[sbdrivingdotcom]

Ok I bought a 25,000 mile red/black cab out of Florida. Same state I got my cobalt blue coupe. The PO completed belt work, water pump, rollers and had the dealer install a new battery. Intercity Lines shipped the car here directly from the Porsche dealer that performed the servicing. When it arrived the battery was dead. The driver claimed the battery was dead when he tried to move the car at his first stop after he picked up my car. The batter is a brand new OEM Porsche battery. This was a week ago Saturday.



I received the car Sunday and had to jump the car to get it home from the delivery location a mile away. I decided to drive it around and show it to some friends hoping to charge the battery with the alternator. An hour later and 14 miles of driving and I arrive home to find that the batter won't even light the interior dome light once the car is turned off.



Today I jumped the car and drove it to a friend's house who has a charger and a multimeter. The battery had less than 7 volts and wouldn't power anything. In fact I couldn't even close the rear trunk lid without the car started -- apparently it is electrically controlled. While the engine was running the alternator was charging the battery with over 13 volts, so the battery appears fine -- checked at idle at the battery. With the car off the battery was between 4 and 5 volts.



I checked the specific gravity of the battery acid with a hydrometer and all cells were at the bottom of the scale. So I hooked the battery to the charger, de-sulfated the battery using activation mode on the charger and I'm now up to 5 amps of current at around 12 volts and it has been charging for about four hours.



My question is how could a brand new battery become so discharged in the span of a week? There were no dome lights on but the cab windows were down and the car was unlocked in the transporter. The driver said the keys were NOT in the ignition when the batter supposedly died.



Any ideas are welcome. Also, I can't get the top down. Can you only put the top down with the key in the accessory position and the car off? If so a dead battery would preclude the top from going down, right?



Also, the radio won't work and now the exclamation point dummy and airbag lights are on. Are these a factor of the dead battery? Thanks in advance.

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[Anchorman]

Without trying to figure out what killed the battery, you certainly seem to have the corresponding signs. Re getting the top down - if the battery is dead, you have no way of running the motors, unless you go to the manual mode, in which instance you don't need the motors. The exclamation point and airbag lights often get triggered by electrical malfunctions. The only way of clearing the airbag light is at the dealer - or with the "mini-hammer" that has been discussed on other threads (but which I haven't had the time to prove yet myself).

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[968rz]

I had the same thing happen to me. PO replaced the battery 2 months b4 I got it and when I picked it up at the shop it was dead, work for a summer then died. IMO it's just that the OEM battery in not very good.

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[wingers]

If it is any help i have the same problem with the Tiptronic battery going flat somtimes and not others.

It looks so far that in most cases it happens when i activate the ignition switch to put the hood up.

Then remove the key,after about one to two days the battery is so flat that i have to open the boot [trunk] by the wire.

I am wondering if the alarm gets in a muddle?

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[sp4149]

[quote name='sbdrivingdotcom' post='37835' date='Jul 4 2007, 04:58 PM']Today I jumped the car and drove it to a friend's house who has a charger and a multimeter. The battery had less than 7 volts and wouldn't power anything. In fact I couldn't even close the rear trunk lid without the car started -- apparently it is electrically controlled. While the engine was running the alternator was charging the battery with over 13 volts, so the battery appears fine -- checked at idle at the battery. With the car off the battery was between 4 and 5 volts.



My question is how could a brand new battery become so discharged in the span of a week? There were no dome lights on but the cab windows were down and the car was unlocked in the transporter. The driver said the keys were NOT in the ignition when the batter supposedly died.



Any ideas are welcome. Also, I can't get the top down. Can you only put the top down with the key in the accessory position and the car off? If so a dead battery would preclude the top from going down, right?



Also, the radio won't work and now the exclamation point dummy and airbag lights are on. Are these a factor of the dead battery? Thanks in advance.[/quote]

We got a Florida Cab as well (it had been a lease vehicle) and as far as we could tell none of the maintenance under the lease was ever documented. Some thoughts on your problems:

First it appears that your alternator is working, 13 volts at the battery while running may be a tad low, however we found that the dash gauge was running about a half volt lower that actual. The 13 volts doesn't indicate a good battery, only that the alternator was delivering 13 volts to the battery.

The trunk lid on our 95 Cab does not use an electrical motor to close, however there is an electrical solenoid that releases the lid. A couple of years ago after a fender bender, the body shop inadvertently disconnected the wiring to the solenoid and the trunk release no longer worked, except with the manual wire loop release. When electronically released the trunk lid on our cab pops up less than a quarter inch, turning on interior dome lights. If the release point is maladjusted, it may not even release that far. Not noticing that the trunk lid is actually open, has caused me more than once to run down a strong battery. Especially if it is daylight out and the dome light is not obviously on. I thought we had a malfunctioning door/dome light switch that was to blame for the dome light not going off when the doors were shut. More that once I have failed to notice that the trunk lid was actually opened and the battery discharged so much that I couldn't start the car. When the battery is discharged the dome light will appear off. Sometimes if it has only been a day or two, I can get the battery quickly charged and start the car (Sears international series battey)

You seem to have significant battery drain when the car is shut off and the alternator is capable of supplying power when the engine is running. You need to measure the current drain on the battey when the ignition switch is in various "off" positions, a multi-tester probably will not be up to the task as the drain may be well above the 500 millamp range of most multi-testers. Try disconnecting various electrcial circuits to see if the current drain on the battery drops. I'd try disconnecting the trunk lid solenoid first since it seems to want current to close, our trunk lid will close without a battery. However you can't open the trunk with a key since the trunk key lock is a switch to the solenoid and is not mechanically connected.

Since the top can be raised only when the engine isn't running, but in an on position, a shorted ignition switch could be sending current to the top when the engine is off, but this is less likely.

If it is the factory radio and the battery has been removed, the security code needs to be reset. If the code was improperly entered, the radio will be dark for longer and longer periods of time before allowing security code re-entry. On our cab the car had to be actually driven before the code on the CR-1 would reset. The last time it took more than an hour of actual driving over a couple of days. Also had to make more than one trip to the dealer to get the right " security code". I wrote the code on top of the radio case after finally getting the right one. I upgraded to a newer Becker Porche radio like many others have done but haven't gotten around to selling the old one on eBay. I doubt your radio is actually dead, but is in a security display lock out until it allows the next attempt to set the code. Even if it looks dead, you have to leave the radio on while driving or the radio will never reset and display "code". I doubt that the radio appearing dead is a cause of the battery drain, but merely a result of the battery being disconnected or discharged below the radio's minimum voltage.

-sp4149

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[mpiazzola]

I'd suggest a good thread here as well, "Starter Issues Masquerading as Battery Issues", or something like that. Once I had Precision Motorsports in NJ replace the starter on my '93 cab, the failing battery problem went away.

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Well after de-sulfating the battery it finally charged completely after 8 hours. I was able to get the top down but can't get the radio to come on at all. It appears dead but I'll keep trying. All lights are switched off -- trunk, interior dome and hood. Windows are rolled up and the doors will be locked. I'm going to see if I can't get it to hold charge now. Thanks and any ideas on getting the radio to come on other than time I'm open to.

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[968rz]

The radio is in need of the code, I forget off hand but the manual tells of to enter it when it locks dead.

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Ok the car still starts but the radio is ON even when I turn the car off, remove the key from the ignition AND lock the doors! I hooked up a trickle charger just to be sure it doesn't drain the battery. I've tried entering the code but the manual says to wait until the display says, 'CODE.' I have the code cards in the operating manual of the radio but upon entering it nothing happens. The screen remains lit but blank. Guess I'll just wait a couple more days.

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[Mark]

[quote name='94SilverCab' post='25663' date='Aug 28 2006, 03:53 PM'](From the owners Manual)



"...In such a case, push the BAND SELECTOR (AM/FM) Switch for more than 2 seconds and "CODE" will appear in the display and you can enter the code again."



Hope that this helps,



Jay[/quote]

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[968rz]

[quote name='sbdrivingdotcom' post='37920' date='Jul 6 2007, 07:21 AM']Ok the car still starts but the radio is ON even when I turn the car off, remove the key from the ignition AND lock the doors! I hooked up a trickle charger just to be sure it doesn't drain the battery.[/quote]

If I read this right, your radio stays on (lights, playing music) even with the key in your pocket? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> That is a problem; that should go off with no key. Off the top of my head I would look at the ingition switch for faults (anything else still powered without the key on?) or possability the PO re-wired the Radio to stay on like that.

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[sp4149]

[quote name='sbdrivingdotcom' post='37920' date='Jul 6 2007, 05:21 AM']Ok the car still starts but the radio is ON even when I turn the car off, remove the key from the ignition AND lock the doors! I hooked up a trickle charger just to be sure it doesn't drain the battery. I've tried entering the code but the manual says to wait until the display says, 'CODE.' I have the code cards in the operating manual of the radio but upon entering it nothing happens. The screen remains lit but blank. Guess I'll just wait a couple more days.[/quote]

I am assuming that the radio is a CR-1 (stock radio). Waiting a couple of days without driving the car did nothing in my case. I had to be driving for over half an hour and then finally the code light appeared. It took much longer than the manual appeared to indicate. It is a four digit code. Sometimes service would call in and get a five digit code for our radio, that code always turned out bogus, none of the numbers matched the final code that worked. I went without the radio for several months, waiting for the code to reset after a bad entry, trying a new entry, etc.... Finally found a service manager who didn't quit at the first bad code ( 5 digit) and finally got the right four digit code. By that time I had replaced the CR-1 with a CR-210, but I took the new radio out hooked up the old one, tried the code and it worked. The radio doesn't turn off with the key immediately but stays on for a several seconds and then turns off. I would disconnect the radio and see if that cures the battery drain problem. You could have a bad radio or the ignition switch, I don't remember a relay in this circuit. On the radio there should be a pinout diagram for the Becker plug/receptacle on the back. This would indicate which pin is from the ignition switch and which pin is always giving 12 volt + power. On mine the pin assignment is:

Pin 4 - 12 v positive

Pin 7 - ignition switch

Pin 8 - ground



If pin 7 is hot with the key out, problem ignition switch; otherwise since the radio always has power thru pins 4 and 8 the problem is the radio. I decided against installing the CR-1 in our 944 so it is available. I checked eBay and couldn't find any CR-1s for sale. Price used to be around $100 with manual and working code. A lot of Porsche radios on eBay come from junkers who do not have the code or are too lazy to find it in the radio manual; the lower price in balanced by the frustration of finding the correct code.



Removing the radio isn't fun the first time, but gets easier, check old posts for tips. If the radio never turns off, but the screen stays dark, I think you may have found your battery drain. Even if the problem is the ignition switch, disconnecting the radio will reduce the current drain.



-sp4149



-sp4149

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Yes it is the stock radio and it is on but inoperable. When the battery was first charged fully the radio would not turn on. Then yesterday I took it for a drive and the radio turned on but would not allow me to type in the four digit security code on the card in the back of the operation manual. I tried holding down the AM/FM button to no avail. Maybe it is time for an extended drive.

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[sp4149]

[quote name='sbdrivingdotcom' post='37933' date='Jul 6 2007, 08:02 AM']Yes it is the stock radio and it is on but inoperable. When the battery was first charged fully the radio would not turn on. Then yesterday I took it for a drive and the radio turned on but would not allow me to type in the four digit security code on the card in the back of the operation manual. I tried holding down the AM/FM button to no avail. Maybe it is time for an extended drive.[/quote]

Until the radio displays "code", you will not be able to enter the security code. Some owners have been able to find a magic key combination that let them by-pass the wait, but those tricks didn't work for me. 968.net had a lot of those tips but it is so spam ridden that doing a search can be very frustrating. Friday, when I searched for the rear hall effect sensor post I had made there, I had to repeat each enter command three, four times before it actually would be recognized. I guess there is always Rennlist as another website, but 968.net has a lot of good 968 info now buried in spam.

-sp4149

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[gryphon]

[quote name='sp4149' post='37986' date='Jul 8 2007, 08:58 AM']Until the radio displays "code", you will not be able to enter the security code. Some owners have been able to find a magic key combination that let them by-pass the wait, but those tricks didn't work for me. 968.net had a lot of those tips but it is so spam ridden that doing a search can be very frustrating. Friday, when I searched for the rear hall effect sensor post I had made there, I had to repeat each enter command three, four times before it actually would be recognized. I guess there is always Rennlist as another website, but 968.net has a lot of good 968 info now buried in spam.

-sp4149[/quote]



Another reason why 968.net should not have died. Forums is great but another (older in this case) source of information is never bad.



Tom

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[wingers]

Engine belts and tensioner job now completed and running well so i thougt I would look into the battery running flat at different times.

After useing the car today i decided to eliminate the drain by removing each and every fuse in turn.

Opened the bonnet[hood] with key out of the ignition switch and the car unlocked.

What is that hum i can hear! so started removeing the fuses I reached number 7 and the hum stopped.

Shee wiz I will go to the battery and ckeck for any drain thinking I had found the prob, no such luck as i still have a drain when reconnected.

I will check the relays next but will have to wait after the Larmer Tree gig.

Question is should the slight hum be pressent when all is off and not pressent when I remove fuse no 7.

This is the tiptronic car.



   

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Ok I think I solved my problem. The radio head is malfunctioning. It will not shut off. So I removed the fuse and now I'm looking for a "new" CR-1 head. Anyone have one for a reasonable price? If so PM me.



Thanks!

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[jpk]

I have one I just took out of mine. You can have it for the cost of shipping; BUT; I cut the connectors off to use on the new radio. I'm 99.99% sure I left enough wire so that you could reconnect your plugs to it. If you're handy with a soldering iron, it won't be a problem at all, since everything is color coded.



I had the M490 option on mine, so the radio was set up to send signals to the amps. If I recall correctly, there was an 8-pin and one 10-pin connectors. With the M490, the 10-pin connector had all of the signal outputs for the amplifiers and the 8-pin had all of the power connectors. If you don't have the M490; I think the connections are the same, but I'd need to study the wiring diagrams a bit to confirm.

I'm traveling the rest of this week, but I'll have a look once I get home Friday evening.

If you're interested, send me a PM with an e-mail address and we'll discuss. Shipping would cost whatever it does to send 10 pounds from 48152; I'm guessing $15 UPS ground. I have all the packaging from my new unit, so that's no problem...

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