Oil top-up and Trickle Charger battery terminal advice

[D911ARK]

Morning all,

Noticed on Sunday that my oil level lights have been getting lower, with no sign of oil leaks in the garage or when parked elsewhere, I am assuming this is use and normal. Do I ask RPM Technik what they used at last service and top up with the same, or as it will be serviced in April and have a full change, not be too much of an issue using any 5w 40 or 0w 40 (according to 996 The Essential Companion) to top it up?

And, as I think I'll be getting less use over the next two months, would like to attach the battery terminal trickle charger to the battery permanently, so that I can easily plug and unplug the CTek. Now, been reading a lot on making sure battery is disconnected to avoid any shocks to myself and the car, but if I disconnect a terminal, doesn't the alarm go off and things get reset?

Can I not add a nut to the existing terminal and secure the connectors between that and the existing nut on the battery, without needing to disconnect? Or is that still unsafe?

I have the cigarette lighter adaptor, but after not using it for 6 weeks whilst we were in Australia and Tasmania earlier this year, I came home to a flat battery and don't want to rely on that method. This Yuasa battery was new in May, but I don't want to have it run flat.

Hope that makes sense.

Mark

 

[swiftus]

Ref your dead battery.
I am on my 2nd Yuasa in 2 years (5 year guarantee so replaced FoC) on the 996.
In the winter the battery is conditioned by a trickle charger direct to the battery. When I replaced the first battery earlier this year the guy in the shop said that 911s seem to cook their batteries as they often have to replace those under warrantee, in fact he supposed it was a 911 before I told him! Mine had a number of cells that had failed.
So, maybe whatever you do you're in for battery issues.

I don't get issues with the alarm sounding on or off charge, on mine it makes no difference if the car is awake or it if has gone into sleep mode.

 

[John_Elliott]

Hi Mark.
I have used the trickle charger through the cigarette lighter with no problems. To me it's much less messing around than disconnecting battery terminals.

John

 

[D911ARK]

Thanks John. My worry was, I don't want a repeat of it not working like before. It may well have been an old battery though and not a lighter issue.

Ta

Mark

PS, I notice the RPM Technik Showroom pic for your profile, I think I saw that for sale when I was looking at mine, did you get it last year?

 

[kasspa]

Hi Mark, when I connected the permanent eyelet to the battery terminals I found that the nuts on the terminals do not come off completely, so I snipped the eyelets & manipulated them over the bolts, then tightened nuts up...... I just held battery leads steady on terminal posts & it was fine.....
To remove battery without alarms going off you have to turn ignition switch to 1st position (without all the lights on) & all settings are stored IIRC.
Hope this helps
Paul

 

[Roger Goode]

As I discovered, it is very easy to overfill engine oil on a 996 even if you‘re being careful and it can be quite harmful to run with an overfill. If I were you I’d get RPM Technik to top it up for you whilst you wait. In any event I wouldn‘t mix oils even if the spec is identical but that may just be my nature.
I use Revolution Porsche who advised me against buying a battery other than Bosch or Porsche branded because they see frequent problems attributed to other batteries. No they were not trying to sell me a battery. I took their advise and I’ve had zero problems even when the car has been unused for 4 to 5 weeks in the summer whilst I was enjoying my Boxster.
Early this year I replaced the battery on my VW CC GT with a Yuasa battery and I’ve had many occasions when after about a week of being parked the battery has died. No fault has been identified with the battery or alternator.

 

[mr pg]

I had my turbo for 4 1/2 years and only ever used the cig lighter point to connect my ctek with no problems. RPM only use Mobil 1 unless asked otherwise.

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

On my Cayman I just fitted the Ctek eyelets to the clamp bolts with additional M6 nuts. Like this:

 

[John_Elliott]

Hi Mark. Yes I got it last September. The car has been brilliant. I love it. Had an Issue with window regulator which RPM sorted and have fitted new rads and condensors as they had got some damage. Decided to have grills fitted to the front to stop further damage.

 

[D911ARK]

Thank you to all (swiftus, kaspa, Roger and Mr Pg) very helpful input and comments
Unfortunately, it's not a close trip to RPM for a top up. I will slowly do it at home, should have some time on my hands next couple of weeks.

Richard, that is what I was trying to explain I thought I might do, so thanks for the pics, as confirms what I had hoped might work

Johnny, yeah, RPM were good to me with some warranty issues and very pleased with what they did for me

Thanks. I'll let you know how I get on

 

[SteveAndrews]

Over the course of a full year and 4 - 5,000 miles my oil level drops a few bars on the display but as it doesn't get to minimum I just leave it for the annual service when it is topped up full again. Been like this for over 5 years.
I attached the leads of a Ctek charger directly to the battery terminals with just extra nuts without disconnecting the battery and don't see why you should need to do so providing it is just the leads and you don't have the charger connected to them when you do so.

 

[jamesekirby]

Mine is the same as Steve's in terms of the oil levels - it tends to stay reasonably level over the course of the year assuming I check it when first starting and when parked on a flat area of the drive. Every month/6 weeks or so I will also check it via the dipstick and it's always near the top end of the two markers. Therefore I'll leave mine for the annual service - Northway are very good at picking stuff up and I have no issues with them. I use my 996 all year round irrespective of weather - it even had a bit of back end slidiness in the snow earlier this year which was good fun so I don't tend to use/need a trickle charger. However, I do own one and I would if I needed to, fix the leads to the battery terminals as Richard and Steve have also indicated.

 

[Macan360]

All

I have no movement over 1500 miles on the oil front.

I charage both the 996 and my Cayman through the 12v supply and in 6 years never had a problem

In fact I find the only thing I have to watch for is rust on brake discs. Seen it this year for the first time don’t know why. Cars were stored when dry and they are locked in my double garage. Not temperature controlled. Must be condensation but not seen any on either of them.

I store them. Nov to March

Hope this helps

Cayman295

 

[jamesekirby]

I store them. Nov to March

Should probably start this in another thread... Do you store them irrespective of weather conditions? i.e. even if it's cold and bone dry you don't drive them? Any particular reason why you store them? I know it's horses for courses and down to personal preferences, I was just wondering what your reasoning was.

 

[D911ARK]

Okay, after very, very fiddly nuts to get on the battery terminals (felt like ends were rough and didn't want to take nuts, or, they were just too cheap a nut) have finally done this today. This is what I was trying to ask if was possible, but thanks to your replies and photos, I knew was!

It's been sat since PCGB Xmas day on 9th until NYE and started fine, had to make sure it had a blast out to recharge!

Also checked the oil manually and it was over the bottom line on the dipstick, and looked enough. Since checking it via the dipstick though, upon first start in the week, it read 4 bars instead of the 2, it had been registering.

New questions though, was I once told that the battery only charges in excess of 3,500 rpm, or did I dream that/misunderstand someone mentioning it?

Thanks

 

[JHMotorsport]

Good to see the charger lead is in place... should be a doddle now. Some of the cig lighter sockets are switched off with the ignition, cannot recall which exactly but think it would be the early cars (aka 996.1) that have it switched, I’m sure that is the reason I had to fit the battery lead as the cig socket would be switched off with the car.
Regarding the alternator charging the battery only over 3500rpm... I personally doubt it, as that could not assure that the battery would remain charged... you could easily drive for hours under that engine speed with the torque of these. I have driven a few cars where they do only charge at high speeds but only full on race cars, where you don’t want it to impact power. They therefore run the alternator off the final drive/axle which only gets up to the right speed in top gear! That was very much a single seater race thing though and I cannot see Porsche considering that.

I’ve noticed my voltmeter reading low in the past (getting lower towards 11v as the car warms) and that was an issue with the diode in the alternator which I changed and since then the car has always read 14 volts strongly when running, so the alternator is kicking in properly, even when idling from what I can tell.

thanks J

 

[jamesekirby]

I agree, with the alternator running properly the dial should sit at around the 14 mark irrespective of what the rev counter tells you. When my alternator was failing last year there was a lot of squealing noise and it was definitely below 11.

 

[JMR]

I've got the CTEK charger and use the CTEK cig lighter adaptor (in the permanently live cig lighter socket)
I have left it on for a month before moving the car again.

Oil level doesn't drop on my 987 much tbh.
I cant offer much advice on mixing oil types to top up.

I can offer advice on the rusty discs that people get during storage.
I use Bilt Hamber Atom-Mac on mine.
After you've washed the car (or if the discs are clean anyway) just spray a 5% solution of Atom Mac onto the brakes and just leave it.
It stops rust from forming.

I find it works really well. A £10 bottle will last you ages and ages - I've had mine probably 9 months and I've got about 2/3 of a bottle left.