Boxster Won't Start

[jfoxny]

I was out driving the car (2005 987 - 39k miles) over the weekend and all was fine. I just went into the garage to move it and it will not start. When I turn the key it sounds like it's going to start but then I just get a series of clicks and the headlights flash. The lights turn on, the PCM turns on, etc., so, I don't think it's the battery, but, I think I'll try to jump start it to rule that out.

Any ideas or advice on how to further diagnose?

Thanks in advance,

Jason

Edited June 15, 2010 by jfoxny

[Loren]

Original battery? If so, it is 5 years old (and likely shot).

[onlineformals]

Yes I would replace the battery. These only last a few years at best.

[jfoxny]

Original battery? If so, it is 5 years old (and likely shot).

Thanks for the reply. I went out and bought a jump pack because I can't get jumper cables to the car based on where it is right now and cannot easily move it. I'm charging up the jump pack now and hopefully I can jump the car in the morning. I actually have an appointment at the dealer in the AM, so, I'll have them replace the battery if that's the issue. Fingers crossed!

Thanks again,

Jason

[jfoxny]

I was out driving the car (2005 987 - 39k miles) over the weekend and all was fine. I just went into the garage to move it and it will not start. When I turn the key it sounds like it's going to start but then I just get a series of clicks and the headlights flash. The lights turn on, the PCM turns on, etc., so, I don't think it's the battery, but, I think I'll try to jump start it to rule that out.

Jumped the car with a jump pack this morning and took it into the dealer. The dealer said the batter is fine. When I got home and pulled the car into the garage I noticed that my lights were on in the "Home" position. Since I didn't turn them on today I must have left them on the last time I drove the car (which was over the weekend)!! DOH!!

:oops:

Thanks for the replies,

Jason

Edited June 16, 2010 by jfoxny

[danieldolin]

I was out driving the car (2005 987 - 39k miles) over the weekend and all was fine. I just went into the garage to move it and it will not start. When I turn the key it sounds like it's going to start but then I just get a series of clicks and the headlights flash. The lights turn on, the PCM turns on, etc., so, I don't think it's the battery, but, I think I'll try to jump start it to rule that out.

Jumped the car with a jump pack this morning and took it into the dealer. The dealer said the batter is fine. When I got home and pulled the car into the garage I noticed that my lights were on in the "Home" position. Since I didn't turn them on today I must have left them on the last time I drove the car (which was over the weekend)!! DOH!!

:oops:

Thanks for the replies,

Jason

I believe that "home" mode only means that the lights will stay on for 30 seconds after closing the door and then turn off... I doubt that was the cause of your problem.

[onlineformals]

Glad to hear you saved some $.

[jfoxny]

I believe that "home" mode only means that the lights will stay on for 30 seconds after closing the door and then turn off... I doubt that was the cause of your problem.

I just checked the manual and while you are correct about the lights turning of in 30 seconds this last note seems a bit contradictory (specifically the last part about the possibility of "battery discharge.")...

The lights are turned on for approx. 30 seconds when the vehicle is unlocked. The lights go out if the ignition is switched on or when leaving the Welcome Home lighting

If the ignition key is withdrawn and the door is opened while the lights (not the parking light left/right) are on, a gong warns of possible battery discharge. -- page 108, Welcome Home Lighting

If the lights go out in 30 seconds why would you then need to be "warned" that they are on? I'm going on a long trip this weekend, so it would be good to know if there is something wrong before I go. I'll take the jump pack with me just in case, but, can anyone clarify this?

Thanks,

Jason

Edited June 16, 2010 by jfoxny

[jfoxny]

Humm... car won't start again. The dealer told me they tested the battery and it was "fine." If the battery was toast wouldn't the dealer have been able to tell that? Does that indicate an alternator issue? If it were the alternator, though, wouldn't I have not been able to start the car to drive back from the dealer since it sat turned for an hour or so after only being driven for 15-20 minutes post-jump-start?

Jason

[Loren]

Simple Test:

If you want to see if your alternator is producing current, turn on your headlights when you're parked and the engine idling with the headlights shining on a wall (at night). Notice how bright they are. Then turn the engine off. The lights should get dimmer when you turn the engine off. If the lights get brighter when you kill the engine, the alternator was not charging sufficiently. When doing this test, the lights should be the only load (turn the stereo, a/c and other accessories off). With a heavy load, an otherwise good alternator may not be able to produce sufficient amounts of current at idle.

[jfoxny]

Simple Test:

If you want to see if your alternator is producing current, turn on your headlights when you're parked and the engine idling with the headlights shining on a wall (at night). Notice how bright they are. Then turn the engine off. The lights should get dimmer when you turn the engine off. If the lights get brighter when you kill the engine, the alternator was not charging sufficiently. When doing this test, the lights should be the only load (turn the stereo, a/c and other accessories off). With a heavy load, an otherwise good alternator may not be able to produce sufficient amounts of current at idle.

Thanks, Loren. I'll have to jump start the car to get it going again in order to do this test. I read elsewhere that going through this battery drain => jump start => batter drain => jump start process too many times can damage the electronics due to the repeated fluctuation of current through the system. Any truth to that? Should I be concerned?

Thanks again,

Jason

Edited June 18, 2010 by jfoxny

[Loren]

Anytime you jump start a modern car you take a risk of blowing electronic components.

Make sure they removed the battery - load tested it on a machine and then took specific gravity readings of each cell. That is the only way I know to thoroughly test a battery.

If the battery is 4 years old or older I would replace it anyway.

[danieldolin]

I think the gong sound that you ask about earlier is to alert you if in home mode that you left the door open, as the lights would then stay on... and drain the battery. If you close the door, the lights go off after 30 seconds. Hope you figure out your problem :)

[jfoxny]

Anytime you jump start a modern car you take a risk of blowing electronic components.

Make sure they removed the battery - load tested it on a machine and then took specific gravity readings of each cell. That is the only way I know to thoroughly test a battery.

If the battery is 4 years old or older I would replace it anyway.

At the dealer now. They said they just "hot charged" the battery last time because it only looked "low" to them. Hopefully they will actually fix the problem this time!

Thanks for the help,

Jason

[jfoxny]

At the dealer now. They said they just "hot charged" the battery last time because it only looked "low" to them. Hopefully they will actually fix the problem this time!

The verdict is the battery is bad. Not sure why they did not properly tested it the first time I brought it to their attention! Thanks again for the replies.

Jason