Winter Storage (or Don't Put your Porsche Away for the Winter - part II)
12-12-2007, 09:21 PM
#61
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12-13-2007, 12:02 AM
#63
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Phil - I'm glad you got this all worked out. Wayne, good job with the help and being an eye witness to Phil's repentant state! 
Here are a couple of observations from reading the last 6 to 7 posts:
Phil, after reading point #1 & #2, it sounds like you voided the battery warranty four weeks after you bought the car due to lack of driving! And if #1 & #2 didn't get you , point #3 certainly did. BTW - How many trips up and down your driveway does it take to rack up 15 miles per day? 
Oh man, I can already hear the 993 guys once they read that not only do 996's have engines that grenade, they also have batteries that grenade as well. They will be saying that not only are 996's not real Porsches, but that 996's don't have real batteries either! 
Seriously Phil, I'm glad all is well with Sleeping Beauty, er .... I mean... the C4S!
Here are a couple of observations from reading the last 6 to 7 posts:
Originally Posted by Phil G.
...
For Porsche vehicles stored for prolonged periods of time, storage conditions defined as follows:
1. Stored in excess of 4 weeks without being driven;
2. Battery maintainer not utilized during this time;
3. Vehicle in question only driven occasionally for short distances over a prolonged period of time without an occasional drive at highway speeds (ie. less than 15 miles/24km per day with no highway driving....
For Porsche vehicles stored for prolonged periods of time, storage conditions defined as follows:
1. Stored in excess of 4 weeks without being driven;
2. Battery maintainer not utilized during this time;
3. Vehicle in question only driven occasionally for short distances over a prolonged period of time without an occasional drive at highway speeds (ie. less than 15 miles/24km per day with no highway driving....
Originally Posted by Phil G.
...
We were able to jump start the car - it was reluctant to turn over at first, but repeated attempts did the trick. The OEM battery had an apparently sulphurated cell, which sort of causes internal destruction ....
We were able to jump start the car - it was reluctant to turn over at first, but repeated attempts did the trick. The OEM battery had an apparently sulphurated cell, which sort of causes internal destruction ....
Seriously Phil, I'm glad all is well with Sleeping Beauty, er .... I mean... the C4S!
12-13-2007, 09:03 AM
#64
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Now Tim, you know I always use my battery maintainer when the car sits for "a while." In fact, when I take long weekends, I hook it up to myself.
It was interesting that when we jumped the car, it was very slow in turning over - Wayne suggested it may be flooded and that the accelerator should be depressed for 15" or so. Whether that was the problem or not, it turned over progressively faster on successive tries, and ultimately did start up. I thought that even with a bad battery, jumping with a fresh battery should essentially bypass the problem. And I really don't give a s--t what the 993 guys say - 996s are indeed real Porsches. I'm going to drive it - I'm a new man.
It was interesting that when we jumped the car, it was very slow in turning over - Wayne suggested it may be flooded and that the accelerator should be depressed for 15" or so. Whether that was the problem or not, it turned over progressively faster on successive tries, and ultimately did start up. I thought that even with a bad battery, jumping with a fresh battery should essentially bypass the problem. And I really don't give a s--t what the 993 guys say - 996s are indeed real Porsches. I'm going to drive it - I'm a new man.
12-13-2007, 10:54 AM
#65
Jumping with a fresh battery isn't as good as having -the- battery in good condition because normally jumper cables are cheaply made with too light a gauge of wire, and cheesy spring clamps.
12-13-2007, 10:59 AM
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Now Tim, you know I always use my battery maintainer when the car sits for "a while." In fact, when I take long weekends, I hook it up to myself.
It was interesting that when we jumped the car, it was very slow in turning over - Wayne suggested it may be flooded and that the accelerator should be depressed for 15" or so. Whether that was the problem or not, it turned over progressively faster on successive tries, and ultimately did start up. I thought that even with a bad battery, jumping with a fresh battery should essentially bypass the problem. And I really don't give a s--t what the 993 guys say - 996s are indeed real Porsches. I'm going to drive it - I'm a new man.
It was interesting that when we jumped the car, it was very slow in turning over - Wayne suggested it may be flooded and that the accelerator should be depressed for 15" or so. Whether that was the problem or not, it turned over progressively faster on successive tries, and ultimately did start up. I thought that even with a bad battery, jumping with a fresh battery should essentially bypass the problem. And I really don't give a s--t what the 993 guys say - 996s are indeed real Porsches. I'm going to drive it - I'm a new man.
12-13-2007, 06:20 PM
#67
Nordschleife Master
12-14-2007, 10:17 AM
#68
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12-14-2007, 10:47 AM
#69
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A buddy of mine has the PA plate THXWIFE because his wife basically bought the car for him (and earns more than him).
12-14-2007, 11:52 AM
#70
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Well, to be fair I should say that right now, my wife makes more than I do. She is a school teacher, so that tells you how much I am currently making!
12-14-2007, 12:18 PM
#71
Nordschleife Master
They're a very nice couple - both clinical biologists. Unfortunately, my buddy is a lead scientist caught in the middle of trying to clean up the Avandia mess. I would not want his job.
12-14-2007, 01:53 PM
#72
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Here's the quote from Porsche N.A. on "Determining Warrantable Battery Situations":
For Porsche vehicles stored for prolonged periods of time, storage conditions defined as follows:
1. Stored in excess of 4 weeks without being driven;
2. Battery maintainer not utilized during this time;
3. Vehicle in question only driven occasionally for short distances over a prolonged period of time wihtout an occasional drive at highway speeds (ie. less than 15 miles/24km per day with no highway driving.
Porsche guidelines on what constitutes reasonable mileage are at least 15 miles/24 km per day or 6,000 miles/9,600 km per rolling 12 months.
For Porsche vehicles stored for prolonged periods of time, storage conditions defined as follows:
1. Stored in excess of 4 weeks without being driven;
2. Battery maintainer not utilized during this time;
3. Vehicle in question only driven occasionally for short distances over a prolonged period of time wihtout an occasional drive at highway speeds (ie. less than 15 miles/24km per day with no highway driving.
Porsche guidelines on what constitutes reasonable mileage are at least 15 miles/24 km per day or 6,000 miles/9,600 km per rolling 12 months.
Interesting thread here, guys, sorry Phil had to find out the hard way. After reading this, I'm going to go home and (a) plug my car in when it's sitting in the garage during the cold winter months and (b) take it out for a spin every once in a while when there's not 3 feet of snow on my street*
I'll still be in the low mileage club, but that's life..
Unfortunately, my car's in Colorado and I'm in NY at the moment, so not much I can do now
- Nick
*Boulder uses "passive solar snow removal" on most of the residential streets... i.e. wait for the sun to melt it..
12-14-2007, 03:08 PM
#74
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BoulderNick - I've had my car sit in warmer weather for a couple of weeks and start without a problem. Keeping the maintainer on during cold AND warm weather when the car is idle will be my plan. I'm going to be much more vigilant - and yes, drive it considerably more. For those with the ridiculously expensive OEM batteries (like I have), check the fluid levels in each cell to prevent sulfation. I'm now convinced that letting these cars sit too long can cause damage.
12-14-2007, 04:05 PM
#75
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BoulderNick - I've had my car sit in warmer weather for a couple of weeks and start without a problem. Keeping the maintainer on during cold AND warm weather when the car is idle will be my plan. I'm going to be much more vigilant - and yes, drive it considerably more. For those with the ridiculously expensive OEM batteries (like I have), check the fluid levels in each cell to prevent sulfation. I'm now convinced that letting these cars sit too long can cause damage.
Sorry Phil, I couldn't resist!
