Starting problem - 993

[clorenzen]

After having left my 993 for the best part of 3 weeks in a garage i tried to start it this morning but the starter motor just made some odd noises. The alarm system and lights worked so it had sufficient power to open by remote and turn on the lights. Is this a battery issue or is the starter motor gone?. It is parked in an underground garage with limited access (height) so out of interest, how can you move a tiptronic car stuck in "P" ?

Thanks for any advice.

[graemel]

Ignition on. brake pedal down. Put it into N.

[cragswinter]

Flat battery

[stewart rix]

A sort of groaning pulsing noise as though the starter motor is trying to turn the engine over very slowly is due to a flat battery. It doesn't need much power to unlock the doors and light up the dash, but the battery needs to be in good shape to turn over the engine. Not unusual for this to happen in 3 weeks but you may have something draining the battery - interior lights on (including trunk), old tracker, degraded earth strap, issues with the alarm/immobiliser, incorrectly wired ICE... the list goes on.

[Globs]

To drain a 65Ah battery (lets say 45Ah as it's winter and it's not totally flat) over three weeks needs

45 / 24 * 7 * 3 = 89mA

So even a frugal car alarm will do it.
Leaving a 2W interior light on will do it in 45 / (2/12) = 270hrs, or 11.25 days.

[mft]

stewart rix said:

A sort of groaning pulsing noise as though the starter motor is trying to turn the engine over very slowly is due to a flat battery.

And if there's not enough power for the starter motor, but some residual power for the solenoid, you can get a quick 'dacka-dacka-dacka-dacka' noise.

[clorenzen]

mft said:

nd if there's not enough power for the starter motor, but some residual power for the solenoid, you can get a quick 'dacka-dacka-dacka-dacka' noise.

That ios exactly what i get so i will (had difficulties describing it) so i will try with the jump leads and see whether i can bring it back to life.

Thanks agaiun for all your comments - very helpfull.

Happy New Year.

[Schnellmann]

clorenzen said:

That ios exactly what i get so i will (had difficulties describing it) so i will try with the jump leads and see whether i can bring it back to life.

Thanks agaiun for all your comments - very helpfull.

Happy New Year.

Happened to me last year. With jump leads I got the car going but the battery had had it and had to get a replacement. Now use a trickle charger, which seems to work as haven't had problems since.