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Car Forum / Porsche / Porshe 911 / February 2008Advice needed re battery deaths
My 1985 Carrera 3.2 sits in a garage most of the time. I don't drive her often enough, and in return she's murdering batteries. The first one I sent back, thinking it was just a dud (dead cell). The second one I also sent back, thinking either I was very unlucky or the vendor was peddling crappy batteries. Finally I realised that the car is murdering them. So I installed a cut-out - a big red key that you take out to break the circuit and put in when you want to drive. The idea is that when you take the key out, there is no load on the battery at all. Not even the tiny load of the alarm and immobiliser (as they both activate when you reconnect the circuit). But it's just killed a third battery, which I installed brand new about five months ago, have barely used, and have never left alone with the circuit complete. The garage is not damp, and I can't think of any reason why the battery would be dying when the cut-out key is absent. Does anybody have a solution? I can't drive her more often, much as I'd love to. Do I need a special monster battery that's proof against being left alone for weeks at a time (like a boat battery or something)? Do I need to do something else to make sure there is no load on the battery when she's in the garage (in addition to the cut-out)? Or do I just need to take the battery out and bring it home and charge it up in between every outing (very, very tedious) ... Any tips from other infrequent drivers gratefully received ... CC You simply need one of the readily available trickle chargers with the computerized circuit that checks the battery voltage and only turns on the charger when the voltage drops to a certain level. Porsche and others make one that plugs into your cigarette lighter. (Obviously...the Porsche logo makes that one more expensive than "generic" models.). You should be able to find one for $35-50. If your storage garage does not have power, then you will simply have to take the battery with you...even though it's a pain. (Hint: If the only power is an overhead light...of the standard screw in type, then consider installing in one of those screw-in adapters that offers a couple of electric sockets, plus a bulb socket...and usually a chain on/off switch.) > My 1985 Carrera 3.2 sits in a garage most of the time. I don't drive her > often enough, and in return she's murdering batteries. The first one I [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > CC > My 1985 Carrera 3.2 sits in a garage most of the time. I don't drive her > often enough, and in return she's murdering batteries. I have an '81SC that I too use much too infrequently. I fitted a battery isolator "dis-car-nect" or similar for a few pounds/dollars. The car is kept under a cover in an unheated garage. My battery is a largish Nissan model (the PO worked in a Nissan dealer). I've had the car about 6 years and it's still on the same battery - I'm giving it a little charge at the moment but generally the car will sit for a month and then start first time (with a nice cloud of smoke!!!) I can't think why your batteries are dying - mine seems to be quite happy sitting disconnected for weeks at a time. "T h e J u d g e" <judge@nosuchdomain.co.uk> wrote > "Magnate" <no.thanks@try.skype> wrote in message >> My 1985 Carrera 3.2 sits in a garage most of the time. I don't [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > I can't think why your batteries are dying - mine seems to be quite > happy sitting disconnected for weeks at a time. I think the problem is that my isolator is incorrectly installed - I don't think it's actually isolating the battery at all. That's definitely the next thing I'm going to test. Thanks to everybody for the replies - my garage has no power (not even a light bulb) so the cigarette-lighter-charger option is not open to me. I'm going to get into the habit of taking the battery home if I don't have a definite drive scheduled within a month. Cheers, CC > My 1985 Carrera 3.2 sits in a garage most of the time. I don't drive her > often enough, and in return she's murdering batteries. > > Does anybody have a solution? I can't drive her more often, much as I'd > love to. Do I need a special monster battery that's proof against being [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > CC My '02 996 TT sits in a slightly heated garage from October to April. I use an inexpensive battery "maintainer", plugged into the cigarette lighter. Keeps the battery up without overcharging. Word of warning though... Don't confuse an old fashioned "trickle charger" with a modern "smart" battery charger/maintainer such as the one I use. A trickle charger *can* cook a battery over time or cause sulfates to develop on the plates. A "smart" charger/maintainer is designed not to do this and can be left on indefinitely. Eisboch
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