Moogle

Heres a bunch of questions related to 'not driving a car' and potential negative effects:

1. How long can a 9x6 car sit before its battery dies?
--Assuming its locked with the alarm on (flashing light on dash)

2. is it bad for the car if the battery dies?, i assume you just plug in the charger and recharge and all is well...?

3. if the battery dies, is any data in the computers lost?

4. When preparing to drive a car that has been sitting for awhile, is it wise to plug in the charger for awhile just in case?

5. Can a car battery that is almost dead, damage a car if one tries to start it?

The cars in question are all regarding new cars, when i say dead battery, i mean one that is almost outta juice, not one that has almost reached the end of its service life.

Thanks!

Tom

MetalSolid

Get a Battery Tender.

Fongster

I leave to go home every summer and over xmas I left the GT3 sitting for 6 weeks ...
started right up

The NSX, 996 and M3 usually "dies" off after 3-4 weeks. I have a trickle charger that brings it all back to life after one night

Moogle

does a V1 plugged into the car, (with the V1 switched OFF) drain power?

JS

Exactly, or heres an idea, get a battery maintainer.

Bob Rouleau

Tom,



1. How long can a 9x6 car sit before its battery dies?
--Assuming its locked with the alarm on (flashing light on dash)

Ans: about three weeks based on my 2002 GT2, 2004 GT3s. All have a tracking device using a cell phone installed which drains the battery more quickly.

2. is it bad for the car if the battery dies?, i assume you just plug in the charger and recharge and all is well...?

Ans: It depends on how long it has been discharged. If you leave it for two months the odds are that the battery will reverse a cell and be ruined. If only discharged for a few weeks a charge will bring it back to normal.

3. if the battery dies, is any data in the computers lost?

Ans: The computer will start with the factory data. Any parameters which have been "learned" will be lost. It will be like the first day you drove it - no better, no worse. You will lose your radio stations presets and code (if it is a coded model).

4. When preparing to drive a car that has been sitting for awhile, is it wise to plug in the charger for awhile just in case?

Ans: If it starts - good. If not plug in a charger. If a charger does not produce enough juice to start the car, you have a shorted battery which will need to be replaced.

5. Can a car battery that is almost dead, damage a car if one tries to start it?

Ans: No, either the car starts or the battery dies.


Rgds,

Moogle

thanks very much guys for the advice

Bob Rouleau, thanks for answering everything so thoroughly!

Viken

What you need is a Porsche battery maintainer. Or, you can go for the full charger and maintainer unit.

Also, the V1 turned off should not be draining any power.

Racerron

Interstate is now selling the same charger that Gert (90 Euros ) has on his site for about $45 USD. There are 2 versions available the 3.3amp charger/maintainer and the more expensive unit that will also serve a a booster as well.

These units are made by the same company that badges them for Porsche and Mercedes in Europe.

Flying Finn

How long you're not driving?

Just asking because it it's long enough, there are other things, besider worrying about the battery, you should do (stuff for storing the car).

Cupcar#12

my question too....heading off to college?
in my case i have been traveling for the past 2 months - I had my wife start the car once for 30 minutes or so. no problems yet.

The_Phantom

What is the purpose of a tracking device (theft recovery/lojack)? Do all 996s have them?

Bob Rouleau

GREG - The device is called a Boomerang and the coompany was recently purchased by Lojack. It is a tracking device based on GPS and a cell phone. Insurance companies around here insist on having them installed iin all cars which are appealing to theives. Montreal is a hot spot for car thefts since the bad guys can swipe cars and put them in a container for shipment. It draws current all the time and carsm equipped will see a dead battery after only a couple of weeks iwithout a battery maintainer. The Boomerang has resulted in a number of car theft ringsd being busted up.

Regards,

Austin

Finn's right. There are issues with seals, bearings, engine internals, cooling system internals, brake components, fluids, etc that should be a concern for long term storage. Of course it depends on how long the car is to sit for and in what climate. Ideally, motor vehicles should be started/used at least 1x per week. If not, there are procedures for storage that can be performed, and also procedures for removal from storage. Storage would mean idle for 90 days or more.

Some common sense items prior to storage are: checking brake fluid is new and full, engine oil and gear oil is clean, and a coolant change including less water, and more phosphate free coolant. Easy removal from storage would be a brake flush (yes again), oil change (prior to starting car, and prime the filter canister as well), gear oil change, check for shrunken/cracked hoses, coolant change, and general inspection of the vehicle. Just the regular normal stuff. Storage for a year or more gets more in depth.

The_Phantom

And these things are in all 996s? Does Porsche keep a record of everywhere we drive?