Bacura

So the ice storm has meant that my car will see almost zero road time till the spring. It is kept in a warm, not heated, garage(~10 C/50 F). I start it up every week to charge the battery. Would a Porsche trickle charger be better? I like starting it up to lubricate the seals. The is my 4th 911 and I have always just started them up ~ 1/week and have never had a problem. I usually move the car about 6" for the tires. Am I doing it all wrong?

jlanka

Well, I was told its better not to start it at all (even though its very tempting). I bought the generic trickle charger (same as the porsche branded but cheaper). Also inflated the tires to 50lbs

MerlinsGarage

Although starting the car is not necessary I you do just make sure it gets to operating temperature to help eliminate condensation.
There is another thread on this forum pertaining to charging.
Here is my assessment:
Bottom line is don't want to use a trickle charger rather a tender that senses voltage and keeps it at that level, ~13.2vdc. You can get the best on the market for less than $30. (Link below). I have every model including multi-outlet, used them for 25 years plus with no issues. They have a great warranty for piece mind regardless.
A pigtail is provided to attach directly to the battery. Run the weatherproof lead through a slot above the battery. A 20' cord is provided, run it through the opening at the windshield, close the boot, done.
http://www.gosale.com/4982099/deltra...-tender-junior

Best, Bret.

Quadcammer

I wouldn't start the car.

Even if you get the coolant to temp, the oil will likely not get hot enough to burn off the water.

get a ctek 3300.

chuck911

The vast majority of engine wear occurs in the first few moments of starting, before the lubrication system comes up to operating pressure. So in general its best to avoid starting, especially if the engine has been stopped long enough for oil films to dissipate. From this point of view starting the car once a week comes pretty close to optimizing engine wear. Not that it'll matter much in the big picture. We are after all only talking about several hundred vs several tens of thousands of starts over the life of the car. But still...

A battery tender is a terrific idea. Lotta things going on electrically behind the scenes in these cars.

The tire thing, if its worth it to you to eliminate a little vibration the first few blocks of driving then keep doing it. But until it gets to sitting for months or years that's all it'll be. Even parked several months to where flat spots do cause vibrations they'll go away within the first mile of driving.

jlanka

yeah when I said trickle charger I meant the battery tender that everyone recommends on here.

this is what I got:



and

chuck911

Oh, almost forgot. Something nobody ever mentions. We all think about the tires, engine, while ignoring the suspension. But every suspension joint is a sophisticated complex of lube and elastomer that together is largely responsible for the particular feel of each car. This is without a doubt the #1 reason for that "new car" feel. That ineffable sense of smoothness combined with control. While the car is being driven the suspension is moving and wearing more or less uniformly. While parked however all the load is in one position. Over time this static loading results in uneven wear and deformation. It can take years, but eventually it shows. Maybe I know so well because of having experienced the improvement after having replaced suspension bushings on older cars. Anyway, I would say that if parking for more than a few weeks the best long-term move you can make is to jack it up enough to get most or all of the weight off the wheels.

991999R

But by doing this, you're keeping the shocks in a fully extended state. Essentially the tires will be hanging free

LexVan

It clearly says in the owner's manual not to store the car on jack stands. The suspension should not be unsprung. Doing so would expose certain suspension parts.

BradB

^^^+1
Don't jack up the car, it exposes steel parts to moisture and potential corrosion. Also it is an unnatural stress for components.

I only start the cars if I can get them out and drive them enough to fully heat them up. This is the best thing for them.

I use a C-Tek or Battery Tender brand charger on my cars and roll my tires every so often. Best to park with a full tank of gas so the unfilled portion doesn't condensate moisture.

My garage is heated so I keep it around 50 degrees through the winter to avoid the cold and reduce temperature swings.

I also use Einzett Gummi Pflege rubber care on all the door and trunk seals. It's amazing how this product keeps your seals pliable and plump years on end. Keeps things quiet and tight.

For older classic cars there are other procedures you can follow, many of them car-specific, but for newer cars this list has served me well for years.

Dyim

The roads are good now. Take her out for a spin!

I use ctek.

Bacura

No that good.lol.

shizzle

I don't drive my car at all over the winter. I just use a trickle charger to keep the battery charged. The car usually sits 2-3 months without being started. I use a Noco Genius G7200 trickle charger that I bought from Canadian Tire. It came with the cigarette lighter plug accessory as well, so I've just got it plugged into the arm rest, and it's good to go. See http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/no...-0111928p.html

991Dreamer

I seem to recall something about the 991 doing most of the battery recharge during braking so, if true, starting the car may not do all that much for keeping it charged.

VIC_50th

+1 for CTEK tender!

I went through 2 batteries in 3.5 years with my '08 C2S - it is not a daily driver. The battery would discharge enough in 7-10 days between drives that it would damage the battery little by little, to the point that they both eventually failed.
Got the CTEK, mounted it on the garage wall beside the driver's door, thread the cigarette lighter adapter in through the partially open window and plug it in each time I park, and no more problems - and the sound of the starter motor is brisk and powerful each time, unlike before where it would get to sounding anemic.
I got the dealer to assess charging system each time - they were adamant it worked normally, and the problem was normal static draw.

Agree that starting the car is the heaviest wear of all; also that without driving, gearbox and diff fluids do not get to operating temps.

Curious to know if raising the car 1 cm/0.5" such that stress is reduced on suspension components is good or bad in the long run (I have never done it, but it seems to make some intuitive sense) - anybody aware of long-term testing that supports or refutes this practice? (not just opinion, please).
The fact that Porsche recommends against it says a lot.