I recently bought the Porsche branded CTEK trickle charger that goes into the cigarette lighter. I tried to plug it into the lighter but found the connection to be very loose and I did not get the charging light to come on. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did you fix it?

Also, I found a post (I think on the 996 board) stating that the lighter may not work w/out the key in the ignition, as it is a powered accessory. Does anyone know if this is true on the 993? Is there a work around if so?

Thanks guys

MK

 

I had the same problem and posted here about it. The solution - pick up a $2.50 plug adaptor/sleeve from Escort and all's well.

Here's the link

With the adaptor/sleeve in place, the socket fits nice & secure. I wrapped a few turns of electrical tape arond the socket where the adaptor flares open. Otherwise the sleeve is slightly loose on the plug.

Also, the key does not need to be in the ignition for the trickle charger to work.

Andreas

 

Do yourself a favor and give your lighter charger to your wife, friend or whomever and buy a real one for $50 that plugs into an 110 volt socket. Think about it, you're trying to charge a battery and draw power from that battery at the same time. That's fine with a strong battery but useless with a marginal one. The plug-in model works great; just keep the charger wired to the battery leads and keep it tucked away with your spare tire and just plug it into an extension cord when the car is not in use. Just make sure you adjust the front hood light stop to shut the light off when the hood is latched but not completely closed. Oh, also remember to disconnect the extension cord BEFORE you take off.

 

So this is garbage? I wish I knew this before.....

Charger

Andreas

 

Andreas, the good news is that you have a great looking and great year for a 993.

 

Well, thank you Don.



Andreas

 

Yes, you need to permanently wire the unit to the car battery. The units I have on three cars came with a 4 foot long cord/plug so that they can reach an outlet without an extension cord. Clean and easy to plug in every time the car will sit for an extended period.

 

Might not be bad but the old style Porsche charger can be had for $60 US and works fine.

 

This is the one I'm using. The problem I have with attaching one to my battery terminals is that I park in a garage with an attendant (the curse of being an urban dweller). While I have a dedicated spot and the car is rarely moved by anyone other than me, I fear one of these guys will just try to move the car without realizing they need to disconnect the charger. With the cigarette lighter adapter, I can loop the cord through the steering wheel so they'll remember to unplug it first (I've attached warning stickers to the wires telling them to unplug it from the wall first!).

 

If you push the mode button, it goes to standby (Standby / Motorcycle / Car). Then you can unplug the lighter end. I never unplug the wall plug.

Andreas

 

Thanks for that link! - I've been frustrated by that loose fitting euro socket for months!

 

I almost got that one until the guys at Suncoast warned me about exactly the problem you are experiencing. Apparently the plug works fine in a 996 but is iffy in a 993. So I bought the cheap single mode one and it works great, and is very convenient. Andreas' solution is supposed to work well.

 

I suppose one could also find a quality cigarette lighter plug end and replace just the plug for a better fit.

Andreas