Battery Life
 

Does anyone know how long the Porsche OEM battery typically lasts? I'm just over 3.5 years and 26,000 miles on my 2008 997 C2. I've noticed lately that the starter motor is not engaging with as much gusto.

Depends on conditions but usually I get 4-5 years out of a battery. After that is a gamble. I d rather change it 6 month too soon than be stranded. Porsche OEM I m not sure but I d guess about the same.

I am happy to chime in here, based on VERY recent experience :)

My 2006 C2S cab with 47,000 miles was still on its original battery.
I only drive about 5,000 miles a year these days (only 6-mile one-way commute now).

I too noticed a certain sluggishness at start-up. Even more so when the car was warm. I did my research in here, made a mental note of the Walmart replacement battery and filed it away under 'To Do'.

Last Sunday, went for a drive to the next town over for breakfast. Drove back. Stopped at the supermarket to do some grocery shopping on the way home.

Came out with groceries. Turned the key. *click* and silence...

Dead as the proverbial dodo.

Had to walk home with the groceries (not far fortunately), take the other car to Walmart, buy new battery, drive back to supermarket and stand in my frunk replacing the battery while the rest of the shoppers looked on with amusement.


All this to say: when your start feels lazy or sluggish, don't wait for it to get worse. Go buy a new battery NOW.

The OEM battery in my Boxster lasted almost 10 years to the day which surprised the heck out of me. As cerbo said, 4-5 yrs is very good, after that it's a gamble. One thing you can/should do to ensure it lasts at least that long is make sure each cell is full and top off w/ DISTILLED water as needed. OEM is not a 'sealed' battery. Label on top is perforated - peel it back and open each cell using a quarter and make sure level is to the bottom of L hook just under cap (use a flashlight) and top of w/ DISTILLED water.

Good luck :)

When my 06 C2S cab started getting sluggish to start, and much worse when warm, I thought it might be time for a new battery. But first I got the starter harness checked and replaced under CPO warranty. Problem solved. Still on original battery, with 34k miles now.

Glad someone brought it up. Mine was slow cranking for over 2 years. I'm sure it had a bad starter cable. This is a chronic problem that will appear like a failing battery. You replace the battery and the problem reoccurs after the battery ages a bit. Not sure if they revised the cable on .2's.
I realize the OPs is not a .2. I would NOT replace a factory OEM battery. As another poster said, you can get remarkably long life from the original factory battery. Replacing early is taking out a really good battery and substituting it with something from Walmart. Think about it.

Thanks for the input. Sounds like the battery should be lasting longer. I recently installed the RotTec DRL's and Dectane module. Wonder if they are creating an extra draw on the battery.

Mine started slow cranking just this winter. It was the original battery on my 2005.

My last OEM battery lasted under 2 years. It didn't completely die, but I noticed that the cranking was slowing down a bit (seemed worse when it was cold in the morning). Fortunately, it was still under warranty and the dealer just replaced it for free. If I had to pay for it, I'm not sure if I'd go OEM again.

Use a ctek if you don't drive that much. Will allow battery to last much longer

LED's are pretty efficient - doubt they draw more than OEM.

Batteries for passenger car vehicles last for an avg of 5 years...I would be surprised if pcar owners get than much life. Like someone mentioned above, battery life very dependent on type of use - for instance starter batteries don't like deep discharges as it accelerates sulfation, since these cars seem to draw a descent amount of current when not in operation, its easy to drain the battery by leaving the car for a few weeks. Best thing you can do is use a battery tender as that will keep your battery a high and safe voltage OR just drive your car more often!

All great points everyone has been contributing to this thread! A couple things to add, parasitic draw can play a big part as well and newer models have become incredibly more efficient at disconnecting the draw from the vehicle when not running but it's always a good idea to test what your parasitic draw is to be in the know to help manage it. Plus it can sometimes be a good indication there might be another underlying problem flying under the radar. After market additions/accessories can be causes for this kind of additional draw so just be mindful when installing and providing power. You also have alternative options for battery manufactures as well as compositions now like lithium which can provide for much longer battery life.