Before I put my 996 up for the winter, the battery kept on dying (got stuck at a mall once). Anyway, I thought it was the battery but the place I bought it at says (after testing) that the battery is fine. Is there any way for me to be sure? Also, could it be the alternator and if so, how hard is that to install myself (or should I leave it for the mechanic)? Thanks

 

You can check the alternator by hooking up a voltage meter at the battery. The voltage should read about 13 to 13.7V. If not, you will need a new alternator. I would probably not attempt it, but if you are inclined enough you can do it. If not, I would only take it to the dealer.

 

If the battery is continually dying it is probably the alternator. This is probably not for the average do-it-yourselfer, it's one of those jobs that has a tendency to make me curse and gets me thinking about a career change. Not hard to get to, just very tight clearances. Make sure to go to a dealer, so you can at least get the 2 year parts warranty on the new alternator.

 

Replacing the alternator is a peice of cake for anyone who is mechanocally inclined. It takes less than an hour (including sipping coffee) and is pretty straight forward. The only trick is that you must turn the alternator clockwise after removing the bolts to get it to clear the brackets.

However, if you have the correct voltage reading when the car is running, as noted above, your problem is something else, like the battery.

 

Thanks - I will try all these suggestions when I take the car out of storage. Got a check list of things that I'll be working on in Spring - can't wait!