I've not been using my car (2004 C2S) alot over the last month or two, due to buying an old BMW for getting to work etc. so the Porsche has sat in the garage alot. The last few times I've started the car, it's cranked over slower than normal and yesterday wouldn't turn over at all due to a flat battery. I've borrowed a mates jump start power pack, which has got the car started and I've let it tick over for a good twenty minutes. So you'd expect this to have put enough charge back into the battery but trying the car again after disconnecting the power pack, it would crank over under it's own power. I know lack of use isn't good for battery life but I had the battery replaced just under a year ago due to it again cranking slowly. I'm just interested to see if anyone else has had a similar problem. I'm going to buy a trickle charger and keep it plugged into the car whilst it's in the garage, something I used to do with my TVR, I just wouldn't of expected to have to do it on the Porsche.
Battery Life
- Thread starter wixer
- Start date
There's a big drain on batteries in modern car due to all sorts of electronic wizardry that needs to be kept fed.
You best bet is to put it on a slow full charge (not trickle) for about 48 hours and then keep it topped up with a smart charger/conditioner such as Ctek. Then see how it goes. If you are still having problems get the bettery tested as it may be duff. Should be under guarantee if it's only 12 months old. [&:]
Regards,
Clive
You best bet is to put it on a slow full charge (not trickle) for about 48 hours and then keep it topped up with a smart charger/conditioner such as Ctek. Then see how it goes. If you are still having problems get the bettery tested as it may be duff. Should be under guarantee if it's only 12 months old. [&:]
Regards,
Clive
Problem sorted, apparently, the dealer tells me that the alternators fitted to Porsches will only maintain the charge that is already in the battery, they won't put charge back in if the battery is flat. So their recommendation is to keep the car on a trickle charger when not in use, certainly if the car isn't going to be used regularly.
Usual non-technical nonsense from people who, if they were any good, would not be working as service customer-liaison wallahs. If the alternator doesn't have the ability to charge the battery, how will it ever get topped up to replenish the charge used to start the car?
Static current drain is a problem; Porsche address it by switching off the remote locking "listener" after a few days after the car is locked. Mercedes address it (in some models) by using two batteries, one to start the car (with zero static current drain) and one for the "toys" which can go flat if it has to.
If you use a 911 only every few days, for short runs, the remote locking will be active all the time and there will not be enough time to recharge the battery so that, over time, the battery will become flat.
Using the car in this way is actually worse than not using it at all. A 911 will quite happily sit for several weeks if not used at all. It makes sense to keep the battery topped up. I use a Mascot 9840 5A 3 stage charger (www.mascot.no) to keep the battery in good condition, via the cigarette lighter.
Indeed, on my 996 turbo, it was always live, do not know about a 997, I assume it's the same. It's important to keep batteries charged because if you let them go completely flat, there can be irreversible chemical changes which makes it impossible to ever charge the battery properly.
What a load of b******s, this sort of b******t really makes my blood boil.[
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Julio Geordio
New member
Lol! I should have read this post before I made mine the other day. The cause and symptom of my problem was pretty well the same as yours, I reckon.
Anyway, after getting conned in to sticking in a new alternator by my local grease monkey (I'm not bitter, they'll just never see my cash again so they've shot themselves in the foot in the long run for a fast buck), I just bought a decent battery charger, and will top it up every now and when until the end of the year. Come Jan, I'll be using it every day again so I think I'll be ok then.
Anyway, after getting conned in to sticking in a new alternator by my local grease monkey (I'm not bitter, they'll just never see my cash again so they've shot themselves in the foot in the long run for a fast buck), I just bought a decent battery charger, and will top it up every now and when until the end of the year. Come Jan, I'll be using it every day again so I think I'll be ok then.
berty987
New member
The porsche tequipment charger is made by CTEK , the model is the 3600xs. I purchased a CTEK unit from E bay with cigarette adapter for about 50 pounds (half Porsche price). The charger connects to any of the cigarette 12V sockets on the 987/997 as they are all permanently live.
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