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    Dec 18, 2006 6:11:05 PM

    TEE
    Veteran
    TEE
    Loc: Germany , Germany
    Posts: 929, Gallery
    Registered on: Feb 5, 2003

    Battery Charger

    I have noticed that my battery on the GT3 runs low within a few weeks when the car is not driven. Given that winter is approaching and I will not drive it on a regular basis I wanted to get a battery trickle charger to keep the battery loaded. Any experience or recommendations on products

    Thx in advance

    TEE

    Dec 18, 2006 7:23:06 PM

    uzj100
    Co-Pilot
    uzj100
    Loc: California, USA
    Posts: 169, Gallery
    Registered on: Sep 28, 2005
    Reply to: TEE

    Re: Battery Charger

    Just get the Porsche battery maintainer and plug it into the cigarette lighter when you won't be driving your car for awhile.

    Dec 18, 2006 7:35:50 PM

    Jim48
    Senior
    Jim48
    Loc: Virginia, USA
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    Registered on: Oct 24, 2005
    Reply to: TEE

    Re: Battery Charger

    I have used the Porsche battery maintainer (it plugs into the cigarette lighter) since I took delivery of my 911S last February. I always keep it plugged in as I drive the car infrequently and the alarm system appears to be a heavy drain on the battery. I note this since the electric clock is almost always slow by 5 minutes or so when I have not driven it for 1 week, even with the battery maintainer plugged in.

    So I use the maintainer all the time, and it has worked quite well. I have never had trouble starting the car.

    Jim

    Dec 18, 2006 9:47:26 PM

    MMD
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    MMD
    Loc: usa
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    Registered on: Dec 16, 2004
    Reply to: uzj100

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    uzj100 said:
    Just get the Porsche battery maintainer and plug it into the cigarette lighter when you won't be driving your car for awhile.



    Agree completely. Though dlr svc says my car is fine, I think if I left it for a week the battery would be dead. It seems to barely turn over when starting after being left for a few days w/o maintainer.

    Screw trying to find out what might be wrong (no time to get more BS from dealer service) I just plug the maintainer in and forgetabout it.

    Dec 18, 2006 10:44:13 PM

    uzj100
    Co-Pilot
    uzj100
    Loc: California, USA
    Posts: 169, Gallery
    Registered on: Sep 28, 2005
    Reply to: TEE

    Re: Battery Charger

    Just get the Porsche battery maintainer and plug it into the cigarette lighter when your is not beign driven.

    Dec 18, 2006 11:46:39 PM

    ewi
    Pilot
    ewi
    Loc: Germany
    Posts: 430, Gallery
    Registered on: Apr 21, 2005
    Reply to: Jim48

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    Jim48 said:
    ... the alarm system appears to be a heavy drain on the battery. I note this since the electric clock is almost always slow by 5 minutes or so when I have not driven it for 1 week, even with the battery maintainer plugged in.



    So, if your clock is slow with or without the battery maintainer, what does that mean? Simply that the clock being slow has absolutely nothing to do with battery voltage
    IIRC, the clock being slow is a problem of cars without nav. There are some threads about that, e.g. here: Clock loosing time thread
    Maybe there is a fix for it in the meantime. Call your service center.


    TEE1, I have the Porsche Charge-o-mat battery maintainer that in fact is a CTEK Multi XS 3600 (www.ctek.com) with Porsche label. It either plugs in a cigarette lighter socket or if you get the additional adapter it can be connected right to the battery poles. So far I have experienced one small problem with it. It might happen that the plug looses the solid connection to the lighter socket. Probably when the car's door is closed or other vibrations. The charger indicates that with a blinking LED (that is also shown if the battery is dead and cannot be charged). So, I check the state of the LEDs from time to time to see whether the charger is actually working.

    Dec 18, 2006 11:57:39 PM

    Dasein
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    Dasein
    Loc: Mountains of western NC, USA , United States
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    Registered on: Sep 19, 2005
    Reply to: ewi

    Re: Battery Charger

    I have a dumb question. Say I plug the Battery Maintainer into the cigarette lighter. Where do I run the wire to outside the P-car as the windows always close tightly when the door is closed?
    TIA

    Dec 19, 2006 12:22:46 AM

    waiting for PDK
    Pilot
    waiting for PDK
    Loc: Chicago, IL
    Posts: 401, Gallery
    Registered on: Apr 23, 2005
    Reply to: Dasein

    Re: Battery Charger

    Now I'm getting worried. I would have my car parked in a condo garage--essentially covered outdoor parkeing (i.e. no electrical outlet). If I don't drive the car for a week or two, will I return to a dead car and need a jump start?

    If so, I'll have to change my username to "passing on PDK."

    Dec 19, 2006 12:27:19 AM

    ewi
    Pilot
    ewi
    Loc: Germany
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    Registered on: Apr 21, 2005
    Reply to: Dasein

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    Dasein said:
    I have a dumb question. Say I plug the Battery Maintainer into the cigarette lighter. Where do I run the wire to outside the P-car as the windows always close tightly when the door is closed?
    TIA



    I run the thinner 12V cable through the door. You have to close the door carefully in order to do no harm to the cable and the rubber seal around the door. I also vary the position of the cable to avoid permanent deformation of the seal at one spot. The charger and the thicker 110/230V cable remain outside the car. That's also better in case the charger gets too hot and blows up.

    Dec 19, 2006 12:49:32 AM

    ewi
    Pilot
    ewi
    Loc: Germany
    Posts: 430, Gallery
    Registered on: Apr 21, 2005
    Reply to: waiting for PDK

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    waiting for PDK said:
    Now I'm getting worried. I would have my car parked in a condo garage--essentially covered outdoor parkeing (i.e. no electrical outlet). If I don't drive the car for a week or two, will I return to a dead car and need a jump start?




    Don't worry. 1 or 2 weeks is no problem even if parked outside in the cold, unless the car is a short distance vehicle or the battery is damaged.
    That's what I found about battery discharge/parking time:

    Dec 19, 2006 1:59:15 AM

    MMD
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    MMD
    Loc: usa
    Posts: 9652, Gallery
    Registered on: Dec 16, 2004
    Reply to: ewi

    Re: Battery Charger

    Thank You ewi.


    I'm heading toward my car with a multimeter and an electrolyte specific gravity float this week.

    Dec 19, 2006 2:04:12 AM

    MMD
    Rennteam VIP
    MMD
    Loc: usa
    Posts: 9652, Gallery
    Registered on: Dec 16, 2004
    Reply to: Dasein

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    Dasein said:
    I have a dumb question. Say I plug the Battery Maintainer into the cigarette lighter. Where do I run the wire to outside the P-car as the windows always close tightly when the door is closed?
    TIA



    Just let it pass over the door sill and close the door. I figure the wire will always position itself differently everytime you open the door so will automatically prevent fatigue of the rubber seal. Actually, I tend to think any real concern about fatigue of the seal, and subsequent air and water leakage is about ten years away.

    Dec 19, 2006 2:57:24 PM

    sharmat
    Junior
    sharmat
    Loc: NJ
    Posts: 52, Gallery
    Registered on: Jul 5, 2006
    Reply to: MMD

    Re: Battery Charger

    i have the maintainer too. I just drop the diver side window a bit and run it out that way. i didnt want to stress the rubber seal on the bottom of the door.

    Mar 3, 2008 1:22:54 PM

    Alex_997TT
    Rennteam Master
    Alex_997TT
    Loc: Reading , United Kingdom
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    Registered on: Nov 20, 2005
    Reply to: sharmat

    Re: Battery Charger

    I guess a lot of you guys use the Porsche Charge-o-mat II by now.

    > Porsche Tequipment <

    Can I ask whether most of you just run the cable under the closed door?

    Mar 3, 2008 2:35:53 PM

    MMD
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    MMD
    Loc: usa
    Posts: 9652, Gallery
    Registered on: Dec 16, 2004
    Reply to: Alex_997TT

    Re: Battery Charger

    Quote:
    Alex_ said:


    Can I ask whether most of you just run the cable under the closed door?



    Absolutely. I've done it that way on three Pcars for years and never regretted it. Just open, move cord, and re-shut the door now and then if it stays parked for weeks.

    Supposedly there's a notch on the weather strip under door for the cord. I've been too lazy to bend down and look.


    BTW, use the __passenger__ door, just in case we do cause catastrophic damage to the infinitely expensive and impossible to replace weatherstrip which if malfunctions can cause permanent deafness.

     
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