Hello All,
My new-to-me
2006 Cayman S
has had an issue twice in the last few months.
I went to start it two months ago, in the middle of a trip, and it would not crank over. This was after driving it all morning, and stopping for lunch. I noticed the clock had reset to 12:00 and the windows lost their memory up-and-down setting. I used one of those small battery jumpers (that I thankfully threw in the trunk at the last minute) and it started right up. Then I went on my way and totally forgot about that issue. Everything worked fine until last weekend, when it did it again.
Seeing it had a O'Reilly Super Start Extreme battery (middle of the quality level), I took it there and they told me the battery is two years old, and out of warranty. The counter guy, who seemed pretty savvy, brought out a testing meter and hooked it up to the battery. We tested it both running and not running. He says the battery is fine, and my charging system is charging in the normal range. He suggested I check all the grounding points and confirm they are clean and tight.
The PO had several cars in his garage, and I'm pretty sure I didn't see any trickle chargers laying around, and think this Cayman may have sat idle for some time. But, I'm just guessing, too.
Anyone have thoughts about grounding points I should be checking? Or, have had battery issues that might be traced back to the car sitting for extended periods of time that might have hurt the battery?
Thanks much,
There have been posts regarding the positive terminal at the bulkhead where the battery positive lead connects to the vehi electrical system. Corrosion can occur there over time, affecting the connection between the battery and the electrical system. I would check that out as my next step in troubleshooting. See the thread below.
https://www.planet-9.com/threads/psa-inspect-and-clean-your-positive-battery-lead-connection-point-at-the-bulkhead.257495/?post_id=2243125#post-2243125
Great, thank you, and I will investigate that.
Steve
Hey WTFChuck,
I followed that link to a previous post and I removed that plug from my bulkhead. It too was nasty, just like the previous poster's car. I guess that was someone's great idea back then. So I cleaned it up as best I could and put some dielectric paste on it before re-installing her. I also noticed the forward end of that female plastic plug was open, and it looked like the perfect place for water to enter. So I put a smear of the paste into that too.
Thanks for the tip, and hopefully it will fix the issue and help other forum members.
@sullivs
Keeping my fingers crossed that is your issue. That pic speaks loudly to an issue that many of us may have lurking, hidden in the bulkhead. When I read about your electrical problems, I recalled that previous post and thought there may be a connection. Although I’ve never had any similar problems, I think one of my next projects may be examining the connection in my Boxster to preclude any future problems. Keep us posted.
Roger that, I will!
Thank you,
Just a comment on the use of "dielectric" grease in this application. I'll point you to a post I added to the original thread.
https://www.planet-9.com/threads/psa-inspect-and-clean-your-positive-battery-lead-connection-point-at-the-bulkhead.257495/?post_id=2261980#post-2261980
