the battery?

TIA

 

On E bay they seem to go for $70 + shipping. The battery is mechanically simple to remove but it's heavy and awkward to lift out. A battery lifting strap is a good idea. Don't let the new or used battery touch your clothes, the slight acid residue on the outside of battery will eat a hole in cotton clothes. It's probably a simple enough job to let the people working at Sears, Sams or PepBoys do if you've never replaced one. The Optima is not worth messing with unless you're willing to do some minor fabrication.

 

I installed the Optima. I believe it is the small one, 650 amps? Yes, there are some minor alternations. In addition, the battery will drain to the point of no start if the car is not used in three days. I installed a battery minder which eliminates the dead battery.

The reward is in better handling. This mod eliminates about thirty pounds towards the front just below windshield level.

 

http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/index.asp

 

Saves 30lbs over stock??? Wow!!! Guess I need that mod..

EDIT: Which Optima Chad??? Red Top?

The lightest one is 33.1lbs minimum weight model 75/35
720 amps at 0 degrees, 910 amps above 32...

 

I would try the dealer. Mine died after 3 years and about 16k miles. They covered it under warranty no questions asked. Might save you a few bucks.

 

I made a mistake above. I have the Odyssey battery, not the Optima battery. See page 19 on cjv/ s car go thread for pics.

 

Do you recall what the weight was from the Porsche standard battery??? Interested to see if I went with a 33lb optima, how much would I save??? Thanks