Two thumbs down for a 996 owner in NJ

allaircooled · allaircooled's Garage

I stopped at the store today and when I got back to my car and tried to start it, it wouldn't turn over (or it turned over very slowly) as if the battery was dead. So there I am pushing the car and trying to jump back in and pop the clutch to start it by myself and I see a 996 pull up to drop off some videos. I saw him look over at me and so I started pushing the car back to give me more room to try again. Look back up and off he goes. 20 minutes later a non Porsche owner asks if I could use some help and after one try if fired right up. I guess some owners just dont have the time to help other Porsche owners out. Thanks to the man who took the time to help. His first words after asking if I needed help were "at least it looks nice". thougt that was funny.

PO (stepdad) said he had the same problem and what he did was clean up the tranny ground strap and that cured it (at least for a few years). I think I will try replacing it since it is cheap unless anyone here suggests anything else.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-02-2004, 11:41 AM

Unbelievable. I'll help any enthusiast--Porsche, Harley, rice, musclecar... Today I passed a nicely restored Chevelle, my daughter driving and me in the right seat, and as we cruised past, I yelled "nice car!" and gave him a thumbs-up. He looked momentarily stunned to be saluted by a Porsche, then gave me a big smile and waved. It's all one world...

Stephan

bigrubberjeep · 07-02-2004, 11:42 AM

Give the 996 the benefit of the doubt, he might have not had time.

A Quiet Boom · A Quiet Boom's Garage

Yup look at the ground strap, and you're right it's probably better to replace it than risk getting stuck again. As for new P-car owners you have to remember most of them buy the cars as a status symbol and do not yet understand what we do about them. A real car enthusiast would have help you no matter what brand they or you drive.

Welcome to the board BTW

allaircooled · allaircooled's Garage

Quote:

I guess some owners just dont have the time to help other Porsche owners out.

bigrubberjeep

i kind of was giving him the benefit of the doubt, just a little though

Grady Clay · 07-02-2004, 12:04 PM

Stephan,

I try and do the same thing everyday. Yesterday I gave a thumbs up to a nice looking ‘60ish Pinto. We both went away feeling good.

Best,
Grady

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

About 80% of the time I pull over my car to stop and help (any car), but about 20% of the time I'm late for dinner or an appointment, etc...

-Wayne

A Quiet Boom · A Quiet Boom's Garage

I always carried tools in my old truck and would stop most of the time like Wayne suggested. I started to feel bad in the P-car because I never had even jumper cables in it. Now I carry a bunch of stuff not only to help myself but others as well. It seems to me that giving a guy a push start only takes a few minutes though and if you're late already it seems to be a better excuse to say you where helping someone stranded than just "sorry I'm late" I know I give big charactor points to those who help others. I remember once stopping to help a well dressed woman change her tire, stopping made me late for and important meeting with a client. Ironically it turned out the woman was a secretary at the business in which I had my appointment, I'm sure my thoughtfullness helped me get the sale despite being 20 minutes late.

stlrj · 07-02-2004, 12:26 PM

He, he could have been a doctor afraid of malpractice.

Joe

B D · 07-02-2004, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigrubberjeep
Give the 996 the benefit of the doubt, he might have not had time.

Or he might not have wanted to get his Polo shirt and fingernails dirty on some old beater car. It's not easy getting a manicure appointment.

osidak · 07-02-2004, 12:37 PM

Anytime I have ever seen a Porsche on the side of the road I have pulled over to offer a phone at the very least.

There was a Karmin Ghia at the coffee shop I frequent and an older gent was trying to run a new clutch cable. Having a real tough time of it. I offered to help him out and he was quite rude to me and brushed me off. Spent about 45 minutes in the coffee shop and he was still struggling.

I live less than a 1/3 of mile from the store and could have easily gotten some tools and knocked it out for him.

I am sure he was jsut having a bad day but still.

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

The fact that they guy was a 996 owner is completely irrelvant...but unfortunately the scope and focus of your post. Had the guy been driving a Pinto or a 914 would you have noticed or even cared?

vash · vash's Garage

it takes no time to push a car to start. a few minutes at the most. if he was short on time, he could have given it one push and if that failed told you he was in a hurry and bailed.

feel better that you can just climb under your car and change out the ground cable. if it happened to the 996 he would be at the dealer, bent over. but back to the bad battery, i would test the battery for free at the local autoshop, clean all the connections at the terminals, starter, and the ground strap. then try it again. it is easy to let those terminals get nasty. i do it all the time. then it is my turn to push.

osidak · 07-02-2004, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sonic dB
The fact that they guy was a 996 owner is completely irrelvant...but unfortunately the scope and focus of your post. Had the guy been driving a Pinto or a 914 would you have noticed or even cared?

I think the fact that it was a 996 is relevant. As a Porsche enthusiast I would do my best to help another that is having trouble with their car.

sundaypunch · 07-02-2004, 12:57 PM

I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He was probably a non-enthusiast with a lease on a 996 and didn't even realize he had the same kind of car as you.

allaircooled · allaircooled's Garage

Quote:

The fact that they guy was a 996 owner is completely irrelvant...but unfortunately the scope and focus of your post. Had the guy been driving a Pinto or a 914 would you have noticed or even cared?

actually i did notice others that noticed me but didnt mention them because this is a porsche site, not a pinto or whatever site. i am not trying to pick on 996 owners here, if it was any other porsche i would have still mentioned it, if i didnt see a porsche at all i would have just asked if you think i should replace my ground strap.

allaircooled · allaircooled's Garage

Quote:

I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He was probably a non-enthusiast with a lease on a 996 and didn't even realize he had the same kind of car as you.

This made me laugh. Thanks.