VW Golf - electric problems

i71jskz5xu42pb

Hi,

I have an 98 VW Golf (the older Mark available in that year, I can never remember). About 9 months ago the battery went dead. I've had it in and out of the local garage and he's put probably 4 new batteries into it at this stage but after a while they all die. The car does not get much use (weekends mainly) - last time it died the car had not been driven for 8-10 days. That battery was fitted before Christmas. Local guy has pretty much said he's given up on it (in fairness he's done a bit of work on it for no extra charges)

So questions -
- How much of a charge should I expect to get from a fully charged battery - I'm thinking in the region of a few weeks?
- Anyone any similar experiences with similar model? Any ideas on what may be wrong? Alarm was off the last few months so that is out. I'm leaning toward the radio/CD as that was the only thing fitted after purchase (long time ago though and by a garage)
- Anyone know a garage that specialises in this kind of thing? North side Dublin ideally? If not I might bring it to Fosters in Stillorgan as they seem to be the VW guys in Dublin.

Car is old enough admittedly but no other problems and sails though the NCT each time so I'm reluctant to get rid of it.

Any thoughts appreciated.

cyrusdvirus

few weeks for a new battery?? I've had the same one in my car since i bought the damn thing, and it's a 03.

Sounds like you got some serious draining going on there. I remember hearing something about an incorrectly installed alarm a while back that gobbled up the battery quick smart.

There has to be an active circut somewhere in the car that's eating all your electricity.

crosstownk

First of all have the alternator checked to make sure it charging correctly. It is possible for a battery to go flat after 8-10 days, but in general they should last longer than this. Dublin Airpot have a free jump start facility for people who return from holidays to find that their battery has gone flat - so batteries going flat in less than 2 weeks is definitely not unheard of. Having worked in a VW dealer for 6 years, I would have to say that I have seen a lot of batteries go flat in less than a week. If you don't drive it enough then it's possible that the battery is not being charged fully each time.

Also, bear in mind that the a brand new battery may not be fully charged as it could well have been on the shelf for some time.

If you think the stereo is causing it then remove the fuse for it when the car is not in use. Also, have the alarm removed completely - sometimes the alarm may be still drawing even though it is switched off.

Any decent garage should be able to put an amp-clamp on the battery lead to see what current is being drawn from the battery.

Anan1

OP - Bring the car to Hamiltons Auto Electricians, they're just off Camden Street. I've used them before, and found them quick, efficient, and inexpensive. If you want to give them a call, the number is 01-4755157.

i71jskz5xu42pb

gatecrash wrote:

few weeks for a new battery?? I've had the same one in my car since i bought the damn thing, and it's a 03.

Sorry I meant how long should a battery last without the car been run i.e. sitting in the drive how long before the charge will run down.

greglo23

a decent battery should last a lot longer than 2 weeks so you certainly have something draining yours. one of the usual problems is the boot or glove box light staying on. even though they are small bulbs they will drain the battery over a period of time. as anan1 said above bring it to an auto-electrician who should be able to diagnose it easily.
if they cant fix it you could get one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=47902&criteria=solar&doy=22m2
its a solar trickle charger which should keep your battery in a fully charged state.

C_Breeze

Hey , i'm pretty much experiencing the same problem .

Does anybody know of any Auto Eletrician around Dublin 15 area?

Golden Pages is absolutely useless! :rolleyes:

i71jskz5xu42pb

I got mine fixed http://www.parkservicecentre.ie/ - not Dublin 15 but Northside at least.
(Turned out to be a really small drain from the Radio in the end)

heffo9

Have used this company before, very fast and know their stuff. A 15min drive up the N3 for you C_Breeze.

Rooske
Dunshaughlin Buss. Pk.
Dunshaughlin
Meath
Contact: Frank McCool
(01) 8011652

C_Breeze

heffo9 wrote: »

Have used this company before, very fast and know their stuff. A 15min drive up the N3 for you C_Breeze.

Rooske
Dunshaughlin Buss. Pk.
Dunshaughlin
Meath
Contact: Frank McCool
(01) 8011652

Thanks for that , will give them a buzz tomoro

10-10-20

Do you have a phone charger? If so, disconnect it. There used to be a problem with the Nokia phone charger on the older Focus cars where it would drain the battery in 10 days.
I did calculations on this previously and it worked out at a drain of 0.25A per hour.
Also, did you have a look into your boot? Often the boot lamp will remain on and drain the battery.

Oh, and a solar trickle charger won't keep a 60Ah battery charged at the rate of loss that the OP is experiencing...