amaist

The trunk release system was designed by complete idiot or more likely a committee of complete idiots. I would like to meet the person who signed off on the decision to have it purely electrical and rant at him/her for about half an hour.

WTF?! I already got seriously inconvenienced a few times with my 996 when the battery drained. I thought I was very clever to bring a portable starter battery to open it. Of course, that didn't work because that starter battery is "intelligent" and senses that it can't crank the engine over the fuse box connector and it doesn't have a bypass. So I have to bring another vehicle close enough and have long enough booster cables to open the frunk which then allows me to use the portable booster.

German engineering, my ***!!!

To add more insult to the whole situation they put in the government mandated release on the inside. I guess it would come handy if I threw Mini Me into the frunk without tying his hands well. But.....

The bloody release is also electrical. So if I wanted to be sure that Mini Me doesn't escape I would unhook the battery and slam the frunk shut. Then even the fuse box connector might not work like in the original poster's scary case.

almeena58

Don’t forget the stupid design of the wiper arms when they are off the windscreen and someone tried to open the trunk in carwash, they will be in the way and disaster might happen (break Windscreen , damage wiper arms and scratch the hood paint)

Bruce P

Yes -- I had the exploding battery happen to me on a brand new car with less than 1500 miles. Was using a Porsche battery tender and it boiled the battery dry. My dealer also said they had seen the same thing happen before.

911SLOW

I was just reading the manual and apparently they have warnings and disclaimers for everything, now If you ask me, I don't know anyone that opens the lid and battery covers to ensure ventilation when charging but that is it..

Glad you and your family are ok.




"Hydrogen gas generated by the battery
could cause an explosion, resulting in
serious personal injury or death.
Charge battery in a well ventilated area.
Never charge a frozen battery. It may explode
because of gas trapped in the ice. Allow a
frozen battery to thaw out first.
If you get electrolyte, which is an acid, in your
eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and call a
doctor.

1. Pay attention to all warnings and follow instructions
that come with your battery charger.
2. When charging, ensure adequate ventilation.
3. Remove battery.
4. All vent caps should be open.
The fluid level should meet the indicator mark
in each cell.
5. Ensure that charger is switched off – danger of
short circuit!
6. Connect charger cables.
Charger cables must be connected
POSITIVE (+) to POSITIVE (+) and
NEGATIVE (–) to NEGATIVE (–).
7. Switch on charger.
Normally, a battery should be charged at no
more than 10 percent of its rated capacity.
Rated capacity of the battery in your vehicle is
listed on the battery housing.
8. After charging, turn off charger and disconnect
charger cables.
9. Tighten the vent caps and reinstall battery."

..

kevin1244

You know; that is ridiculous. Especially for a brand like Porsche. Look what happened here with me: 1) I will think twice buying another Porsche, 2) I will think twice recommending a Porsche to a friend, 3) I am very uncomfortable around the car now; what if it happens again?, 4) All the BS about customer satisfaction with Porsches are down the tube now. I now know they are no different than Hyundai, perhaps Hyundai is better because they are trying to steal market share from others, 5) All the BS about German engineering excellence, down the tube.
They could have handled this in a more professional manner and things would have been different.
I think my bill will be large as well; for a defective battery exploding on me!
Kevin.

malmasri

^ As our moderator says In other words...thanks

kevin1244

Thanks for the support.
I think the procedure above is about charging the battery to revive it. The idea of a battery maintainer is not to go through all this but just be able to connect it to your cigarrette lighter and let it do the job. It's not supposed to "cook" a battery and create an explosion. In addition, I think an arc suppression device is needed in the circuitry for the battery to prevent hazards. If this had resulted in a more serious case for me or my family; Porsche would have been toast in a court of law. For $1500 repair bill; it's not worth my time and effort, but Porsche has lost its credibility with me as a brand. I hate it when companies are not "man" enough to stand behind their products.

Kevin.

ADias

This may be what happened. I know about a couple of cases where battery maintainers dried up batteries. The CTek unit claims 4 operating modes, but people have told me theirs had behaved erratically. I rarely use mine.

996FLT6

I have a disconnect when car is parked in between trackdays. Mike

tcsracing1

Ahh, i see.
If original warranty was still in place im sure the situation would be different at the dealer.

As to the battery itself, once it is out of warranty i presume the manufacture could still be held liable if they batteries were designed not to explode?

I guess it comes down to the battery manufacture once porsche factory warranty is expired along with expired battery warranty.......

Just horrible.

Perhaps, like an airplane, we should replace parts once they reach a certain age regardless if it is working.....

Where im from in Newfoundland, that battery would be on the showroom floor surrounded by broken glass.....

amaist

That kind of design exists on many cars.

Annoying but reasonably easy to deal with. The problems arise when clueless people in a hurry handle the car. I did get caught by the wiper arms sticking out but I was not swinging the frunk open too fast and caused no damage.

996FLT6

Battery location is WTF? Pretty much on top of fuel tank and weight high up. I relocated the battery to the trunk floor to keep any acid from spewing all over the fuel tank. It's just plain wrong. Mike

kevin1244

I agree. I hope you don't go through what I went through. It is scary to think that your car might explode in your garage /home. I am not over dramatizing when I say scary. The possibility was real.

Yoops Racing

Man this sux...I am not sure that Porsche would be liable for this seems to me it would be the battery manufacturer. But I also want to understand more how a Battery Tender can cook a battery....I have a few other cars that have these on them for long periods of time.

kevin1244

It is absolutely a Porsche problem because the battery is an OEM Porsche battery. The pistons in your car are probably made by a sub-supplier of Porsche, if the engine dies because of them, Porsche is responsible not the sub-supplier. All OEM parts (whether designed by Porsche or just procured and assembled) are Porsche's responsibility. They can go and get their sub-supplier pay them up or change the design, but that is not mine or your job; it's Porsche's.
I have used battery tenders on Ferraris', BMW's, and Porsche's for years. The only battery that exploded on me is the Porsche's. So, I am not sure what to tell you about using them. But, at the least don't use it on your Porsche!