Notes from my Optima battery install (long and painful)

My early '02 battery just bit the dust - interestingly, right after a DE session. Called the dealer and got a noncommittal "maybe" about getting a warranty replacement. (Porsche only has a 2 year parts replacement warranty, so I really don't see why this is a gray area, they will either cut you a break or not and should say so). Since I'm not the original owner, didn't feel lucky (more on that later), and didn't want any part of the dealer's $100+/hr service charges, I figured I'd avoid the dealer hassle and just replace it myself. Did my research which seemed to indicate the closest US-sized replacement battery (48) would require mods due to the hold down mounting point only being threaded for the OEM euro-sized battery. So I went to Costco and picked up their $99 Optima, which I had read about and liked their many "advantages". The good news about my install was the battery cables did not need replacement/extension if the battery is centered in the tray, concerns about red vs orange top (reversed posts) are unfounded since the terminals are nearly centered on the battery anyway, and the extra height is not a problem. Since Optima has managed to design a base for their battery which is incompatible with typical hold-down provisions, there was no loss with not having the battery against the driver's side tray holddown. I had read about someone bolting the battery directly to the tray, which I planned to do, but the base is so flimsy I wouldn't trust it not to break in a DE session, let alone a rollover accident. The battery tray also serves as the gasketed cover for fuel tank access! The bolt heads end up in this gasket and would compromise the seal. I also discovered my tray had all 3 hold down mounting holes tapped and would likely have accepted a standard size 48 battery - maybe those that aren't are actually defective? Anyway, I was able to wedge the rear side of the Optima under the tray holddown, and I did through-bolt the other side at an angle which avoided the gasket and also helped pull the battery into this one usable tray holddown. I still wasn't comfortable with this being sufficient, so I used a block of wood to fill the driver's side of the tray and a metal bar on the other side to allow use of the movable holddown bracket without possibly puncturing the battery. The result does seem adaquately secure, but I would not describe it as being worth all the effort. I also did some more research and found out Optima makes their battery in basically 2 sizes, and of course the one Costco had was the slightly smaller one and rated at nearly HALF the amp-hour capacity of the OEM! The starting surge (CCA) was better (one of their design benefits), but it's CAPACITY which allows a battery to sit with parasitic loads (like our cars) for long periods and still have reserve to start. How this will affect my car this winter, which sometimes sits for a week or three, will be seen. Now for the final most painful part. The next day I notice 9 small spots on my front fender. The last part of the job the night before was routing the no longer used vent hose out of the way. At the time I noticed it contained some "water" from my attempts at charging the old battery. When I was rerouting it, I remembered it did spring out of my hand once as I coiled it up. NINE DROPS OF ACID MANAGED TO LAND ON THE FENDER AND BURNED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE METAL - DAMN!! I hate when the moral to the story is don't do any of this.

Hi WCE, I've done the optima install... Did you make an adapter plate for the Optima battery as the DIY install instructions specify? It's not very hard and I did it with a scrap piece of ABS plastic. Once made and attached to the battery, the installation into the car is simple. Too bad about the vent pipe drippings. You just reminded me to check what I did with my vent pipe though! Thankfully, I haven't noticed any drippings in my garage. Cheers.

WCE, sorry to hear about your droppings.. The same thing happened to me while replacing the duralast battery with the interstate.. I would have done the optima but the dealer insisted that I went with interstate. At least I get a warranty with it.. What color did the acid turn your car into? Mine has blue dots... Wipe the area with baking soda.. I let mine sit for a day with the baking soda caked on..