Car Battery

[NISAR1]

Hi Everyone,

I currently have a car battery which I had fitted to my golf 1.9 TDI back in Oct 2014. My car will not start so this has lasted me for over 3 years. The current battery spec is 70Ah 640A and I phoned VW to ask what spec should it be and they recommend it should be 72Ah 380A. What I wanted to know is would a battery last longer if I went for the recommended VW or just replace it with the battery spec I currently have?

Thanks

[bhg481]

I'm surprised at the 380A quoted by VW. Diesels, having a much higher compression ratio than petrols, need a very hefty starter motor which takes a lot of current (my 2.4l Volvo is about 750 amps); are you sure they quoted you for the diesel engine? One with a low current output probably just won't work.
I suggest you go on a couple of online sites such as Halford's and Euro carparts, look up your vehicle and check the batteries they recommend. You didn't quote the year of your car, so I guessed 2000 just to get the 1.9 diesel engine, and one battery was 800 amps.

[bhg481]

I should have added - look at your car handbook; mine has the required battery information in it.

[NISAR1]

Hi bhg481,
My car is on a 2003 plate when I went to the VW dealer they put in my Registration into their computer and recommended that battery. There is nothing in the handbook about what spec battery to use other than a genuine one must be used. I have now purchased the same one as before as it lasted along time and it's the Varta 70Ah 640A. I will also be using a solar trickle charger which you plug into the cigarette lighter from now on when it is winter. Can the old battery still be charged or should I just dispose of it? Thanks

[NISAR1]

Here is a link to the trickle charger. Is there any harm to the battery if the battery is fully charged and you still are charging it through the cigarette lighter? Thanks.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/streetwize-swsol1-1-5a-solar-auto-battery-charger-12v/7526r

[bhg481]

I think you've made the right choice of battery - diesels need a large current, so I'm surprised the VW dealer recommended the lower power one.
Your old battery is probably no good at all if it's been completely flat, so you might just as well recycle it somewhere.
Before you buy the trickle charger make sure that your cigarette lighter socket is live when the ignition is off - mine is only live when the ignition is on (doesn't need the engine running) but it varies by manufacturer. If it's not live all the time, you're wasting your time plugging a charger into it. Other than that, it won't harm the battery for being connected all the time you're not using the car.

[NISAR1]

Thanks for getting back to me. The cigarette lighter is live even when the key is taken out this helped me starting the car up when I left it plugged in last couple of days. The new battery started the car light a light real fast. I was looking at Halford a really good one was for £120 but I purchased purchased a Varta for £65. This is the one at Halford. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?zygonManPartNum=HSB096&zygonPrice=0&zygonId=12504010&zygonArticleNum=161003&zygonGenericCode=000000&catalogId=10151&;langId=-1&;categoryId=165762&productId=734753&storeId=10001

[bhg481]

I tend to keep one of these plugged in to my accessories socket:

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

It should read just over 12V without the engine running and between 13.5 and 14.5 with the engine running. Don't leave it in to a live socket for days at a time if you're not using the car as, even though it only draws a very small current, it could flatten your battery.

[NISAR1]

Good little device I will also order this not expensive. I use my car Mon-Fri and travel 26 miles each day and intend to use the trickle charger only in the winter months as this is when my car battery died on me. I will also contact the manufacturer cans see what they suggest. Thanks.

[Hymie]

If you drive 13 miles to work and 13 miles back, Monday to Friday – there should be no need to use a trickle charger. Such a driving pattern should easily keep the battery fully charged.

Plugging in bhg481’s Amazon recommendation should confirm that the battery is being charged (and that you don’t have a faulty alternator or slack fan belt).

I recently left my car parked up for over two weeks (being away on holiday), after which it started no problem despite the cold weather.

You have been a bit unlucky with the battery only lasting 3 years – I reckon the typical battery life to be around 7 years these days.
That said, a few years ago I purchased a battery from Eurocarparts that lasted less than a year. Unable to find the sales receipt, all I could find was my credit card statement – but I needed neither, they replaced it no quibble (having my details on their computer system).

[bednobs]

is 3-4 years good for a battery then? Ive been driving my car for over 10 years and never needed a new battery (cue battery being flat tomorrow)

[RobNorth]

Of course it will - change it now before it lets you down.

[Hymie]

10 years is very good.
In years gone by, as the battery neared its end of life, it would crank the engine slower and slower – giving plenty of warning of its approaching demise.

Nowadays, one day the battery is fine – the next dead. This may be in part due to injection engines which tend to start much quicker than the old aspirated engines.

[bhg481]

I've found that since switching to diesel engines my batteries haven't lasted as long. I used to get 10 years plus with petrol engines but struggle to get 5 with a diesel.

[NISAR1]

Hymie you stand correct my driving pattern should easily keep the battery fully charged which it has done since Oct 2014. I will be ordering the gadget from Amazon and my car is due a service this month so will as the mechanic to check my alternator and belt. Thanks folks for commenting it's been a great help.

[Hymie]

No need to pay your mechanic to check the alternator and fan belt – once you plug in the device and it is displaying around 14V with the engine running - all is well.

Besides loss of charging voltage, a slack fan belt will normally squeal as it slips under load.

Undoubtedly one reason diesels suffer if the battery is not in good condition; is by the time the battery has heated the glow-plugs there is insufficient capacity to adequately crank the engine.

[bhg481]

Hymie - the glow-plug circuit on my Vovo is protected by a 10A fuse and the plugs only operate for a few seconds even in cold weather. There is no way that is going to run-down the battery.
As an aside, back in the 60s one of the Eastern European motor manufacturers recommended that in very cold weather you switched on the headlights for a few minutes before trying to start the car; this warmed up the battery which then could give out the required current to start the car.

[bednobs]

Well it started this morning ...