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YOUR RESEARCHyet another Battery Victim
Leading reported evidence
Check autozone web page
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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1
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Read evidence and context
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I just checked the Autozone web page and for a 1999 through 2002 996 it does list the 48-DL.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I just replaced my Diehard battery - after only 10 months.
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I'm pretty sure CPO will cover none of the cost - mine was replaced while under full warranty last summer and it was all my cost.
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Suspected cause
I suspect another problem on something draining charge.
Check battery's fluid level twice a year, end up having
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Suggestion
I check my battery's fluid level twice a year, end up having to add some water at least once a year, but I get 4-5 years of useful out of a battery.
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30 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Well it finally happened. Had the car for almost a year, tried to drive it as much as possible and then on Saturday morning, as i panned a nice long morning romp through our great garden state, behold a dead battery.
I have been reading all the posts re dead battery issues, dreading the day I get stuck. Luckily I was at my sister's house and my brother0in-law was able to give me a jump
Question. I now have a battery tender hooked up to the car. Assuming the battery is still good how long should it take to charge?
If the battery is shot, what are my options as far as OEM versus aftermarket (specifically optima or other quality battery)? Cost?
I just replaced my Diehard battery - after only 10 months. Fortunately, it has a long warranty period.
the problem with the optima batteries is securing it. They have "feet" on the long side of the battery.
Steve
My experience says once a battery dies and leaves you stranded, replace it. However, I would find out why it's dead. 10 months is way too short for a battery's life. I suspect another problem on something draining charge.
My Tundra was as simple as an exposed wire touching the terminal and quickly draining the battery.
Thank you for all the information - Looks like i'll be making a purchase tonight. After my brother-in-law jumped me, i droive forabout 15 minutes and it died again. I guess that should have been a tell tale sign
yet another silly question;
going forward, now that i have a battery tender. Could that be installed via the terminals in the engine compartment or does it have to be connected direct to the battery?
Lots here will suggest cheaper ways to do this, but FWIW: Porsche's delightfully overpriced battery minder uses the cigarette lighter and it works like a charm. It's not a trickle charger, so it won't cook your battery, and it has a clever little light to tell you the battery's condition. And it's quite compact. And it's got the Porsche logo on it, so that's, like, a hundred bucks right there.
It sounds like you're trying to charge the battery with the Battery Tender - will take forever! Battery Tender is meant to maintain the charge, not charge a dead battery. You need a good 20-30 amp battery charger or buy a new battery.
I was hoping that the drive would have charged it, but I guess not
Fingers crossed, Im going to look through my CPO documents tonight to see if some of the cost are covered by warranty
I dont think 15 minutes driving is anywhere good enough after its gone dead.
I'm pretty sure CPO will cover none of the cost - mine was replaced while under full warranty last summer and it was all my cost.
Dominick - I recently got a
Duralast 48-DL
battery at Autozone for $80 - $82.
Autozone's computer database lists the Duralast 49-DL battery as the correct one for the Porsche, but it is about 1" too long and didn't fit. The hold down bracket can not be bolted into the tray because the battery covers the bolt hole.
I told him that many guys on
THE
Porsche Forum (obviously I was referencing Rennlist) said the
Duralast 48-DL
(vented) was the correct battery. It is about 1" to 1-1/2" shorter than the OEM battery, but that is OK, because
there are two alternate bolt holes in the battery tray to accommodate shorter batteries
. Gotta love Porsche engineering!
I went through the dead battery issue as well. Several others have posted about batteries that appear to have died a premature death. Make sure there's nothing draining amps from the battery. Others have mentioned defective switches, etc.
I recommend it. I ended up paying my indy for several hours of labour to find and fix the problem I had (though I'll admit it was an unusual one). I didn't have a choice, because I don't have time or a place to work on my car, or any electrical experience. But I think it's a matter of putting a tester on the battery and pulling the fuses one at a time until you see the draw drop. Then you've identified the circuit. After that, it's an open question whether you can rectify the specific problem, but at least if you know where it is you can save yourself some diagnostic money when/if you have to take it in.
I'm sure someone who's done it will chime in.
Most folks never check the actual level of the electrolyte in the battery. Over time the fluid will evaporate out, and that will diminish the capacity of the battery.
Simply get a gallon of distilled water and top each cell off. I check my battery's fluid level twice a year, end up having to add some water at least once a year, but I get 4-5 years of useful out of a battery.
As for your Battery Tender question, I found an option for the Battery Tender with a cigarette lighter plug. SImply plug the unit into the car's lighter port and you're good to keep the battery charged and healthy. My car will sit for 2 or 3 weeks at a time and the Tender works great. I suspect that you are in need of a replacement battery at this point. The Battery Tender is great for keeping one alive and charged, but can't necessarilly revive a sick one..................................ag
Yeah, check your fluids. I remember years ago when I drove my 993 to Pep Boys to buy some car wash stuff I turned the key and BOOM! First I thought, oh man my engine just blew up! Later I discovered that the original battery in the front truck blew up. The whole top lid of the battery came off. Luckily the battery was very dry so there were no acid damage. I guess what had happened was that I didn't ck the battery fluid at all and couple of the cells got really dry and it must have been arcing or something and ignited the hydrogen generated within the battery. So I ended up with a Pep Boys for the next 4 years.
Gota,
Autozone must have heard you. I just put my car info into the Autozone web page and it came up with the 48-DL as the correct battery
Thanks for the advice
Multimeter. It should be in everyone's tool box. It can measure low amperage drain and voltage.
As for buying a new battery after it the charge is drained, I would only do it if it does not hold a 'spec' charge. If the liquid filled battery is left drained to long the battery internal plates sulfate reducing the maximum charge it can potentially hold.
For people that have constant battery problems, have they checked to see if their alternator is functioning adequately? I had 'battery' issues with one of my old cars but it turned out a bad alternator never fully charged the battery so the battery got weaker and weaker until...
I guess I am lucky so far, in the offseason my 996 sits in the garage for weeks at a time with no startup issues.
Went to leave the house this morning and happened to peak over at the battery Tender. It was solid green light. It took 4 days but I guess she done.
I assume this means the battery might be OK. I'm goin gto pick up a battery tester and mutimeter regardless this weekend
I just checked the Autozone web page and for a 1999 through 2002 996 it does list the 48-DL. However, when I did a search for a 2003 or 2004 996, the site listed the 49-DL battery. Go figure!
Read through this thread this morning, then tried to leave for work and what do you know--Dead, dead, dead! (well it did have 9.07 Volts left.)
Got a 49-DL (thanks, Tim!!) for $90 at autozone and car is starting again flawlessly.
Talk about great timing!
A closing note.
A multimeter is a must for any DIY'er. I have one for the garage/house and one for the boat (water and electricity-hmmmm).
Although I have an old Radio Shack model for continuity testing and general testing, I do love my Fluke unit and recommend it highly.
There's a lot of fantastic battery guides out on the net and it's probably good for people to read one so they understand what's going on with them.
Yes totally discharging a battery theoretically kills some of its capacity, but I've drained some of my batteries up to a half-dozen times and they generally enjoy full 5 year lives.
i have a battery tender I bought for my motorbikes, but of course it will work on a car battery since they're the same except larger. it will monitor the voltage and switch to a pulse mode when the battery is full to avoid overheating. It also claims to "de-sulfate" the plates with the pulsing. This may or may not be hocus-pocus but as I said my abused batteries live long lives.
If you are buying a multi-meter to test your battery, do confirm it includes a specific BATTERY TESTING mode. Simply checking the voltage across terminals only tells half the story, i.e., how charged the battery is. It does not tell you that if the plates are heavily sulfated, that seemingly healthy 14.3v differential will drop to a useless 10.5v differential as soon as load is applied. Battery Testing mode will apply a slight resistance when testing the voltage so you can determine if it's actually going to give you power. From what I recall, a voltage of 13.0v+ in this mode means a useful battery.
One of the strange things I discovered in my research is that if your "12 volt" battery is really only delivering 12v.. then it's toast.
Indeed, this is true.
There is more information than you wish to know in the boating literature. Suffice to say, the loads and care of batteries is of paramount importance when sailing--no alternator running all of the time. Actually, as you note, a voltage of >13 V is fully charged and 12.2 is pretty dead.
OK, off to see a daughter in NYC!
IF you have a battery that will hold 13+ volts you have some magic there
A car battery is a 6 cell battery capable of holding 2.1V per cell, connected in series gets you 12.6V A fully charged battery, with the surface charge removed is 12.65V actually. If your battery will only hold a charge of 12.45V or less it is bad. If you charge your battery, you need to remove the surface charge by applying a load for a few seconds (i use headlights for about 15-30seconds) because you will get an adverly high reading.
Make sure you know what you are doing when you are going to start looking for a draw, your meter needs to be connected in series with a battery cable, but you cannot break the connection between the battery and cable. The car has many control units which stay "awake" for a period of time once the car is turned off, you need these units to be turned off BEFORE you place your meter in series with the battery or you will blow the fuse in your meter. And if you break the connection while connecting your meter the units will all wake back up. Confusing huh!!!!
Mark
Quote
"Yes totally discharging a battery theoretically kills some of its capacity, but I've drained some of my batteries up to a half-dozen times and they generally enjoy full 5 year lives"
We recommend to all our customers that batteries have limited lives and should be changed after 5 years or so.
