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Happy Birthday to me - got stranded with a dead 996 this morning!

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Old 10-29-2010 | 03:32 PM
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Default Happy Birthday to me - got stranded with a dead 996 this morning!

Car started fine at my house, of course, but after I dropped my daughter off at school, the car would not start back up. It started doing all sorts of funny stuff like rolling the windows and rear spoiler up and down, so I figured it was the battery. I'd noticed some struggling to turn over several times in the last couple weeks. I got jumper cables and ran down a dad in the parking lot to help me. His big ol Tahoe couldn't jump my poor car. Then I thought maybe it was worse than just a battery.

I called AAA. It took an hour for them to get there (love spending time in my kid's school parking lot having all the moms sneering at me in my dead porsche). But anyway, it turns out that the battery had a dead cell and the guy had a new battery and installed it for me right there. And wow, what a difference, the car starts up so fast and strong now. He did some test that said my alternator and starter are fine. So, I guess it was just the battery but I was also wondering if it was the ignition switch problem that I've been warned about so many times before.

So, 2.5 hours late to work, got grease/dirt all over my clothes, but hey it's Friday and it's my birthday! Let's party
Old 10-29-2010 | 03:40 PM
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Happy birthday!

The only time my 996 ever left me stranded was because of a dead battery. I put a new one in this year, and it made a huge difference, as you mentioned. I've found that both of our Porsches do strange things when the battery starts getting low.
Old 10-29-2010 | 03:47 PM
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That's kinda funny... what a Porsche reaction. It was pulling a hissy fit.

Happy Birthday!
Old 10-29-2010 | 04:06 PM
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Not sure about you, but when I stay home and drop my kids at school, I expect the next few hours to be ME time! Too bad your "me time" was disturbed, especially on your birthday!

Could be worse, could be IMS failure!
Old 10-29-2010 | 04:07 PM
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Happy Birthday.

What did you get besides a new battery?
Old 10-29-2010 | 04:17 PM
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Happy Birthday, hope the rest of the day goes much smoother.
Old 10-29-2010 | 04:28 PM
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Your car was pissed off cuz it was your birthday and you were going to work. Had you taken the day off and invited your Pcar to celebrate and play hookie with you on some twisting back road...it would have been fine! lesson learned for next year! HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Old 10-29-2010 | 04:32 PM
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Yah happy b-day. The new battery is good stuff. Nothing worse than sitting there in a fast car that doesn't work

So what's up for desert? Dinners always classic but desert is the fantastic side of things. Like Baskin Robins for your favorite. Some of us have at least 10 favorites that lock our brains up standing there to buy the ice cream cone, sunndae, bannana split, milk shake, italian ice, sherbert, ice cream cake and many more. Maybe just pick up an ice cream cake on the way home if you aren't planning dinner out.

Happy birthday!!!
Old 10-29-2010 | 05:53 PM
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Modern batteries are strange. It used to be that you knew for a long time when you're battery was going. Now they can be perfect one minute and dead the next, and won't even respond to a jump.
Old 10-29-2010 | 05:57 PM
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I think if we all paid a little attention to the Voltage meter at the left of the dash,we may get a warning when the voltage drops big time to start the car!!
Old 10-29-2010 | 06:02 PM
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A couple of years ago, I was coming home from a trip with my family (in a non-Porsche) and pulled into a rest stop for lunch. When we got back to the car, the battery was completely dead and wouldn't take a jump. There had been absolutely no indication that there was a problem until it bit the dust. Now I replace my batteries every three years.
Old 10-29-2010 | 06:14 PM
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Yeah I've actually been paying attention to the voltage meter lately because of the sluggish start ups, but it's always been good. So, I thought that maybe it was the ignition. This morning, the meter didn't even hit the first line (whatever that number is) but that's the first time I've seen that.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!!
Old 10-29-2010 | 06:17 PM
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Happy birthday!!
Regarding dessert, as my old boss Major General Cardon once told me: "Always eat dessert first. The last thing that you want going through your head as you die is, 'Damn, I should've gone ahead and had dessert.' "
Old 10-29-2010 | 06:38 PM
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It's just your car reminding you that it's all about her
Old 10-29-2010 | 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by wyovino
Modern batteries are strange. It used to be that you knew for a long time when you're battery was going. Now they can be perfect one minute and dead the next, and won't even respond to a jump.
Dare I venture to guess where parts for the batterys are made. I've seen cutoms paperwork for stuff destined to go to america but through mexico after stopping in LA before traveling to mexico. Strange world when made in USA under trade regs still has stuff made in china. The sub company can buy the parts anywhere then ship it right and have it called made in american.

Originally Posted by fjr_wertheimber
Happy birthday!!
Regarding dessert, as my old boss Major General Cardon once told me: "Always eat dessert first. The last thing that you want going through your head as you die is, 'Damn, I should've gone ahead and had dessert.' "
Seems he was well trained up on having reasons for doing what's right to do instead of the norm. I even believe in only dessert skipping the meal. Then there is dessert for breakfast or lunch. Had malaria pills for desert till I figured I'd prefer malaria to feeling like throwing up and being hyper sensitive to the sun while frying in the high desert regions. You might try getting one of those bug experts that catch insects around AO's to get the facts on what the risks going around are. With the coller weather you might have by now the bugs will be rising in numbers.

One good thing is the kids going to school seeing the car will be more prone to be future 911 drivers. Maybe they'll study harder


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