Turns out it was my battery

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
02/20/2016 at 14:24 • Filed to: 944 Life

Apparently it lost half its capacity since I got it in August....that's crazy huh.

DISCUSSION (15)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 14:27

Is it covered by warranty?

crowmolly > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 14:27

Drain or bad battery entirely?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > crowmolly
02/20/2016 at 14:37

Figuring that out now. I'll let you know.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
02/20/2016 at 14:38

I hope so.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
02/20/2016 at 14:57

It was!!^_^

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 14:58

It was a bad battery. Hadn't even had it a full year. Thankfully it was covered by warranty.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 15:14

If you don’t own a multimeter, now is a good time to buy one and learn to do a couple things with it. What voltage do you have with the car off? What kind of voltage do you have when it’s running? The first test is to see if you’re using your meter correctly, and you should get around 12v. The second test tells you if your alternator is working correctly and you should see something about 14 volts. If you’re not, I bet you $100 that this battery is going to appear bad too, like the one you returned and the one before it ;)

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
02/20/2016 at 15:27

The funny thing is that I had two multimeters last year, and they both went missing when I cleaned out and organized my garage. They must’ve been displaced somewhere. I’ll have to find them or get another one.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 15:38

This is why I have a strict “no organizing” rule in my garage :)

My bird IS the word > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 15:41

Curious, what brand? Thank god for warranties.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 15:43

Oh a quick aside since we’re on the subject. I just replaced the battery in my 2000 540i and I shit you not, it was the factory original. 17 years old. Looked brand new. Didn’t even have any corrosion. Freaking amazing. BMW puts their batteries in the trunk for weight distribution, but I think that the controlled environment (plus the lack of cold weather in CA) that gave the thing an absolutely shocking lifespan. I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but I did the swap in the parking lot of the auto store in the rain. When I brough the old core back in the staff was shocked too. Manufactured in 1999.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
02/20/2016 at 16:11

That’s astounding! The battery in my 944 wasn’t original by any means. The one the car had was at least 6 years old, and the one that was just replaced was near 7-8 months old! Did BMW manufacture the battery?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > My bird IS the word
02/20/2016 at 16:11

Duracell I believe. I’ll go look in the car after work.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/20/2016 at 16:38

It claimed to be manufactured by BMW and I actually hunted around a bit to see if I could guess who actually truly manufactured it, as I suspect (for some reason) that they probably have a 3rd party make them. But yeah. White with a BMW roundel on it. I wasn’t expecting anything other than an old tired looking battery but it looked just as new as the replacement. I’ve no idea what average car battery life is, as I tried googling it when I got home but couldn’t find the right selection of words to get any meaningful results. My guess is 3-6 years depending on whether you have harsh winters or not.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
02/20/2016 at 17:23

Fascinating! That battery sounds like a keeper. Something to keep around as a decorative display or something. :p

I assumed normal batteries last 3-6 years. But that battery of yours sounds magical.