I have read all the threads posted, but I am hoping for a little guidance.

I have an 08S. The car has 22k miles (so about 5.x K a year in miles).

The battery went dead in May so I bought the interstate battery that everyone on here recommends.

Yesterday I went to start the car and the battery was almost dead. (The charger said 10% battery life).

I trickle charged it at 2amps and it starts again.

The problem is that is obviously not a bad battery, there is a load on the system and I am wondering how to trace it.

The only things after market on the car are:

Valetine 1 Radar Detector hard wired into mirror.
Pioneer Stereo
Alpine amplifier.

My theory is that is the radio, but I am not sure how to trace to the source.

I have also read that the alternator could be bad (possible as I drove the car on a 240 trip last week and typically that is enough to recharge a car battery). The other theories are the ground cable, or the wiring harness.

The warranty expired in may...go figure.

I am looking to purchase the battery tender on a group buy soon, but I would rather solve the cause then treat the symptom.

Thanks!

t.

 

My 2008 is in the shop right now getting a new starter cable and new alternator. I hope these repairs fix the problem. The tech also noticed that one of my radiator fans was not working so they replaced that as well. LOL When they washed the car they managed to rip off my "S" so they put a new one on.

BTW I had it in the shop last week for the same problem and they sent me home with a charged battery and told me to keep it on a charger. Ok....I played their silly game. Took it out on Sunday for a 2-hour drive stopped at Starbucks and the sucker barely turned over. There is something obviously wrong with the charging system so I took it back on Monday. Been driving around the Cayenne loaner all week.

 

Starter cable and alternator <------These two are your issues.

John

 

yep. prob the cable but as long as theyre in there, might as well get a new starter for preventative.

 

Ok, the car charged to 100% on the craftsman charger.
Still cannot turn over....just some clicks.
Everything in my car is going on and off. (spoiler came up, hazards on, etc).

Tried jumping it....nada....just clicking. I have stopped because I don't want to burn something up by running lots of amps....

I called a local garage. They said probably the cable....not sure about the other stuff. I can't start the car to take it there, so I am going to have it flat bedded.

argghhhhhh....this is going to be pricey....

 

hope the issues get resolved soon and cheaply, but...you own a porsche (not to mention, bascially a "german automobile"). you dont know this already??

 

painfully aware!

20+ years or porsche ownership. believe me i am seasoned. I have just never owned a newish one.

 

No way Porsche should get a free pass on the whole battery cable nonsense

 

I guess if the cable doesn't cause a fire then it won't be recalled.

 

Be careful jumping it... my son just toasted his ABS system in his Toyota Tacoma doing this. Dealer wanted $3K to replace.

 

There is a trickle load on Porsche's - especially the newer ones with alarms. It will go dead after a month if you don't run it. Guess thats why people get trickle chargers. But it may not trickle enough.

Once you've let a battery go dead, my experience (and understanding) is that it won't have the same capacity as before e.g.. - don't let the battery go dead. After 3 years or more its time to get a new one. When I finally replaced the one in my 05' GT3 (which was not even the original), it would go dead if I left the key in the ignition for 20 minutes. Battery had gone to heaven.

 

Standard starter batteries do not like being deep discharged, do it even once and it degrades the battery. Thats why they make special deep discharge batteries.

 

I am not sure what a standard or deep battery is. I got the Interstate battery that is recommended by many on this site. It was replaced in May. Clearly there is something that is killing it.

My fear is that I toasted the starter or alternator (or both), and worse may have cooked the brain...not sure how I check for that. At this point I called AAA but I have to wait for monday for my coverage to cover the 30mile tow. No rush, so i will just wait it out.

In the meantime I get to drive an air cooled, converitble, non-AC having 911, in the florida summer! Love it!

Dumb question, how does one check the voltage that the alternator or starter are getting? Is that thru the durametric tool?

Oh, and for giggles, my wife and I just checkout a 2013 Nissan GT-R. It's scary....I think it's the only car that makes Chuck Norris nervous....

t.

 

Since you have til Monday try taking the current dead battery from May to an auto store and have them check it out. That will help us get to root cause.

 

good idea