battery just died - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Hi all. New to the forum. Just bought a 2006 Porsche Boxster and i'm wondering if anyone can help me with issues i've had today with my battery. I went to work at 6am this morning and car started perfect and as normal, first time. I then left work at 11.30am for lunch and car struggled to start but did so i went home. Well after lunch i couldn't get back to work as it wouldn't start. I knew it was something to do with the battery but can't understand why just all of a sudden this happened. Anyway i charged the battery then went back to work, car started after work no problems so i went and met my wife for dinner. Well how embarrassing i had to ask some guy to give me a jump start. So now im home and battery is charging again. Basically im just wondering if battery is gone, since its 3yrs old now or am i looking at something bigger here. Would battery just die in a day?? I know i never left lights on so im wondering if maybe the interior lights or something like thats is sticking on?? Any help would be great, Cheers. Bss321

Bad battery... 3-4 yrs. and they're toast. Or, failed alternator (possibly caused by a bad battery), fairly easy DIY fix and <$150.

I would advise to replace the battery w/ OEM from Sunset Porsche in Oregon. They sell OEM parts at cost + actual shipping. I got one from them a couple months ago and they don't make money off shipping. Once you recieve the battery, you must take it to local porsche dealer to be filled with acid at no charge. Then, climb into the hood and have someone hand you the battery! do not lean on passenger side fender and swing the battery into place. you will dent fender as i did. thank goodness for paintless dent removal You will need to reset your radio after that with the radio code. Your car may act funny (slow starts, warning lights off and on so on... keep driving the car will reset itself, then you should be good. If its your alternator, I don't know what else to advise besides, take it to the dealer.

I would recommend going to AutoZone for a battery... and save about $100. Before changing the battery, starting pulling fuses. My car had the horn stuck (steering wheel air bag) and both horns are bad, so I didn't know it (never tested the horns when I bought the car). When I pull the air bag out, I heard a "click", push in "click". So my relay was held closed by the horn, causing the battery to drain. I would also have a shop check to see what the alternator is putting out. Is a simple check to verify that the battery is being charged. I would do that first, before changing batteries.

I would recommend checking the (distilled) water level in the battery before replacing. OEM Porsche batteries are not sealed units and need topped off/checked 3-4 times a year. Fill it back up and put it on a good battery maintainer/conditioner for a few days. It may be salvageable. Charging it while the fluids are low is sure to cook it beyond any chance of saving. If it's toast, I'd definitely recommend going aftermkt. There are a lot of great options available at 1/2 the price of the OEM Moll/Porsche battery.

When my battery died it seemed to go quickly - a few polite hints in the morning and then I was lucky to get the car started and get it to a shop that afternoon. There is a NAPA service center near work. The owner is a Porsche buff, races, always has P cars in the lot, and sponsored our PCA autocross school, so I went there. They said, "we have a something or another in stock for a kabillion dollars, we can put it in right now and test your alternator" and I said "OK". I bought an expensive 7 year battery. Lessons learned: I should have reacted at the first hint of a problem. There is a lot of good info and opinions on this forum I could have referenced. And I probably could have gotten a 4 year battery from Walmart for a third [or less] the price of the 7 year. Oh well. Bottom line, you don't have to use Porsche OEM.

Exactly. Never go to the dealer for a battery. Go to Autozone for a Duralast with a 2-year free replacement and 7-year warranty. $90. Or, if you're feeling saucy, spend $150 on a 3-year free replacement with an 8-year warranty.

If you need a battery, you might want to consider an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. This type of battery can be of particular benefit in a Boxster because it does not need a vent, and therefore will not leak acid nor will it need added water. I have wanted to try the Deka AGM group 91 battery in my car, but as it turns out my battery passes load testing just fine. Here's a link: http://www.remybattery.com/Products/AGM-European-Performance-Battery__9AGM48.aspx It's 2x the price of a conventional battery, but it should be much longer lasting. Unlike the similar Optima battery (also AGM design), the Deka is a direct fit into the Boxster with no modifications necessary.