Tech Talk - Batteries

This time of year always highlights battery issues as they become less efficient and struggle to hold their charge in the cold. The life of your Porsche battery can vary but it's recommended to fit a new one every four to five years. 

 

The type of battery you need is specific to your Porsche, you can check your current battery and match what you’ve got, but it makes sense to check your manual too in case a previous owner hasn’t followed the requirements. If there’s any doubt or you can't find what you need we’d be happy to help and can supply and fit the new battery for you. 

 

Signs that your battery is past it’s prime can present itself in various ways, slow cranking, dim or flickering lights, warning messages on the dashboard, even some less obvious random electrical gremlins can often be cured with a fresh battery. 

 

For older more analogue cars you can change the battery yourself with some fairly standard tools and a bit of common sense. It’s always a good idea to not only have your Porsche manual to check what battery you need but also a guide or workshop manual of some sort to check the correct method of replacement. Even some of the early cars have an ECU of sorts which can easily be damaged with even the mildest of electric shocks. While the battery is out of the car is an opportune time to clear some of the leaves that always seem to end up in your battery tray and check for any surface rust or damage where the battery sits. 

 

For younger cars, anything from a 993 onwards, we would advise more care and attention to the correct method if replacing yourself, or to give us a call for assistance. When you book your car in, we can check not only the health of the battery but the output of the alternator and charging system along with the efficiency of your starting system. 

 

We can generally install a new battery and check your car while you wait. Once the new battery is installed we will clear any error messages and reset your windows and PSM if required. 

 

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Our Tech Talk feature is all about giving helpful advice and guidance to running and owning your Porsche. But this is also a mechanism for owners to ask questions on any topics of interest. So, if you have technical question/s please feel free to email PIE Performance or comment below and we will include it in one of our future Tech Talks.