How long is normal for Boxster to sit & battery still work?

[Jim Rockford]

All great leads. Thanks everyone. Keep them coming.

I always lock the car even when in the garage where it is kept.
Given I don't know the history of the battery as I just bought the car recently I will check that as the first possible weak link. The guy I did buy it from did have the front trunk bulb disconnected though and said he had on a trickle charger for storage, but I'm thinking maybe I didn't get the whole story and it was more that he always had it charging because of some sort of parasitic drain. Maybe I'm wrong though.

Either way, some of the cross section of replies gives me an idea of how everyone else is shaping up on this issue.

Thanks again

[Box4two]

Although I agree the Boxster might cause more drain on the battery while not in use than our other vehicles, for most its also the vehicle that might sit unused longer.
In my case the Box is my daily driver in the summer, and my Canyon ends up parked for weeks at a time and with a very low or dead battery if I forget to take it for a drive at least every 2weeks, its a 2012 and the battery never gives me trouble when used regularly. My Boxster will go on the Battery Tender if I don't use it more than a week.

[Giller]

Curious....why would locking the car use less power than leaving it unlocked? Locking it activates the alarm, which causes drain. Unlocked....what's draining then? I always leave my car unlocked in the garage to save the battery from the alarm and constant flashing alarm light.

[amitmishra4]

Ditto. I thought the same. I always leave mine unlocked and I had it die a couple times initially but since getting a new battery and subsequently a new alternator, not once has it died after having sat for over a month unlocked.

Originally Posted by Giller

Curious....why would locking the car use less power than leaving it unlocked? Locking it activates the alarm, which causes drain. Unlocked....what's draining then? I always leave my car unlocked in the garage to save the battery from the alarm and constant flashing alarm light.

[Topless]

Originally Posted by Giller

Curious....why would locking the car use less power than leaving it unlocked? Locking it activates the alarm, which causes drain. Unlocked....what's draining then? I always leave my car unlocked in the garage to save the battery from the alarm and constant flashing alarm light.

A good question. I don't remember the "why" but only that several Porsche factory guys have suggested this. Perhaps the DME goes fully to sleep when locked. Easy enough to test if you can connect an ammeter and measure current draw before and after locking. Running long leads out from under the hood should work.