Strange Electrical Happenings, then a Dead Battery

Some really strange things happened today. Started my car after 5 days, car started on first crank, no problems. Drove for about 15 mins, got a PSM failure light, followed by ABS light. Then, came battery/generator light, Few minutes later, the airbag light joined in, Next it said Brake distribution error? Tiptronic warning, then it was in limp mode (4th gear) Finally, the rear spoiler fault light came on. Got home, put it in reverse, and the car stalled. Won't start again, the normal rapid click click click sound. Jump started it...engine ran fine...let it idle for a few minutes, idling got sluggish, no power when stepped on the gas, and finally engine stalled. Voltmeter was showing minimum at the bottom. Tried starting again, this time there is silence, not even a click. I suspect it's a dead battery, no idea how old the battery is. Car is a 02, and the battery doesn't look OEM, so must have been replaced sometime. I bought the car a year ago. Never had any starting problems or warning signs. I plan to go look for a new battery tomorrow. No big deal. The Big Question is, are all those electrical phenomenon described above normal for a battery going bad and about to die??? Or am I looking at an alternator replacement too? Thanks guys!

I bet it is the alternator, the battery is probably good. Jump it again, if it reads 13 volts at a slight rev, the alternator is probably fine. If the gauge reads below 12 at idle but raises over 12 once revved, the battery may of lost a cell and needs replacing if you have ruled out it will not hold a charge. The fact you were driving and all the gremlins happened points to the alternator, even if the battery KO'd, the alternator should carry everything electrical.

I also agree that it sounds like an alternator. Once running the car should have enough voltage from the alternator to run itself without those electrical problems. It sounds like the alternator stopped charging and you ran the battery completely out. If you jump it without recharging the battery then it won't be long before the electrical problems show up again as the alternator is not attemping to recharge. Replacing the battery may seem like the fix at first but eventually you will run the charge out of that battery as well. Put a batter charger on the car overnight to give the battery a good full charge, then hook a voltage meter accross the battery and start the car while watching the volts. The volts will dip down as you start the car and come back to 12 volts or more. If you raise the rpm's you should see about 13 to 14 volts. My guess is you will only see battery volts (12 to 12.5). JIM

is the belt still there?

Yep if the belt is still there take a simple volt meter with the car running and check the output of the alternator at the battery ...if it is below 13.5v then the alternator is the culprit. That is just a simple easy test. Also, look at the battery terminals the date is stamped into it. should read something like this 65/02 which is the 65th week of 2002

99firehawk, Yes, the belt is still there! LOL! HHPorscheTech, Can I use a multimeter? I assume that is a volt meter? Will the dash gauge in the car tell me anything? One question: If the battery is bad, is it true that the alternator will not be able to put any power thru' to the car's components with the bad battery connected? But if the bad battery is removed, the alternator will work the car, however, I know it's not recommended as the battery is not there to buffer the output.

check the voltage at the battery with the car running if your udner 13.5 you need a alternator

Right now, I'm rapid-charging the battery on the car. I'm trying not to jump start it unnecessarily. 99FHawk, I will try out the test once the battery is good to start the car. Or, if it won't charge, then I know it's a bad battery.

Well, the battery charged fully, and I could start the car. But it still shows only around 12V on the gauge. And the CEL and battery/generator light is on. I am waiting at this moment, for a flatbed to come and pick up the car to get it to my mechanic. My mechanic is about 35miles away, so I don't think I can get there running on the battery alone. I'll follow up and let you'all know the verdict. Most likely it's the alternator. Oh, and as if that was not stressful enough, last night I backed my opened door up into the side of the garage door/pillar. The top edge and inside of the door is slightly buckled! How stupid of me, I was so mad the whole night. That's probably gonna cost me another $1k to get the door fixed, just coz' of a careless mistake. Can someone please slap me good?

Another gotcha is you might have issues unlocking the fuel cap. All sorts of weird stuff will happen when the alternator/battery goes. Once you get proper voltage to the system, that will unlock just fine. (me bangs head on the wall for trying to fix the fuel release first, then finding out I needed a jump)

tst alt. clk here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2034953/11 dont pcars have a stock vm gauge?

if the altneranotr light is on you need a new one 99% of the time

Oh ****, that sucks! Man, I am really sorry to hear about the door! If I lived near you, I would come over and slap you good! No, no, that's OK... you don't have to thank me... that's just the kind of guy I am! Anything to help out a fellow Rennlister! Ken - I am not trying to make fun of your situation, bcause I know how I feel when I do something like that! I just didn't know what to say other than "oh ****." I thought maybe I could get you to laugh a little or, at the very least, get you to smile.

That's all right, Tim, I did laugh, Thanks! It's been bugging me for 2 days now, Last night in bed, and when I woke up this morning in bed, Just wishing there was an "UNDO" button in real life. Still can't believe I did that ****! Me of all people, always cautious and all. Can't see much detail in these pics. Doesn't look that bad in the pics, but I think it IS actually quite bad when it comes to restoring the damage to perfection. It's a good thing though that the gaps around the door are all good and intact, except the 12in or so along the top edge by the handle. Hinges must be pretty sturdy. It really sucks just to think that they would have to remove the inside door leather panel, and maybe the electronics, airbag, etc. I do not believe it will be reinstalled correctly, and I'd probably get rattles and creaks and visible gaps on the trim. And the thought of spray dust all over the interior! Can't help it, my last paintjob in another car, was a nightmare. My deductible for my insurance is $500. I'm thinking if I should make a claim, this would be my first claim ever! Would anyone know how much it will affect my premium next renewal? Is it worth making a claim? I'm now paying about $945 for 3 vehicles for 6 months (the Porsche alone is only $394).

You are Correct Sir, my mechanic ran some tests right away as soon as the car was dropped off late this afternoon, so he could order whatever parts for tomorrow. Talked to him on the phone and he confirmed it's the alternator. The rebuilt Bosch alternator will be $320 with next day shipping, and he's charging me 3hrs labor ($275)!? Oh well...I won't complain, he usually takes me in without an appointment and this time as well, I just called him and told him I needed to tow the car in. Not really an emergency, but he's kind enough to take care of a customer, and he IS busy. I DO NOT believe the Porsche dealer here will do this for me. NO...the last time I called to make an appointment, they told me I had to wait 2 weeks. Here's a shot of the car being taken away... the only consolation I have is that "Even though it's Fallen, it's still looking so Valiant on the stretcher!" Just like a wounded warrior leaving the battlefield in Pride, and I could almost hear it say, "I Will Be Back!"

Oh, double ****! WOW, that looks worse than I imagined it would be. Hell, if I lived close to you I would come over and slap you then I would KICK you! I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I don't think you are going to be able to buff that one out! I'm not sure about the insurance claim. Maybe others can chime in on that part. Sorry to see this happen.

A bit of plastic putty and a can of spray paint and it'll all be good...... Did that sound reassuring? Cause I just re-read it, and I don't think it sounds credible on a 2nd pass...

I got an estimate today from a "highly recommended" bodyshop. They don't have to replace the door, they can knock it out and use minimal putty, and guarantee everything to look as good as new. $775 and car will be in the shop for 3-4 days. I have a slight ding on the other side's rear wheel arch, with a hairline crack in the paint, so they can't do the Paintless dent removal there. They'll take care of that spot as well, for a total of $1000. Not too bad for a stupid mistake, huh!? I'll post results and pics after the job.

damn... what a week its been for you... but yeah, you need a slap upside the head

Ouch... OUCH! If I lived near you, instead of slapping you, I would take you out for a couple of beverages of your choice and maybe a lap dance or three! That sucks... BIG time!

Well, picked the car up on Friday, it was raining and I couldn't do a good assessment at the time. Washed it inside out, adjusted the windows, readjusted the weather trimmings, and reinstalled the door panel. Took me a whole 6 hours, finished at midnight, all in the comfort of my sauna-temp garage! Overall, I'm disappointed with the work from the bodyshop. Actually I never expected it to be perfect. I don't think any bodyshop, very few if any, would be able to do perfect jobs. Anyway...paintjob was good, the repair and paint on the little dent with the hairline paint crack on my passenger side rear wheel arch was perfectly done. The driver's side wing mirror was perfectly done, and with perfect masking. Easy one anyway. The door damage on the inside panel was repaired beautifully. I have to give them credit for that. I scrutinized the inside of the door and couldn't see any evidence of work done!? I mean the metal was crumpled...how the hell did they straightened the panel, without splashing a whole lot of putty? The curves and lines were all restored to original, amazing there. The worst part is the top edge of the door is "very slightly" too high, against the rear body (quarter panel). Meaning it is not perfectly flush, although the gap is fine. So if you look at it from the side, you probably can't see the flaw. But look at it from the front of rear, and you can see the slight flaw. That is the only part that I'm not too happy about, but I'm trying very hard to ignore and to accept it. Not easy, I keep finding myself checking on it everytime I get near the car! Perhaps it's just my **** self, 90% of people won't even notice it unless I point it out to them. Reinstallation of parts and weather trimmings SUCKS!!! The rubber trimming on my wing mirror was not right, trim was pinched at one point. Weather strip on the outside of the door against the window, was "wrinkled" probably from the removal process, or they left it coiled or bent for days? This is my least concern as I can always replace the piece of rubber trim later if it doesn't straighten out with time. Rubber trimming on the inside of the door was not aligned right either. Had to realign the windows, somehow they went a little off-line. I am just so glad I had decided to remove the door panel myself! Best decision ever! :Yes: Also, good thing I coverd my whole interior (even the dashboard) with bedsheets, except the driver's seat. There was not a speck of overspray inside...thank goodness for that, otherwise I don't know how to clean leather with solvents without messing it up. The door catch was not adjusted, eventhough the door has to be "slammed" with a little more effort than usual for it to catch. I tried to do it myself, by didn't have the correct torx key for the screws on the door jamb. Will need to get a set of those. So that concludes the ordeal I had to go thru'...all just from a second of carelessness.

Cos - good to hear you got the car back! Can they re-align the door so it lines up horizontally? Maybe you could take it back to see if they can do that. It sounds like overall, they did a pretty good job. OK, I guess you knew this was coming.... how about posting some pics of the repaired door?

Tim, yes, I will take some shots of the door but probably won't show much from the pics. The door is aligned well, I think the door never was misaligned in the first place, the gaps are perfect all around. It's just the very top edge 2 o'clock of the door handle, that is a little higher than the quarter panel. It should be flushed and even.

Here are some pics of the repaired door: BEFORE Pic posted previously:

They did an awesome job on the repair of the inside of the door edge. Now I can see what you re talking about in the 3rd pic. Maybe then can still do some minor adjusting to help minimize the disparity in the panel alignment. Thanks for the pics. That helped a bunch.