Getting a new battery fitted.

GTE

Hey all,

The Golf TDI has been getting harder to start over the last few months. I have now moved to Belfast and I booked it in for a diagnostic at a main VW dealer just to see how they are.

They tracked the problem down to a dying battery and they have quoted me ~145 pounds to get a new VW approved one fitted and have another diagnostic to make sure the sensors that report a low voltage error arent actually broken. They said they wont touch any batteries I give them or get any batteries that arent VW approved.

145 pounds to replace the battery and diagnose the car includes a lift to where I live and a lift back to the garage when it is done. The car will be washed also and in general the quality of the service is very good.
The washed car amazed me. Last time it was in a VW garage it was considerably more dirty!

Thats the way I was treated for just the first diagnostic (trying to keep my business no doubt).

Worth it? Im not too pushed with college work to look for a cheap indy dealer or track down a battery and do it myself unless 145 is really really expensive!

Ill call around to a Skoda dealer and I think there is a Kwik-Fit nearby.

The cost of a battery recommended for the Ford Galaxy/VW whatever it was (1.9 TDI) is about 80 pounds.

Thanks all!

Muckie

For me personally get go to your local motorfactors and
get the right battery for your car. €80 is about right, never mind
the VW expsenive treatment. 5minute job too, Disconnet the negative
first though.

Plug

Jesus christ man you got ripped with that quote. Just get the battery and fit it yourself.

GTE

Plug wrote: »

Jesus christ man you got ripped with that quote. Just get the battery and fit it yourself.

I was pretty taken a back with the price but batteries are not my area of knowledge so I said to myself to pop in here

I think I heard about a motor factors near where I am.
Varta are a good brand?

bbk

bbk wrote: »

I was pretty taken a back with the price but batteries are not my area of knowledge so I said to myself to pop in here

13mm socket, 10mm spanner and a few minutes :pac:
Please please don't say you are studying engineering or science, or business for that matter if you just f**ked away £145 quid for a battery. Where are all the lads whp recommend we all head up the North for our motoring needs now eh :P

mickdw

RoverJames wrote: »

13mm socket, 10mm spanner and a few minutes :pac:
Please please don't say you are studying engineering or science, or business for that matter if you just f**ked away £145 quid for a battery. Where are all the lads whp recommend we all head up the North for our motoring needs now eh :P

I have a feeling that might be a €250 job in an irish dealer. I dont know how much diagnostic they honestly needed but the irish dealer is likely to charge €90 to tell you that a new battery is needed which would be payable regardless and then Im sure they would be quoting at least €150 to supply & fit a genuine battery.

It is madness though to even consider using dealer or a costly diagnostic for this type of problem

Probably true, a dealer is the last place I'd go, any decent motor factors will load test a battery for you for free, and fit the replacement too if required.

Owen

And dispose of the old battery too!

GTE

RoverJames wrote: »

13mm socket, 10mm spanner and a few minutes :pac:
Please please don't say you are studying engineering or science, or business for that matter if you just f**ked away £145 quid for a battery. Where are all the lads whp recommend we all head up the North for our motoring needs now eh :P

I never even hinted that I had spent the money on a battery

Anyway, back to the topic and Paint Doc answered my final question about battery disposal so Ill check out that route.

A 29 quid diagnostic is nothing when you take the two taxi's I didnt have to get and the bother of getting the gunk off the car during the day or two I am home every month to do it for free. I got a rough idea of what the garage is like and if a service is needed while Im up here Im confident that taking advantage of any deals they may have on will still result in work that I can be confident was actually done!

bbk

bbk wrote: »

bbk wrote: »

I never even hinted that I had spent the money on a battery

Cool, apologies, I thought you were after getting it
Get one in a factors so save yourself a few quid.

Just to clarify, they want a further £145 to fit a battery and perform a 2nd diagnostics ?

GTE

RoverJames wrote: »

Cool, apologies, I thought you were after getting it
Get one in a factors so save yourself a few quid.

Just to clarify, they want a further £145 to fit a battery and perform a 2nd diagnostics ?

No bother. Ill see what the local factors I found on google in Belfast can do for me.

Yeah, they are asking £145 for a new battery, fitting and diagnostic.

With regards to the Varta battery I have read prices at around £80 to £90 for a new one for my engine. The battery currently in the wagon is an old Varta.

Halfords.ie say EUR129 for a Bosch and +100 for their own ones.

The amps of the battery should be around the 700 mark?

Only paid around 60 euro for my last battery. I have to say I was surprised especially as they quoted me 70 euro over the phone an hour earlier .

Fitting a battery to a car is a simple 5 minute job.

Natasha Calm Self-sufficient

Natasha Calm Self-sufficient wrote: »

Only paid around 60 euro for my last battery. I have to say I was surprised especially as they quoted me 70 euro over the phone an hour earlier .

Wasn't for a diesel though was it ?

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

Wasn't for a diesel though was it ?

No, meant to point that out in my post actually it was for a petrol, should still be able to get one for around the 80 euro mark for a diesel though.

GTE

Would it last as good as the premium priced ones however?

I get the impression that the Varta and probably Bosch are very high quality batteries and will last and perform better for longer.

bbk

bbk wrote: »

Would it last as good as the premium priced ones however?

I get the impression that the Varta and probably Bosch are very high quality batteries and will last and perform better for longer.

It appears to be a good strong battery to me, no problem starting and it will last longer than I will own the car so thats good enough for me.

GTE

After searching this place for a while a person who is very well recommended by all, Eugene Walsh in Belfast, quoted me 55 pounds fitted.
We will also be chatting about a remap

murphym7

Sorry for digging up an oldish thread - didn't see any point starting another Battery thread.

I'd say my current battery has had it - I get one shot to start and then its out with the leads.

I have a couple of questions - is it really easy to fit a new battery? its a 00 civic I have.

Also, I have never had a car as long as this one, so don't know how long a battery is supposed to last - is 4 years alright?


I'll call into the lads in Motorways as was previously advised by Rover and Paint doctor.

Thanks

Very easy to fit one, but I reckon Motorway may well fit it for free, the place AutoMotif across the car park from them is owned by the same guy, the RRP of a battery generally includes fitting. When I worked in a factors most of us would give retail customers trade discount on a battery and also fit it, unless the customer seemed a bell end. Motorway will look after you.

murphym7

RoverJames wrote: »

Very easy to fit one, but I reckon Motorway may well fit it for free, the place AutoMotif across the car park from them is owned by the same guy, the RRP of a battery generally includes fitting. When I worked in a factors most of us would give retail customers trade discount on a battery and also fit it, unless the customer seemed a bell end. Motorway will look after you.

Thanks for that RJ.