battery change required for a 97 polo

bittihuduga

hi
i have a 97 polo which is not driven much as im travelling a lot.
so the battery goes out even after 4-5 days of not starting.
previously it used to lie there for 5 weeks and start easily.
may be the battery is going down as its aged.
how difficult is to get a battery replaced?
is it expensive and lot of work involved?
does any garage do it or any specific place?
pls advise

Seweryn

bittihuduga wrote: »

hi
i have a 97 polo which is not driven much as im travelling a lot.
so the battery goes out even after 4-5 days of not starting.
previously it used to lie there for 5 weeks and start easily.
may be the battery is going down as its aged.
how difficult is to get a battery replaced?
is it expensive and lot of work involved?
does any garage do it or any specific place?
pls advise

Hi,
To replace the battery it is one of the easiest task when it comes to car maintenance and it should take no more than 10 minutes (a child can do it really).
Going back to your problem with the battery loosing its charge - a car battery should be kept fully charged at all times no matter it is used regularly or not. If you do not use your car, you should charge up the battery from time to time (say every 2-3 weeks for a few hours). Otherwise the battery will go to (cutting the long story short) self-destruction and it will go in a short period of time. You should also check the electrolyte level and if needed top it up with distilled water. Properly maintained battery should last about 10 years, but neglected one can go within a few months.

Tipsy Mac

Any Kwik Fit or Halfords will fit it while you wait, shouldn't be anymore than a 5 minute job and they will dispose of the old one.

biko

You can change it yourself, save yourself a few bob.
http://www.ehow.com/video_2260463_remove-car-battery-replace-it.html
Anywhere that sells car batteries has to take the old one back.

bittihuduga

thanks boys..i will give it a shot when im back home next week

johndaman66

Very, very easy job bittihuduga. All you'd need is a couple of spanners. Just make sure you have the polarity correct when fitting in new battery. I'd probably apply a similar difficulty rating to it as checking oil level or changing a fuse or a headlight bulb in some cars (changing a headlight bulb in some models being a job and a half seemingly).

I'd say at a guess you would pick up a pretty decent battery for a polo for 60 or 70 quid. Probably like tyres you might be best of spending the extra tenner or so on the more reputable and better recognised brand. Personally I'd tend to avoid Halfords as would think you'll get better value in the type of Motor Factors where mechanics generally buy their bits and bobs. If battery is needed immediately though you might not have a choice....not sure would a lot of them be open this week at all or not

wilson10

Seweryn wrote: »

Hi,
To replace the battery it is one of the easiest task when it comes to car maintenance and it should take no more than 10 minutes (a child can do it really).
Going back to your problem with the battery loosing its charge - a car battery should be kept fully charged at all times no matter it is used regularly or not. If you do not use your car, you should charge up the battery from time to time (say every 2-3 weeks for a few hours). Otherwise the battery will go to (cutting the long story short) self-destruction and it will go in a short period of time. You should also check the electrolyte level and if needed top it up with distilled water. Properly maintained battery should last about 10 years, but neglected one can go within a few months.

Man, you really know how to look after your battery, 10 years life span !, most people wouldn't know because they don't even keep a car 10 years but I would be happy to get about 6 years from a battery, but good advice anyway.

Seweryn

wilson10 wrote: »

Man, you really know how to look after your battery, 10 years life span !, most people wouldn't know because they don't even keep a car 10 years but I would be happy to get about 6 years from a battery, but good advice anyway.

Hi,
I generally enjoy looking after the stuff. 10 years from a battery is nothing unusual I believe. I remember I got a battery for my VW Beetle (as a gift from my friends) in year 2000 and I used it in that car until 2007, when I decided to put the car off the road (due to the condition of the bodywork - the car was 35 years old and in my hands since 1998 as an everyday car) and then I bought a Mercedes 124T Estate E220 with damaged battery (long time not charged, so it was gone), so I put that Beetle battery into the Benz. It was to small for the Benz, but it did the job well and never let me down. I sold the Benz with that battery earlier this year and I believe it is still going . It was Centra Plus battery, very good in fact...

Fishtits

10 years is a reasonable lifespan from a decent battery that hasn't been abused... ie left discharged after lights left on etc.

You can buy a good battery or a cheap battery, take your pick.

A good battery is a battery that is used as original equipment by vehicle manufacturers.

In Europe, OE manufacturers such as Varta, Moll, etc are now available to the aftermarket ie you & me.

They're not cheap, but, you get what you pay for.

Forget about historical names being regurgitated IMHO, ask them who they supply at the production line.

You pays your money... etc.

colm_mcm

Halfords do a great range of batteries. their cheapest ones have a 3 year warranty, they also do a range of higher performance calcuim batteries which have a 4 year warranty, and they also do a range of Bosch powerframe batteries with a 5 year warranty.

Personally I'd rather 2 standard batteries with 2 3 year warranties than one Bosch with 5 years if the Bosch costs over twice as much.

How long more does a 97 Polo have left in it?


Also, I've fitted Halfords batteries to 2 of my FTOs, to my mothers and brothers cars and also some of my friends cars, none have had any issues.