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Another Cayman
- Thread starter ralphmusic
- Start date
Warning lights on, yellow tabard on, put the red triangle out some distance behind the car - amazing how many drivers want to stay in the "fast" lane before pulling over. Luckily for me the accident ahead meant slow traffic coming past me so a lot safer than normal speeds. I get over behind the barrier and tell those who stop to ask that it's an EV and the battery has died...
Call Porsche Assist at 16:56, then the Police at 17:15 as traffic was starting to flow as the police were clearing the accident ahead, Called Porsche Assist several times. Police turn up at 18:05 in three cars, ignore me and put out cones and leave. Another turns up and stays and talks to me, nice chap.
Back to Porsche Assist (PA) they text at 17:04 giving a breakdown truck real-time tracking site url. Next they tell me help will arrive at 18:45, then sorry it will be 20:35, then sorry again 21:20, then 21:30. One delay was caused by "my" truck stopping to assist another AA member - sorry, I thought Porsche drivers were "special"
Meanwhile getting a bit tee'd off I call Green Flag at 20:16, they cover the family cars and happen to cover clients and all their cars. Their men from Stonehenge Recovery turn up at 21:17 with a lift truck to pick up the front wheels (but the rears are locked) followed by their mechanic in his van, which had broken down earlier, but to be fair he did have jump leads.
In another sequence, two more police arrived looking to tow the car (but PDK was locked in Park) and they were saying "we'll have to move you by 19:30" so I convinced them that they can't tow and any old beaver tail truck can't handle the car, so they say oh well we can just lift it "gulp" Anyway we all go looking for jump leads but none in police cars. PDK is indeed locked in Park. If battery is duff as suspected and not able to crank the engine, we can get the engine running with jump leads which will release PDK and maybe I can drive off to a safe place to wait for PA. Nice police chap leaves
PA turn up at 21:30 in the form of an AA recovery truck so I now have two police, two Stonehenge, and an AA PA chap - we all are cheerful now. Stonehenge get car started with jump leads and we have a little convoy with me behind the AA truck followed by the others taking me to a safe area. I pull in behind the AA truck we check the battery charge on the dash and it looks normal, so plan to drive back 80 miles to home with an AA man tomorrow (now today) at 08:00 to check the battery condition. Get home at 11:35. I'll call Exeter Centre in the morning and check they have a replacement battery in stock.
What and why; the car has had little use in the last 5 months but always on a CTEK conditioner when in the garage. Cold weather and low use are not good for batteries. We'll see but I've lost a track day and overnight hotel - looking on the bright side, I didn't have an on-track accident without my delayed Simpson Hybrid S safety equipment and it didn't happen on my Zandvoort day en-route to the Techno-Classica in Essen.
Learnings - have yellow tabards, have power pack for phone, have warm clothing, use the red triangle, get behind the barrier fast - speeds are impressive to frightening with trucks and cars passing within a couple of feet at 60-70 mph, don't expect other drivers to behave as you would hope you would. I was lucky in that I was well equipped going to a track day, I don't normally carry much warm clothing nor a power pack (for track cameras) - you'll likely be using location services which burn phone battery power.
Writing this was a good way of winding down...I'll relay my impressions of their service to PA later this morning.....
Just so you know, you can manually release the PDK and put into neutral should you need.
You should have a small trim tool in the frunk where the locking wheel nut is located. Use the tool to remove the trim around the gear selector and the trim in front that has the suspension and exhaust buttons etc. There is a small black box on the selector side and you should insert the selector tool into the slot and it will then release the PDK lock and you can move it into neutral.
It's in the good to know app under Mobility and minor repairs- selector lever emergency release.
Hope it helps
Dan
In the particular circumstances of being in the fast lane of a trunk road with little light in car, nobody to push, high kerbs and no space to get the car off the road it wasn't an option.
Another learning is don't grab your wife's small hi-viz tabard particularly when you're wearing 7 layers of clothing, I thought once on I'd never get it off.
Re the hi-viz, I learnt this lesson long ago when I put my son's hi-viz in my car once then realising that it was the one he used for riding his bike at the age of 10. Fortunately I didn't need it but from now on I have a size large in there.
Dan
AndrewCS
Active member
The what and the why are good questions. The fact you had it on the CTek, it is a relatively new battery, and it started and initially got you on your way, it is strange to just run out of juice. I would have thought the usual reason for the electrics to fail whilst the engine is running would be that the alternator is failing to charge or there is a fault in the charging circuit. But then that would have produced a warning light or two..
Either way, I hope you get to the bottom of it and resume your events programme PDQ.
Best wishes, John
GregThoma
PCGB Member
Interesting to see want went wrong a bit of a confidence sapper this one.
Please keep us posted on the outcome.
Jeff
![IMG-2606.jpg](https://i.postimg.cc/nrZd0y2G/IMG-2606.jpg)
![IMG-2607.jpg](https://i.postimg.cc/qMJbndzk/IMG-2607.jpg)
Motorhead said:Indeed, that was a very fraught and troubling experience Ralph, and like others I’m pleased to hear that you’re safe and well. Clearly Porsche Assist (AA?) weren’t up to the job on this occasion, with an unacceptable response given your unsafe position. Just out of interest, doesn’t your ClassicLine policy cover you for breakdown recovery like mine?
Please keep us posted on the outcome.
Jeff
Good reminder there Jeff but I thought Porsche Assist best choice (at first) as they have tilt bed trucks capable of loading a GT car but we also have Green Flag for family cars so I tried them and they turned up in an hour and restarted car.
Loading a GT4 on a AA tilt bed (back in January 2020 and the fuel line recall)
![66A29187-9420-4E5F-A5C7-B5DA65D57287.jpg](https://i.postimg.cc/kXqYsXJ0/66A29187-9420-4E5F-A5C7-B5DA65D57287.jpg)
Porsche Assistance shambles, very sorry, will discuss with AA at next monthly meeting and would I like £500 goodwill payment?
Worryingly poor response from the AA given the circumstances of your breakdown, and definitely worthy of a complaint either directly to them or via Porsche Assistance.
Jeff
Motorhead said:Worryingly poor response from the AA given the circumstances of your breakdown, and definitely worthy of a complaint either directly to them or via Porsche Assistance.
Jeff
Jeff, my post was poorly worded, Porsche Assistance are going to discuss with the AA and PA have offered me £500 as goodwill gesture.
Andrew, the wires that connect your Power Pack to the croc clips look very short given that on mine, the distance between the + post and the earth point is >70cm.AndrewCS said:I carry a XS PowerPack | Land Rover Parts | Britpart ... it provides jump starting plus charges most hand portable devices Having been in similar situations I totally concur with your view on the behaviour of other road users - 99% absolute `anchors` !
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