Blue997_1

Hey folks, I have a fairly specific winter storage situation and a few questions. I live in super cold New Hampshire and this is my first winter with the Porsche (997.1 Carrera 2). I do NOT have a garage at my house so I put the car in a storage unit nearby. I live in a very rural area so I don't exactly get to pick from luxury climate-controlled units, so my unit is just a simple box with no climate control, no power outlets, etc. My routine has been to just start the car up maybe 1-2 times per month when the roads are clear, drive it for an hour, and put it back in the garage. That has gone fine so far. Unfortunately I can't really wash salt off the car so it just has to sit salty, since taking it to the car wash is basically pointless (it will just get covered again on the drive back to the storage unit), but at least it's dry.

Today I went to start it up and lo and behold, the battery has died. The car behaves like it's possessed. The drivers side window started to roll itself down, about a million warning lights lit up on the dash (PSM failure, etc.), all of the lights including headlights kept flickering, and the spoiler decided to raise itself. I'm chalking this all up to brilliant German engineering :-)

Since the car battery is clearly now dead, I'm trying to figure out what to do next. We're expecting a big snowstorm tonight so the roads won't be clear for several more days. I'll probably try to go jump-start the car once the roads are clear again. Do you guys think all of the electric issues like possessed driver window, spoiler, etc. will resolve on its own? Or would I need to take it to a dealer to get things reset?

Also is there some way to see if the battery is still good to use after a jump-start? It's a brand new battery so it would be a shame if it's totally dead, but I've read some articles online that say if the battery goes completely dead it may be un-revivable.

Thanks for any input you guys might have! I've learned my lesson... next winter I'm slapping snow tires on this thing and just DRIVING IT. We're moving to a place with a garage so storage will no longer be an issue.

LexVan

How old is the battery?

A new battery should fix everything, as long as you don't have rodent damage (common in storage facilities). Walmart, Pepboys, Sears.....many places to buy a proper replacement with proper vent tube. Don't reverse polarity. Hopefully you can get the frunk open.

Now over head light to tap a battery maintainer into??

Blue997_1

The battery was purchased new this fall, so only maybe 5-6 months old. I had enough juice to get the frunk open today so I just left it unlocked. It's a little psychologically tough to leave my baby in this state, but I have to keep perspective that it's just a machine and there should be no lasting harm done. I'm just hoping the nearly-new battery is not toast and the electric issues sort themselves out.

LexVan

Then I don't think it's your battery. Something else drew down the charge or caused the issue.

Blue997_1

It's been very cold, most days the high is 20 and low is negative Fahrenheit. The last time I drove the car was about 3 weeks ago. Why do you think it's another issue besides the battery?

LexVan

That's not cold. And 3 weeks is nothing for a healthy new battery.

What battery is in there?

Blue997_1

I believe it's an AutoZone Gold.

LexVan

That's a good battery.

Balr14

If you don't lock the car, the battery will get drained. You have to lock it to turn off all of the stuff that stays "warm".

3Series

Put a multi-meter on the battery to test how low it goes when you start the car. As others have said, if you replace the battery again, I think it will resolve your issues.
If you can't access power for a trickle charger, I would remove the battery and keep it charged at your home. In the spring, re-install and hopefully everything works but you'll need to reset some stuff.

Petza914

All those issues are battery related. It's too dead. You won't know if it can be revived until you try to do that, but the advice to remove it from the car and charge it at home is a good advice. The longer it sits in this state of discharge, the less likely it will be to recover.

You need to put some rat poison in the storage unit too.

Blue997_1

Thanks for the advice folks!! I do have a multimeter at home. So should I bring that to the storage unit and test to see how many volts are across the battery? How many volts would be considered.. super dead? And would one of these $20 battery chargers on Amazon be okay, if the battery is not totally dead?

Petza914

Get the Battery Tender brand or a C-Tek.

linderpat

Note, the OP said he has no electric at the storage place, so putting the battery on a tender is a "non-starter" (pun intended).

What I would do is remove the battery altogether and just store it for the long haul. Take the battery home and store it in a warm, dry place. The car should be prepped for long term storage - over-inflate the tires, Stabil in a full tank of gas, fresh oil change, steel wool in the exhausts, moth-***** under the car and on a little tray in the engine bay, dryer sheets in the interior, and rodent poison in the shed. Then leave it for the winter, until spring, after the salt is all washed away. Being stored cold without the battery will not hurt it. Driving it around in salt will do plenty long term damage to the underside, since you cannot wash it off after the drive. It'll just eat away at things beneath the car.

El Dario Loco

Wait, wait, explain the moth ball under and in the engine bay! Never done that or the steel wool and now I feel worried!