Instrument Cluster won't light after dead battery

[n8080]

Hi everyone,

I have a really strange problem. My wife borrowed my 2003 Boxster and left the headlights on (her defense was her Toyota turns them off automatically). The battery drained to nothing. She had to get it jump started which worked. The problem now is that the instrument cluster won't light up, the radio says "protect", and half of the red emergency lights (airbag, emergency brake, oil, etc.) remain lit even when the car is off and the key has been removed.

What in the world is going on here? Is there something as simple as pulling a fuse that could fix this? Remember, the only thing that caused this was a dead battery. Any help is greatly appreciated as those lights will be on until I solve this. I don't think I should have to go to a Porsche mechanic for a dead battery; it would be very expensive as you are all aware.

[Loren]

:welcome:

With all due respect I don't agree that - "Remember, the only thing that caused this was a dead battery."

I think that what caused what you are seeing is "She had to get it jump started..."

You can check all the fuses in the small panel down by the left door sill - but it sounds like the "zap" at jump start may have wiped one or more of the cars computers.

You likely need to find someone with a PST or PIWS diagnostic tester.

Is this a US car? Where are you located?

[rsfeller]

You make no mention of checking the fuses that control the areas in question, have you done this yet?

[n8080]

:welcome:

With all due respect I don't agree that - "Remember, the only thing that caused this was a dead battery."

I think that what caused what you are seeing is "She had to get it jump started..."

You can check all the fuses in the small panel down by the left door sill - but it sounds like the "zap" at jump start may have wiped one or more of the cars computers.

You likely need to find someone with a PST or PIWS diagnostic tester.

Is this a US car? Where are you located?

I tend to agree that the jump start probably did something. I have just never seen a problem from jump starting a dead battery. Now that it's light out, I'm going to check those fuses.

.

.

.

Well, I just checked the fuses by the spoiler switch. They are all good but here is what is interesting....when I pulled B1 out and put it back in, there were a couple of beeps and the whole car reset itself; even the 'protect' message is gone and the stereo is back to normal. I'm glad that worked but does anyone know why that would work?

[rsfeller]

Keep in mind that most car manufacture recommend a very specific process for jump starting their cars including specific ground points to attach to. The reality (including myself) is most of us just hook up +/+ and -/- and go.

Additionally, I always let the donor car rev and slow charge my cars battery some and try to start after a minute or two. It sounds like this battery was drained considerably and may have been hit with quite a spike from the donor car. The donor may even have excessive voltage from a bad regulator on their alternator!

There are so many variables to explain this they are possible but not always probable for all makes and models.

I would bet money the jump start was not by the book and something jolted the system. If everthing checks out count your blessings you have not lost any expensive subsystem computers and be careful on future jump starts. Modern cars are not the same as a 1974 Chevy pickup!

Shawn

[pk2]

....when I pulled B1 out and put it back in, there were a couple of beeps and the whole car reset itself; even the 'protect' message is gone and the stereo is back to normal. I'm glad that worked but does anyone know why that would work?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Problem is solved? Your prescription is always my first attack. The contact on the fuse was simply corroded. Isn't necessarily visible, and isn't rare. You can have the same problem with any exposed; metal to metal connections, grounds, wiring harness plugs, relays, etc. The fix is the same

You might consider taking the fuse out again and scuffing the 2 leads with steel wool or something. Then stuff it in and pull it out a couple of times. Must have been literally hang by a thread.

Regards,

PK

[Glyn]

As with all computers - first stop reboot it, which in car terms disconnect the battery then reconnect - it will all be fine.

All this is is the logic circuits becoming confused, power off then power on allows the eproms to reconfigure the processors

[n8080]

I will have a talk with my wife about jump starting. Before she did it, I told her to pull out the manual and follow the directions exactly as newer cars have to be jumped a certain way. When she got home she said she never even opened the book. If it happens again, I hope she reads it.

Thank you to everyone for the help! This is a great forum and I wish I would have joined sooner.

[d215]

I will have a talk with my wife about jump starting. Before she did it, I told her to pull out the manual and follow the directions exactly as newer cars have to be jumped a certain way. When she got home she said she never even opened the book. If it happens again, I hope she reads it.

Thank you to everyone for the help! This is a great forum and I wish I would have joined sooner.

You have made no mention as to how she managed to get the hood opened with a totally dead battery. Did she energize the system through the cigar lighter temporarily to get to the battery? Did she jump it or was it a service?

[n8080]

I will have a talk with my wife about jump starting. Before she did it, I told her to pull out the manual and follow the directions exactly as newer cars have to be jumped a certain way. When she got home she said she never even opened the book. If it happens again, I hope she reads it.

Thank you to everyone for the help! This is a great forum and I wish I would have joined sooner.

You have made no mention as to how she managed to get the hood opened with a totally dead battery. Did she energize the system through the cigar lighter temporarily to get to the battery? Did she jump it or was it a service?

There was apparently a trace amount of power that allowed her to pop the hood but not enough to light anything else up. I was surprised as I once had a dead battery and had to use jumper cables to touch that access point in the foot well.

[Boxtercrazy]

I Read on One forum That a porsche should always be jumped from the donor vehicle without the engine running , Just FYI

[Loren]

I Read on One forum That a porsche should always be jumped from the donor vehicle without the engine running , Just FYI

Sorry, I think you need to read your owners manual.

"Connect jumper cables in the following sequence:

1. Check electrolyte level of each cell. If necessary, fill with distilled water to just above plates.

2. On a vehicle with a discharged battery: turn off all consumers and accessories, move the gear shift lever into the neutral position and set the parking brake.

3. Attach the positive cable first to the positive terminal 1 of the booster battery A, then to the positive terminal 2 of the discharged battery B.

4. Connect the negative cable first to the negative terminal 3 of the discharged battery B, then to a suitable earthing point 4 on the body of the vehicle with the booster battery.

This earthing point must lie as far as possible from the battery.

5. Run the engine of the booster car at a higher speed.

6. Start the engine.

An attempted start using jumper cables should not last more than 15 seconds. Then allow a waiting period of at least one minute.

7. With the engine running, remove both jumper cables in the reverse order."

[Tomikaze]

I just sold my 03' Boxster and I was in the process of removing my dension iPod adaptor. I disconnected the battery before I started the process. Wrapped up the job and got it all back together and SAME THING. No power to the gauges and my radio says protect. Jumped on here to look it up. My fingers are crossed that this works. I'm headed back out to try it!

[nacp1]

....when I pulled B1 out and put it back in, there were a couple of beeps and the whole car reset itself; even the 'protect' message is gone and the stereo is back to normal. I'm glad that worked but does anyone know why that would work?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Problem is solved? Your prescription is always my first attack. The contact on the fuse was simply corroded. Isn't necessarily visible, and isn't rare. You can have the same problem with any exposed; metal to metal connections, grounds, wiring harness plugs, relays, etc. The fix is the same

You might consider taking the fuse out again and scuffing the 2 leads with steel wool or something. Then stuff it in and pull it out a couple of times. Must have been literally hang by a thread.

Regards,

PK

Hello, I am having a problem with my cluster also. Which fuse had corrosion was it B1 or a different one? Thank you for your help.

Nick

[marioh]

Okay, I accidentally left the key in my newly acquired but seldom driven '99 Carrera about 3 weeks ago and found the battery dead,dead!! this morning.   First thing I did was connect a charger to the START setting, and everything started flashing, humming, and blinking.   So I immediately set the charger to 12 amp charge and things settled down.  I waited about 30 mins for the charge to complete and, losing patience, hooked up another car (per owners manual instructions) to jump start.   Car started and everything looked fine except the instrument panel was not functioning at all - no speedo, tach, fuel, etc.   I thought I really screwed up (maybe I did, with the initial START charge) - but, pulling and replacing (they were not blown) the Instrument Cluster fuses B1 & E1 must've cleared the circuit, because everything worked fine after that.   Whew!, close call for big $$ repair...