Need new battery?
06-29-2002, 06:20 PM
#1
5th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Need new battery?
My 99 996 cabriolet appears to have a crummy battery. The one time I put the top without first starting the engine, it refused to start, and I had to get a jump from AAA. Today, I started the engine, remembered that I needed to get something out of the little locked box between the seats, turned the engine off, unlocked the box, and when I tried to turn the engine on again, all I got was a frustrating "click-click-click" sound 
. After a jump, the battery guage happily reads around 13 or 14. So two questions:
a) Do people think this is a battery problem, or something more worrisom electrically? And,
b) If I'm going to replace the battery, should I get a Porsche labelled battery from the dealer, or a top-rated retail battery like the DieHard or Duralast?
Thanks,
Nick
. After a jump, the battery guage happily reads around 13 or 14. So two questions:a) Do people think this is a battery problem, or something more worrisom electrically? And,
b) If I'm going to replace the battery, should I get a Porsche labelled battery from the dealer, or a top-rated retail battery like the DieHard or Duralast?
Thanks,
Nick
06-29-2002, 06:49 PM
#2
Drifting
My observations:
1. You can't tell anything about this battery without a hydrometer test for specific gravity. That will tell you if you have a bad cell or if the battery is good and you have a power drain somewhere.
2. If someone has not moved your emergency front hood release to the be reachable from the tow plug on the front bumper of the car then you make have a difficult time opening the front hood to replace the failed battery (you need power to release the hood!).
3. If it turns out to be the battery (likely) then you can replace it with any good quality type 48 battery. I would suggest finding one with a vent that can be connected to a hose (like the original).
Good Luck!
1. You can't tell anything about this battery without a hydrometer test for specific gravity. That will tell you if you have a bad cell or if the battery is good and you have a power drain somewhere.
2. If someone has not moved your emergency front hood release to the be reachable from the tow plug on the front bumper of the car then you make have a difficult time opening the front hood to replace the failed battery (you need power to release the hood!).
3. If it turns out to be the battery (likely) then you can replace it with any good quality type 48 battery. I would suggest finding one with a vent that can be connected to a hose (like the original).
Good Luck!
06-29-2002, 07:16 PM
#3
Drifting
First disconnect all of your high current cables, especially the two battery terminals, clean the connections and then reconnect everything.
The terminals at the battery are VERY suject to corrosion and generally need to be removed, cleaned, burnished, and retightened each spring.
The terminals at the battery are VERY suject to corrosion and generally need to be removed, cleaned, burnished, and retightened each spring.
06-30-2002, 05:14 PM
#4
5th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is the hydrometer something that my Porsche dealer's service folks, or even a service station, would have on hand to test car batteries? Or do I have to go to a specialist to have it tested?
Thanks,
Nick
Thanks,
Nick
