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Battery on the way out?

Kimbo

Well-known member
Joined
5 May 2011
Messages
3,483


Hot or cold, my battery/starter motor starts very slowly and it feels like I've got a flat battery but eventually catches after one turn.

Normal? Knackered? On the way out?

I started another Cayman the other day and it burst into life straight away.

If knackered, any recommendations on a battery? Currently have a Banner Starting Bull 80 ah, 660 cd. There is no way of telling how old it is.

Thank you chaps.
 
Hook up another car with jump leads and try it. If sluggish not battery, if fine then battery.
 
Nice idea, ta.
Does the other car have the engine running?
 
Yes, then you're maximising the ampage and also avoiding doing any damage to the other cars battery if yours is goosed.
 
Drop by the garage young man .. it dont take 5 mins to test your battery .. possible power dist problem but i expect its just a battery.

Bosch 740 sae i expect it will be .

If you are around at say 1 then i can do it in my dinner break (come grab me as ill be upstairs ) .. im off tomorrow though ( monday ) so tuesday onwards .
 
Many thanks Batman :thumb:

I'll do Alex's test and if that doesn't show up anything I'll pop down in the week sometime.
 
I'd urge caution about jumping another battery unless you follow the procedure in the handbook. Sometimes there can be a power surge that blows or damages the ECU.
 
Kimbo said:
Oh Gawd. What?

Alex?

http://www.porscheownersmanuals.com/2011-cayman-manual/2/246/Emergency-Starting-with-Jumper-Cables

Connect jumper cables in the following sequence:
Always observe the sequence below:

Connect the positive lead (red) to the positive terminal of the discharged battery first, then connect it to the positive terminal of the donor battery.
First connect the negative cable (black) to the negative terminal of the donor battery, then connect it to a suitable grounding point on the vehicle with the discharged battery.
This grounding point must lie as far as possible from the battery.
For example, a solid metal part or the engine block are suitable grounding points.

If no suitable grounding points are to be found on either vehicle, the negative cable must carefully be connected directly to the negative terminal of the battery.

If a suitable grounding point is to be found only on the donor vehicle, the negative cable must first be connected to the terminal of the discharged battery, then to the grounding point of the donor vehicle.
Run the engine of the donor car at a higher speed.
Start the engine.
An attempted start using jumper cables should not last more than 15 seconds. Then allow a waiting period of at least one minute.
Note
Before disconnecting the jumper cables, electrical loads such as the heated rear window and the heating fan blower should be switched on (the vehicle's lights must not be switched on). This reduces voltage peaks which may occur when disconnecting the jumper cables.
With the engine running, remove both jumper cables in reverse order.
 
Because a multimeter won't put a load on the battery to tell you its kicking enough amps out, it will only measure the voltage.
 
Just buy a new battery for £60 and then you'll know and have a 2-3yr guarantee :thumb:
 
Put a capacitor across your battery terminals to stop spiking from any source. Purpose made voltage protectors only cost about £6-8. You can put a volt meter across the battery then turn the engine and note the voltage, make sure the probes are in contact with the battery posts not the cables, this will give true battery voltage, if it drops when the probes are on the cables then you have a poor connection or earth.
 
Guys, Guys, you`re all getting a little technical here, our beloved Kimbo is an artist, not an engineering wizard, he just wants to know if his battery is goosed :grin:

Kimbo, let Demort check it for you in his lunch hour, you run the risk of serious damage to electronic systems in your car if you fanny about with something you`re not comfortable with :thumb:

Still loving the Rat look Cayman :thumbs:

Both my Porschas were slow on the first rev/crank/turn of the engine today due to the cold weather, it`s just thick oil/very cold engine and the battery takes a dip due to the ambient temperature :grin:
 
I wouldn't risk a jump start unless its done by a Porsche specialist with in-line surge protector and following the procedure in the handbook.
Even my Mercedes Benz has a complicated jump start process that I just call out MB Mobilo breakdown support who use a special cable with a massive in-line surge protector to prevent voltage surge/spikes from blowing the ECU and the entertainment system.

There is another post of someone's PCM 2.0 gone bust following a jump start attempt and the posts suggest that its now goosed and possibly (probably?) related to voltage surge at jump start.

If there is a doubt on your battery, have a simple test and/or simply replace it irrespective.
 

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