Help, Help, Help I think I killed it!!!

[edevlin]

I was working on a new mount for my small-footprint Braille battery this evening. When I went to put the battery back in I momentarly got the leads reversed (easier to do than you might think with these little batteries), big flash, bad smell, my heart dropped. I got the battery turned around and in properly and to my tempory joy, the car started and with no warning lights.

Everything seemed to be working so I thought I would take it for a short test drive. It seemed fine at first, then once I got down the road for a couple miles, it seemed like the lights were starting to dim, then warning lights started lighting up in very rapid succession.

First CEL, then TC-OFF, then ABS and another one I couldnt make out. I was on a limited access two-lane highway with traffic so I started looking for a way to get off. Then the lights started rapidly dimming (it was dark), then power steering and brakes went and then the car just died. I was lucky enough to coast into a convience store parking lot where the car now sits.

After I stopped calling myself quite appropriate names, I tried to turn the key on to raise the top, which was down. The top moved two inches then stopped. I waited another 10 minutes, tried the top again (did not want to leave the car there overnight with the top down) there was enough juice to put the top and windows up.

Somewhat encouraged by the top going up, I decided to try to start it, when I did, it went nuts, mix of warning lights and strange noises and the windows started moving, but the starter did not engage. I dont think I will try that again. The nearest porsche mechanic or shop is over 60 miles away.

Any ideas or suggestions (besides dont reverse the battery leads) would be more than appreciated.


Ed

[wvicary]

One of my customer did the same thing last year when he re-installed his battery after the winter storage period.... we had to replace the voltage regulator in the alternator. IIRC he also blew some fuses but I can't recall for sure. Best charge the battery, test the fuses and go from there.

[djomlas]

ouch man, really dont know what happened there. but not to self: check 10 times before connecting battery cables!

[dharrisonwu]

Eldevin - -

Holy cow. The symptoms you described on your car did not happen to my boxster, but to my $@!#$! damn Mercedes ML320 just last Monday. I was going 65mph on a freeway at 5:45 a.m. when the dashboard light started to pop up dimly, then lit up with all the other lights and by a stroke of luck, I was able to cross 4 lanes of traffic into the shoulder...The car started doing all sorts of strange crap and I thought it was possessed......a flatbed tow and a visit to the dealership later showed that my voltage regulator was shot. It's not an expensive part, but it's a big time consuming in labor.

The battery connection thing you did may have fried the regulator..

[Paul]

Or blew the diodes in the alternator.

Charge your battery, check all the fuses, attach a voltmeter across the battery terminals, start the car.

The voltage should be at least 13.5 Volts with the headlights on.