Keeping the battery charged

[mark seeker]

I'm not using my 996 as much as I'd like and as a result the battery is going flat. I wondered if anyone had an ideas to keep it charged? (1st world problems I know)

The car is stored in a garage with no electricity so I can't use a trickle charger.

I've been told that a 'jump pack' will kill the battery if I regularly use it (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jump-Starter-Pack-900amp-Compressor/dp/B005BE2MVU)

A solar panel to keep the battery ticking over isn't an option.

I don't want to disconnect the battery when the car isn't being used, I'm not sure if the insurance would still be valid with the bonnet up etc

Has anyone got any bright ideas on how to keep this charged other than to drive the car?

Any help appreciated.

[lolbert]

Get a kill switch fitted to switch off all drain from the battery?

[mark seeker]

lolbert said:

Get a kill switch fitted to switch off all drain from the battery?

Would that not kill the alarm too?

[996TT02]

Disconnect the battery, no real option. Even if you use any other means to start it, a lead acid battery won't take many full drain cycles before it is kaput.

The alarm has a separate battery, in fact it is important to leave the ignition key in position 1 when disconnecting else the alarm will go off within around 10 secs of disconnection. You can then remove the key afterwards.

However the alarm will not be active in the ordinary sense, but I don't see any insurance issues because as soon as the battery is connected I presume that any feking around with wiring will re-activate immobilisers etc etc and presumably the alarm will go off then?

One thing to note, the alarm battery will eventually drain after months of disconnection from the main battery, you may have it going off shortly after you start the car due to the voltage drop.

Perhaps connecting the battery and letting the car stand for a while will charge up the alarm battery and prevent this from happening. And getting nicked for "stealing" your own car!

Another thing, look up the "resetting idle speed" procedure in your handbook (no biggie at all, one minute or so of waiting) because this will become necessary when you disconnect the battery, though I am not sure I noticed any difference when not doing this!

[Trev450]

How far away is your garage from the nearest 240v mains supply?

Edited by Trev450 on Monday 17th March 12:32

[Alpinestars]

Buy yourself a high amp hour battery eg, a truck battery, and stick it in the front boot. Attach it to your battery using jump leads. This will at least extend the life of your battery, and everytime the truck battery is starting to wane, you can pull it out of the car and recharge it.

[dank]

mark seeker said:

I'm not using my 996 as much as I'd like and as a result the battery is going flat. I wondered if anyone had an ideas to keep it charged? (1st world problems I know)

The car is stored in a garage with no electricity so I can't use a trickle charger.

I've been told that a 'jump pack' will kill the battery if I regularly use it (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jump-Starter-Pack-900amp-Compressor/dp/B005BE2MVU)

A solar panel to keep the battery ticking over isn't an option.

I don't want to disconnect the battery when the car isn't being used, I'm not sure if the insurance would still be valid with the bonnet up etc

Has anyone got any bright ideas on how to keep this charged other than to drive the car?

Any help appreciated.

So who said jump packs damage the battery, I recently bought one to use when the battery drains and had to use it last week to pop the hood and jump the engine, is this the wrong thing to dom how else otherwise would I start the car
???????

[m3evo321]

trickle charger

[dank]

Car not garaged or near power point....

[RichB]

996TT02 said:

The alarm has a separate battery, in fact it is important to leave the ignition key in position 1 when disconnecting else the alarm will go off within around 10 secs of disconnection. You can then remove the key afterwards.

That's not true for my 2009 987 Gen2 Boxster. Been having battery issues, hence reading this thread, and today I replaced the crappy Porsche/Moll one with a decent Bosch battery. I didn't do anything with the key, just swapped the battery over and Bob's your uncle. No worries, no alarms

[DKL]

mark seeker said:

A solar panel to keep the battery ticking over isn't an option.

Can I ask why not? No windows?
They come with long leads and as long as the cig lighter is wired on then I find mine works well for just this.

[pete.g]

Fit a deep cycle battery - Optima Yellow Top for e.g.

They last a lot longer (i.e they hold a charge) and are also designed to allow frequent re-charging.

[996TT02]

RichB said:

996TT02 said:

The alarm has a separate battery, in fact it is important to leave the ignition key in position 1 when disconnecting else the alarm will go off within around 10 secs of disconnection. You can then remove the key afterwards.

That's not true for my 2009 987 Gen2 Boxster. Been having battery issues, hence reading this thread, and today I replaced the crappy Porsche/Moll one with a decent Bosch battery. I didn't do anything with the key, just swapped the battery over and Bob's your uncle. No worries, no alarms

That's fine, I don't have any such issues on my MX5, either

[RichB]

Of course, yours will have far better electrical technology because it's nine more.

[996TT02]

RichB said:

Of course, yours will have far better electrical technology because it's nine more.

Ummm... yes

[mark seeker]

dank said:

mark seeker said:

I'm not using my 996 as much as I'd like and as a result the battery is going flat. I wondered if anyone had an ideas to keep it charged? (1st world problems I know)

The car is stored in a garage with no electricity so I can't use a trickle charger.

I've been told that a 'jump pack' will kill the battery if I regularly use it (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jump-Starter-Pack-900amp-Compressor/dp/B005BE2MVU)

A solar panel to keep the battery ticking over isn't an option.

I don't want to disconnect the battery when the car isn't being used, I'm not sure if the insurance would still be valid with the bonnet up etc

Has anyone got any bright ideas on how to keep this charged other than to drive the car?

Any help appreciated.

So who said jump packs damage the battery, I recently bought one to use when the battery drains and had to use it last week to pop the hood and jump the engine, is this the wrong thing to dom how else otherwise would I start the car
???????

The AA guy who came out said if I used one of the jump packs then it would fry the cells? If there is no truth in this then I'll just buy one and be done with it!!

[RichB]

996TT02 said:

RichB said:

Of course, yours will have far better electrical technology because it's nine more.

Ummm... yes

987 > 996 anyway whipped the old Moll one out, new Bosch one in, put it on the Accumate last night and it switched to green so I know it's all hunky dory and everything's fine. PSM indicator cleared after a few mins on the drive to my office this morning and the sun's shinning so (being a hairdresser's car) I may take the roof down on the way home.

[dank]

From what I understood a jump pack gave less severe 'jump' then using another car to jump start it, and you can leave it connected to charge the battery for a while, it's also the best way to open the bonnet, or so I was led to believe. If I am wrong, then could someone explain how, if the battery is dead, do you open the bonnet and start the car.....

[mark seeker]

Am I correct in thinking if I connect a jump pack to the battery it'll charge it? So could I not leave it in the boot for a couple of hours and then it'll be charged?

Jump pack is looking like the way to go regardless...

[RichB]

dank said:

... if the battery is dead, do you open the bonnet and start the car.....

Not sure if it's been said here but inside the fuse box on the side of the footwell there's a red anode which you can plug power into and hook an earth to the door strap or somewhere. That's enough to open the bonnet/boot solenoids. Then you're in.