Help!Boxster+Tracker=battery problems!

Sarah Peckover · 2 Jun 2006

As a very recent Boxster owner (53 but 2004 facelifted model picked up 3 weeks ago!) I had a Tracker Moniter unit fitted to the car on Wed morning, drove the car 20 miles to work early afternoon, parked up at 2pm and came back at 10pm to find all hell letting loose on the alarm front! Couldn't get the car to turn over (Sounded like starter motor issues) so phoned Porsche Assist who couldn't help and called the RAC......finally arrived to get me at 2am (!!!) which for a lone female is pretty awful but another story. (RAC customer Services, watch out for your gonads.....)

Nice RAC chap told me the battery was completely flat, jumpstarted me and told me to chew Trackers ears off. Have chewed said ears, chap came out today and apart from an earth wire "possibly" being in not the place that he personally would put it, basically says he thinks everythng is OK. Porsche dealership I got it from are tellng me that they do an umpteen point check on every car including battery so if it is still having the same problem once charged up (currently in the garage on a trickle charger) any suggestions on what it might be?

I had opened the driver door on the key fob and then remembered a coat in the rear boot so popped that as well with the key, leaving the door open, alarms went off (I obviously panicked!!) probably didn't get the key in the ignition within the timescale recommended. Apart from that, nothing untoward was plugged in, the car doesn't have that many toys apart from climate and no, although I am blonde, I hadn't left the lights on!

Any advice appreciated as ths is my first Boxster (40th birthday present to myself) and I am severely p'ed off about not having it to play with!

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TyUk · 2 Jun 2006

Hi Sarah and welcome to the forum.

From the offset it does sound like it could be caused by the tracker if you've had the car for three weeks and haven't had a problem before, but i can't imagin that the tracker pulls that much current for it to drain the battery that quickly and i have never heard of one being miss-fitted before. Personally I would take it back to the dealer and tell them to look at it under warranty as you don't want to be stuck in the middle of no where in the middle of the night on your own again. I'm sure they can just plug it in and if there is a problem fix it...although i wouldnt mention that it happened after you had the tracker fitted again as they can use that as a copout!

Good luck and i hope you get it sorted soon so you can start enjoying your Porsche in the nice weather we're supposed to be getting!

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Parts · 3 Jun 2006

Welcome Sarah!

I haven't heard of this problem on 911s with the Tracker Monitors fitted (I have one in mine). I don't think there is that much difference in the batteries in the two models.

GO back to the dealer and act stupid - They will probably replace the battery out of good will. After all it is very difficult for them to know if it has been run flat in the past. They should also be able to check what power is being drawn when the engine is off, that will make sure the Tracker is not the problem.

As has already been said, don't even mention the tracker, just say the battery went flat.

Good luck!

And by the way which Boxster do you have? (and don't say the red one! :wink: )

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Sarah Peckover · 4 Jun 2006

HI guys, many thanks for your replies and no, its not red, its the 2.7 in cobalt blue! Had very low mileage for the age (4500) and as I am driving it daily, thought this was a good thing...now having doubts!

Tracker say it is within normal tolerances but couldn't check absolutely everything as it had flat battery so are coming back out again Tuesday, have had RAC out again this morning who say they think the drain is a little on the high side but with my daily driving, wouldn't expect it to be a problem. They think probably a naff battery as when it broke down 1st time, I was jumpstarted by RAC, drove home 20 odd miles and parked but battery was still flat as the proverbial pancake next morning. Hubby s going to take it out this evening with 8 hours trickle charge on it and see what happens, then we will garage it tonight and see if it is flat again in the morning, if so....me and Porsche will be having words!!!

To be honest, I am feeling very piggy in the mddle here as the dealer knows about the problem as I was asked by Tracker to phone and check whether battery had been checked before I took delivery (obviously they say yes and are currently denying any problems their end) but Tracker are also saying not their problem.....call me naive but I have waited a long time for the "optimum driving experience" and I am gutted at the moment...beginning to wonder whether somebody up there is trying to tell me something! To say it has taken the gloss off of it for me would be a huge understatement, having spent £28k on the car, I was rather hoping to actually be able to drive it!!

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Sarah Peckover · 4 Jun 2006

By the way and before everyone tells me, I know that the "optimum driving experience" would be a 911 and the Boxy is a poor substitute but at least its a Porsche and from here I can only move up!!

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Parts · 4 Jun 2006

Previous poster said:
Quote: Originally posted by Sarah Peckover on 04 June 2006

HI guys, many thanks for your replies and no, its not red, its the 2.7 in cobalt blue! Had very low mileage for the age (4500) and as I am driving it daily, thought this was a good thing...now having doubts!

Don't say that. It is a fantastic car and you will have plenty of happy moments in it (especially over the summer).

At worst it is going to cost you a new battery. I would go back to your OPC and ask them to go halves on a new battery (an fit it for free?) - there is no way to know now whether it was a crap battery now. They will go halves just to keep your business. Explain it is your everyday car and they will get a lot of servicing money in the future.

Generally they can be reasonable - otherwise just change OPC - or use an indie instead.

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Sarah Peckover · 5 Jun 2006

Just to update, jump started it again this morning and dumped it back onto the dealer asking for the battery tests to be done and if necessary, for them to liaise directly with Tracker guy who was happy to come down to test the car on their premises. Not massively happy with the response which was lukewarm to say the least, charges mentioned and difficulty in pulling technicians off of other jobs...anyway, had phonecall this afternoon, apparantly a cell in the battery was completed kaput so they had changed the battery, valeted the car and fixed another minor switch issue (my fault, pushed when I should have pulled!), all no charge! RESULT!!!! It is possible that my contacting Porsche UK who forwarded my not happy message to Porsche Assistance might have had something to do with it but I can't be sure so lets give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment shall we!

My baby is now back where she belongs and, as expected, the sun has gone in and the clouds are massing.....oh well, you can't have everything I s'pose!

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Parts · 5 Jun 2006

Don't think you will ever know exactly what your OPC were thinking, but mine are pretty good and it wouldn't surprise me for them to do the same thing.

Glad your happy, now enjoy the car! Don't worry about the sunshine, I have driven mine with the top down in the rain.

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Help!Boxster+Tracker=battery problems!

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