This is what happened to my car in a period of a month.
First, i left my car sitting for 3 weeks without car tender and the car didnt want to start up. after i jumped up the car, it will work and after i took it for a drive, roughly 18-20 miles, the car still needs to be jump started. another day goes by and the car is starting to behave normally. afraid of anything wrong with the battery and electronics in the car, i brought my car to dealership and they told me that i have to change my battery. that cost me around $350. is that too expensive? and is the dealer trying to rip me off by replacing the battery even though my car is back to normal despite the battery problem a couple days back?
another issue, my transmission get harder to move once the car get warmed up. anyone had similar issue?
There are a number of existing threads and a FAQ warning about what will happen if you don't use a battery tender including the high cost of a factory replacement. Unfortunately you had to get first hand experience. The price sounds a little high but not too much for a Porsche replacement plus the labor. Check with our sponsors. The battery could be damaged beyond the ability to hold a charge. That isn't unusual so I'd tend to believe that if you trust the dealership.
A battery from an Interstate dealer would cost about $170. Diagnostics and installation at the dealer would run up the price to near what you paid.
Interstate Batteries - Mega-Tron Plus - 85 Months - 850 CCA
What generally happens is that a battery purchased at a dealership may/may not be as good as what is otherwise available. Johnson Controls makes 70% of the automotive batteries in the world (at least that is what the CEO said when he testified to Congress recently).
I don't know who makes Porsche batteries or if they put the same ones in that come with the car from the factory. If they do, freight is an issue.
The one from Interstate is one of the best batteries available. And an 85 month warranty.
Also see the caution on replacing the battery in your Owner's Manual; i.e. "
it is not possible to use the details on the battery case to determine a comparable battery that meets all the specific requirements of Porsche. Use only a battery that meets the specific requirements of your vehicle as a replacement. We recommend that you use of an Original Porsche battery
. " Page 237 of the '06 OM.
I just love this stuff - fear, uncertainty, and the question of violating your warranty. I think it would be safe to say, that a vast majority of Porsches out of thier warranty period have a non oem battery, and absoluty no issues because of it. The only thing that I would be concerned with is to ensure that it can be properly vented (same with BMWs with batteries in the trunk). This is the same BS as N spec tires.
Just a note, there is also a super secret addenum to the owner's manual, page 2075, sec 66a, paragraph b27 that states "non Porshce supplied air in your tires could result in voiding your warranty - please see your dealer and pay them $50 to add air".
What I find interesting about all this is that other German makes seem to have great batteries. My girlfriend had a Mercedes which had a battery which lasted nine (9) years before it needed to be replaced, and my 2003 BMW's battery is still going strong: since I bought my Cayman the Bimmer sits in the driveway waiting to be sold, and about once a week I crank it up and drive it around, and the battery still has the juice to turn over the motor in the coldest of temperatures. So what's with Porsche?
TT
