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So it's been a bit cold  ;D and my car hasn't run in a while. The battery after 10 years is starting to show it's age. After being run (not driven) and parked overnight, it needs a charger hooked to it and then you hear the starter spin MUCH faster the next morning. That said, it's not dead YET but I feel that the time is coming closer by the week.

Short of going to any of my local auto parts stores, what are some smaller and lighter options available? Is wet or dry cell better for a car that will be driven 3-4 days a week during peak season and very occasionally during down season. I've heard of Oddysey and Braille but both seem to cost double of a OEM style, why?

Always hook up a trickle chager during the down season.  Your battery will be much happier for it.  These are not deep cycle batteries and letting them die and then recharging them hurts them although not as much with an AGM vs wet cell.

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I'm running an Optima yellow top that is made for a Prius. It's a little taller than stock but the stock tie down works with the upper hole & a longer bolt. The vent is just a plastic elbow stuck in the side that hooks up to the vent in the fender. The biggest drawback to the Prius battery is the top posts are a smaller diameter than the standard. None of my flaps had connectors small enough so I used some split lead spacers to fill the gap until spring rolls around & I can track down the correct connectors. Why all this work to fit the Optima? I get them for less than the price of the auto parts stores stock batteries.

I am guessing I couldn't get them anywhere close to your pricing? Google is showing me prices of 150-200 for said battery, though it looks aweome. Do they last a long time?

Been very happy with Braille 21lb unit. Sat through the 2012-13 winter in an unheated garage, no trickle charge, and started the car without issue.

I got one local to me for $50 (actually only $30 with coupons) and it works fantastic!  Here's the link:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/ptd/4337826781.html

Remember the "OEM" style battery in a Miata is an AGM unit.  Going to the local FLAPS and getting a battery is a hit or miss thing.  That said AutoZone sells a direct fit battery for the Miata.  It is an AGM and it is a higher capacity than the OEM unit.  Good warranty too.

O' Reilys carries one as well, and I think the product code is "miata"

Probably not, I get a great deal through a site called Promotive which gives discounts on products based on your profession. I can't tell you exactly what I can get them for but it was at my door 2 days after I ordered it for less than it would cost to buy a stockish battery locally.

I had a red top in a vehicle for 5+ years before before I sold the car but it never failed to fire right up even after sitting for a month near the end of the 5 year mark. The one in the miata has been there for 2 months with only been driven once in that time span. I tired a few weeks ago in negative degree weather & sitting outside, the engine didn't like operating in those temps but it still fired up. The stock battery on the Jeep didn't but my little yellow top did. Now the Jeep has a red top & all is well for both vehicles.

Are you talking about this (http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/2004-Mazda-MX-5-Miata/Battery/_/N-jlqheZacy27) battery SMR? I think I might be on that boat soon too. My battery is not lasting as long lately if the car is parked for about a month (battery diconnected of course), last year the wife had to get it recharged at autozone and she was DD it, so depending on how it works when I start the car by the end of this month, I might go shopping

Whatever, however you linked that it flashed the battery up and then it's gone but the one flashing up is the correct unit.

Duralast Gold 8AMU1R?

Doesn't say it's an AGM, though perhaps it is.

I'm OK with the $125 pricepoint but want to see if there's something a bit lighter, though at 27lbs it's not bad.

Weight:    24.0 lbs
Notes:    Warranty consists of 3 years free replacement plus 2 years prorated. *** 370 Cold cranking Amps (460 cranking Amps) ***. 45 reserve minutes. Check the customer's vehicle, battery installation could take up to 30 minutes. Battery located in trunk. Special 12-volt: 9 3/4" x 5" x 7 1/2". Battery is vented to outside of vehicle (AGM)

Right from the website

For what its worth I got the Duralast Gold about a month ago at Autozone for around $125 as well with the 3/5 year warranty
My car is a DD so i cant speak for its storage but the warranty IMO would ease my concerns.

If it's only 24 (or even at 27) I can't imagine paying double that for one that will save even 20 pounds, just not worth it IMO. And the small oddysey units don't seem to have the same CCA ratings

So is there anything smaller comparable in power and price?

Not sure that the above is really definitive-

Advance's AutoCraft Silver has substantially similar text, but it is in fact a lead-acid:

Special 12-volt: 9 3/4in. x 5in. x 7 1/2in., Battery is vented to outside of vehicle (AGM)..; Installation may take up to 30 minutes. Battery located in trunk.; OE Spec: OE Group 46A24L; OE CCA 320; Battery Spec: 370 CCA, Reliable Starting Power

M.net has threads which discuss how many vendors are just wrong about their Miata their batteries being AGM and there's at least one which lists the ones that are reliably AGM. From that list, I went with a Marathon from BatteryMart: http://www.batterymart.com/p-12v-mazda-miata-battery.html

I too got the Marathon battery from Battery Mart, and although I treated it right it failed within six months. I then got the item number "MIATA" battery ($125) from O'Reilly and it has been fine.

yeah exactly the one I had on the website (the site wants you to select the car to ensure a fit :roll:) so how heavy is the stock battery then? I've never had to deal with that, back in Nov I took it out to charge it and didnt think it was too heavy but my arm scale is broken so I dunno... certainly not as heavy as other batteries

Happy Odyssey 925 owner here. I think I installed it in '03, but it could be a year or so older than that.

Unfortunately, they have gotten pricey. The cheapest 925 I found (didn't search much) was $160.

26 lbs.

So if the weight and price is comprable to other batteries, is there anything that makes it better? Amazon has them for $150. CCA looks good, though my car is mostly for summer anyway and I can plug a trickle charger to it in the garage during winter. Maybe I can afford to step down to one of the smaller Odysseys?

I run a 680 in the race car, which has no charging system. I know there are people using those in dual duty DD and autocross Miatas. Might be a bit small if the car sits for any length of time with an alarm on.

Odyssey batteries are pretty cool in that they will take a really high amperage charge, but if you hit them with 15v or more, their life is shortened drastically. That usually isn't a problem unless you hook one up to a big wheeled charger that makes lots of amps and is "managed" via a timer. If you set the charge time too long and the battery "fills up", the charge voltage can get really, really high. BTDT, retired that 680 to booster duty.

So basically it seems there's no difference for me between an Oddysey 925 and a regular cheap AGM battery. Same weight, one just costs more.

I still don't understand the practical differences unless there are none.

Goodwin has the Westco AGM for $120. I bought a new one @ 3 yrs ago when my first one died,  or so I thought. I was able to revive it with some slow charging. It's been on my "spares" shelf since and still reads 12v+.

Plus shipping??  While the Autozone one is going to be plus tax but in most cases that's less than the shipping.

The car that holds the miata track record on all the Northwest tracks runs this:

http://www.amazon.com/BikeMaster-TruGel-Battery-MG14Z-S/dp/B0038I1618 (http://www.amazon.com/BikeMaster-TruGel-Battery-MG14Z-S/dp/B0038I1618)

High impedance injectors can complain about small batteries and the Hydra has issues under a certain voltage.  Bob needs a jump pack to get started sometimes but it does save a ton of weight.

This is the battery in the M3

http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/b106

I have to keep it on a trickle charger between track days because it goes dead pretty quickly when it's not being used.

I have the larger Braille (http://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=B3121) and love it. Now that the car is not on the road, I might get something lighter like yours, SMR.

Saw this video the other day and it got me thinking about other options for batteries...as far as I know...this is still running strong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3x_kYq3mHM

Cool idea. I'm going to look into that.

I'd love to see someone else try it....I'm too chicken

Very cool.

I especially like the idea of pairing it with a small lithium battery but I can't wrap my head around how to wire it.  It seems to me you would need to have a control board with some logic to keep the caps from pulling the battery down.  How would that work with just diodes?  The MSM has dark drain I have never bothered to track down so I use a yellow top and a tender when the car isn't driven.  '90 MSM will sit for weeks without starting but turns right over with a traditional miata battery even after a full winter.  A cap solution would also be cool for a hydra owner using a small battery that sometimes undervolts and keeps the hydra from firing the coils.

Think I'll just go with a generic replacement from the store with a warranty. WHEN the battery finally gives out. Just doesn't seem worth it to spend the extra money for minimal weight savings. I'd rather just take out my passanger's seat for free.

that capacitor pack is pretty cool, at least would be a great back up, my car also has a "dark current" and I think (hope) it is the ipod interface but as long as I dont let it sit for a more than twoo weeks it starts fine, although not lately according to the wife, we will see once I put it on the road again; but I will look into that pack

Here is a link to more discussion on the topic...and the possibility of it being fake:
http://hackedgadgets.com/2013/11/13/car-started-with-capacitors/#section3

How often are you guys replacing batteries?   I am hesitant to drive it anytime it's under 40 degrees, it barely wants to turn over.  I always keep the tender on it at home though.  Normal activity for a small battery like this?

It's safe to say most of us should be on our second batteries by now.  If a healthy battery is fully charged, it shouldn't have any trouble turning over at reasonable temperatures.

If you have the battery on a tender constantly and the battery terminals are tight and clean it should turn over fine.  If it's not then you probably need a battery.

I've seen OEM batteries that are kept charged last 10 plus years but I've also seen batteries last 2 or 3 years.

I work nights so it sits in the cold, 20-30deg all night. Then when I get off at 7am it barely starts. It's a 20m drive and the battery is full charger when I leave the house. I won't drive it till it warms up.

Carfax from po does not show a new battery, he had everything done at the dealer. I found one on battery mart for $94

From what I can see in the video...it's simply wired straight in to the capacitors...

So I went to start the car over the weekend, but the battery was not up to the task, when I turned teh switch to hte on position I heard a bunch of clicks adn the lights at the dash dimmed as the clicks went on, but the horn and alarm worked ok, so I measured the battery: 11.4V at the terminals, I went ahead and charged it and brought it to autozone and low and behold the battery is not good, it's an interstate had has a sticker about a warranty of 75 months so I thought of calling but after reading a coulple of reviews online about interstate's warranty, I decided to buy a new battery from Autozone and call it a day. so today I will hook it up and finally read that code I have.

i just bought the duralast from autozone last week. i looked around and found that the other batteries available were the same battery with different stickers on them, even the mazda dealers 'factory' battery was the same battery. it's not exactly the same size as the panasonic but fits nicely. it is vented (hoses included) and it is AGM.

Well looks like we started talking about this at a good time. My battery now barely turns my car over (very slowly) and doesn't even have enough juice to lock the doors. The alarm arms, but the actuators dont lock the door. I can see them wiggle, but just not enough grunt.

I'm getting the Duralast from Autozone later today, thanks for everyone's help!

A new battery is a new battery, I've had the duralast for a month now an so far so good, before changing it, I thought I had a phantom current or something because the battery would not hold charge (partially blaming it on the ipod interface that keeps charging the ipod even with the car off, so now I dont leave it connected just in case) but now that I think about it, it might've been the battery just crapping out, last year the wife had to get it towed once and jump started another time because it just did not start after stopping at the shopping center for a few hours, and for the record, she did not have the ipod connected so no phantom current there. Great info here nonetheless...