Happy Birthday to me - got stranded with a dead 996 this morning!

Car started fine at my house, of course, but after I dropped my daughter off at school, the car would not start back up. It started doing all sorts of funny stuff like rolling the windows and rear spoiler up and down, so I figured it was the battery. I'd noticed some struggling to turn over several times in the last couple weeks. I got jumper cables and ran down a dad in the parking lot to help me. His big ol Tahoe couldn't jump my poor car. Then I thought maybe it was worse than just a battery. I called AAA. It took an hour for them to get there (love spending time in my kid's school parking lot having all the moms sneering at me in my dead porsche). But anyway, it turns out that the battery had a dead cell and the guy had a new battery and installed it for me right there. And wow, what a difference, the car starts up so fast and strong now. He did some test that said my alternator and starter are fine. So, I guess it was just the battery but I was also wondering if it was the ignition switch problem that I've been warned about so many times before. So, 2.5 hours late to work, got grease/dirt all over my clothes, but hey it's Friday and it's my birthday! Let's party

Happy birthday! The only time my 996 ever left me stranded was because of a dead battery. I put a new one in this year, and it made a huge difference, as you mentioned. I've found that both of our Porsches do strange things when the battery starts getting low.

That's kinda funny... what a Porsche reaction. It was pulling a hissy fit. Happy Birthday!

Not sure about you, but when I stay home and drop my kids at school, I expect the next few hours to be ME time! Too bad your "me time" was disturbed, especially on your birthday! Could be worse, could be IMS failure!

Happy Birthday. What did you get besides a new battery?

Happy Birthday, hope the rest of the day goes much smoother.

Your car was pissed off cuz it was your birthday and you were going to work. Had you taken the day off and invited your Pcar to celebrate and play hookie with you on some twisting back road...it would have been fine! lesson learned for next year! HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Yah happy b-day. The new battery is good stuff. Nothing worse than sitting there in a fast car that doesn't work So what's up for desert? Dinners always classic but desert is the fantastic side of things. Like Baskin Robins for your favorite. Some of us have at least 10 favorites that lock our brains up standing there to buy the ice cream cone, sunndae, bannana split, milk shake, italian ice, sherbert, ice cream cake and many more. Maybe just pick up an ice cream cake on the way home if you aren't planning dinner out. Happy birthday!!!

Modern batteries are strange. It used to be that you knew for a long time when you're battery was going. Now they can be perfect one minute and dead the next, and won't even respond to a jump.

I think if we all paid a little attention to the Voltage meter at the left of the dash,we may get a warning when the voltage drops big time to start the car!!

A couple of years ago, I was coming home from a trip with my family (in a non-Porsche) and pulled into a rest stop for lunch. When we got back to the car, the battery was completely dead and wouldn't take a jump. There had been absolutely no indication that there was a problem until it bit the dust. Now I replace my batteries every three years.

Yeah I've actually been paying attention to the voltage meter lately because of the sluggish start ups, but it's always been good. So, I thought that maybe it was the ignition. This morning, the meter didn't even hit the first line (whatever that number is) but that's the first time I've seen that. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!!

Happy birthday!! Regarding dessert, as my old boss Major General Cardon once told me: "Always eat dessert first. The last thing that you want going through your head as you die is, 'Damn, I should've gone ahead and had dessert.' "

It's just your car reminding you that it's all about her

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Dare I venture to guess where parts for the batterys are made. I've seen cutoms paperwork for stuff destined to go to america but through mexico after stopping in LA before traveling to mexico. Strange world when made in USA under trade regs still has stuff made in china. The sub company can buy the parts anywhere then ship it right and have it called made in american. Seems he was well trained up on having reasons for doing what's right to do instead of the norm. I even believe in only dessert skipping the meal. Then there is dessert for breakfast or lunch. Had malaria pills for desert till I figured I'd prefer malaria to feeling like throwing up and being hyper sensitive to the sun while frying in the high desert regions. You might try getting one of those bug experts that catch insects around AO's to get the facts on what the risks going around are. With the coller weather you might have by now the bugs will be rising in numbers. One good thing is the kids going to school seeing the car will be more prone to be future 911 drivers. Maybe they'll study harder

Hmmm....my car starts up fine, but it's cranks a few times - wonder if my battery is getting longer in the tooth too.....Thanks for the story, glad you gout out of it with a new battery and happy birthday! P.s. as for the sneers over a dead car - hey what a great way to show them that we're just average (grin - but not THAT average)

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I don't think that's the battery tech changing, so much as the car masking the symptoms. (Modern absorbant glass matt (AGM) valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries are better in nearly ever way than old gel-cell lead acids, and far less maintenance intensive than wet-cell lead acids.) It's extremely rare for a modern battery to fail without any warning at all. Usually, they have a steady and progressive increase in impedance, ending in an asymptotic curve at end of life. Unfortunately, as few of us have cell impedance monitors, it's rather difficult to use this method. They last 3-5 years typically; less if deep-cycled or subjected to a lot of heat (like being parked outside in Florida in summer, etc.) What you can do, is monitor battery voltage. As batteries age, the plates deform and lose their surface area and they put out less power and don't hold their voltage as well. 12.5V is a key value; below 12.5V, sulfation forms. Above that, sulfation dissolves back into the electrolyte. Given enough time below 12.5V, the sulfation will get so thick it will insulate a cell, and the battery will go completely dead. (This is what usually kills batteries sitting over the winter- keep those voltages up!) Pull out your voltmeter- everyone should have one- and take occasional readings of your battery terminals. Stay consistant; I like to take my readings in the morning before I go to work when the car has been sitting overnight. I'd check once a month or so as the battery approaches 3 years old. If the voltage starts dipping much below 12.5V sitting for one night, you're best to start looking for a new battery. When my last battery hit 12.3V after sitting for a week, I didn't wait for it to strand me- I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a new battery for $70.

Good post. I replace mine every four years for the reasons stated here, plus the particular need these cars have for a constant supply of consistent voltage. It's cheap insurance.

Kids at school,or kids at the pool? Happy Birth Day!

Today is my Birthday, I just ordered a new AOS for my Porsche. Good Times!

I have had a dead battery as well and was not able to jump the car like the OP. Has anyone else had trouble jumping their dead battery??