Battery Gone After Audi Garage Service

Jimmycooker

Hey lads,

I put my car into Kevin O'Learys for a new timing belt / pulleys / discs & breaks.

Less than 100 miles after I got it back the battery died. It would jump start on a hill first pick and stay going.

Took it back to KOL and they say it's just a coincidence that the battery went at the same time and they're trying to charge me for a new one (letting me off the 3 hours of testing and fitting they say they spent on the issue).

As far as I'm concerned the most obvious answer is usually the right one, this battery lasted all last year through very cold weather and is only 6 years old.

What do you think I should do? What might they have done to break it during the service? The girl in there insists the mechanic couldn't and didn't do anything...sounds like a croc to me....

Nissan doctor

How do you imagine changing a timing belt and brakes could effect the battery?

They're correct, 100 per cent so, you have no clue what you are talking about. I think you should pay them for a new one.

Senna

Jimmycooker wrote: »

is only 6 years old.

AFAIK battery warranties are usually 3 years, maybe 5 years at a push. So 6 years would be very much acceptable, even if the car is drove a lot.

Nissan doctor

Senna wrote: »

AFAIK battery warranties are usually 3 years, maybe 5 years at a push. So 6 years would be very much acceptable, even if the car is drove a lot.

2 year warranty is about the most I've ever seen. 6 years from a battery is more then acceptable IMO.

coylemj

Your battery failed so you had three options to pick from :

1. Battery is 6 years old
2. It's the middle of winter
3. The car was recently serviced

So you go for option 3

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

Your battery failed so you had three options to pick from :

1. Battery is 6 years old
2. It's the middle of winter
3. The car was recently serviced

So you go for option 3

... sure twas the most obvious one :pac:

Nissan doctor

RoverJames wrote: »

... sure twas the most obvious one :pac:

I filled up with diesel last week, today I noticed my headlight bulb was gone. I'm going to demand a new bulb from the petrol station and see how I get on:P

Jimmycooker

Nissan doctor wrote: »

RoverJames wrote: »

... sure twas the most obvious one :pac:

I filled up with diesel last week, today I noticed my headlight bulb was gone. I'm going to demand a new bulb from the petrol station and see how I get on:P

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did.

For example, as far as i know it is standard procedure to remove the battery cables and hook the vehicle upto an independent power supply to avoid all radio and car settings being lost in certain circumstances? Seems logical that if they did and connected it up that a power surge or something could have blown the battery. Anyway, thanks for all your help.

keithclancy

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did.

For example, as far as i know it is standard procedure to remove the battery cables and hook the vehicle upto an independent power supply to avoid all radio and car settings being lost in certain circumstances? Seems logical that if they did and connected it up that a power surge or something could have blown the battery. Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Well it is the Motors forum and people have quite a bit of experience, and also would work on their own cars.

If you asked in the Consumer Issues forum you might have gotten a reponse that you preferred, but the long and short is:

A. Battery is a sealed unit.
B. The most they'd do for an 'electrical check' is visually inspect the cables and plug in an ODB-II reader.

Timing Belt/Pulley (and tensioners I would assume) plus the Discs and Brakes wouldn't require removal of the battery.

Your battery is just dead.

6 years is good going, time to replace it.

IMO This would be like me going back after getting Glow plugs replaced and saying they caused a failing wheel bearing.

If you want piece of mind then bring it somewhere else, ffs .. 3 hours though to find out the battery is kaput ... ffs ... No power .. Multimeter .. oh the battery is fooked

George Dalton

Which model is the car and what year?

Gophur

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Nissan doctor wrote: »

RoverJames wrote: »

... sure twas the most obvious one :pac:

I filled up with diesel last week, today I noticed my headlight bulb was gone. I'm going to demand a new bulb from the petrol station and see how I get on:P

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did.

For example, as far as i know it is standard procedure to remove the battery cables and hook the vehicle upto an independent power supply to avoid all radio and car settings being lost in certain circumstances? Seems logical that if they did and connected it up that a power surge or something could have blown the battery. Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Lead acid batteries, as fitted to cars, are composed of six cells linked together in series, like a daisy chain. When one cell goes, the whole battery needs replacing. A cold snap, like what we have had recently, is just what will kill a cell.

You could short circuit a car battery and not kill it. The chances of the workshop being responsible for your problem are slim to zero. The chances are your battery was not 'perfect' when it went in for the service.

Buy a new battery and move on.

Jimmycooker

Its an 06 A4 TSFI Quattro

trad

It always amazes me that people spend a fortune buying cars and then have a hissy fit when service items have to be replaced.

Nissan doctor

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did.

For example, as far as i know it is standard procedure to remove the battery cables and hook the vehicle upto an independent power supply to avoid all radio and car settings being lost in certain circumstances? Seems logical that if they did and connected it up that a power surge or something could have blown the battery. Anyway, thanks for all your help.

That when changing the battery or doing other electrical checks. Again, nothing to do with the work you had done.

We've had a very mild couple of months and now a sudden cold snap, which happened to come straight after you had the car serviced, and has taken the last bit of life from your battery. That really is all there is too it.

Even if they did manage to short something, it would blow fuses etc not the battery.

TouchingVirus

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did.

This computer equipment you commission - does it degrade over time before breaking? If so I'll take 10 - in my experience it's always been "It worked an hour ago, but now it's broke".

You're probably thinking of a battery as having a working and not-working state, but there has probably been some indicators of your battery aging - slower turnover when you start your engine for example. Not slow enough to be noticeable or stop the car starting, but throw a new battery in and listen for the difference - I was amazed at how I didn't notice the signs until I had a new one fitted. And then you'll have the cold snap - I bought a new battery just over two years ago, in November last year I went out and the car was dead. I thought the worst, turned out it just needed a new battery as the cold had killed it.

Your battery is six years old, it has served you well but now it's time to get a new one; you can drop your theories.

Jimmycooker

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Whoa, few mechanics in the house possibly!? The battery was perfect when the car went into the garage, Absolutely perfect, as soon as I got it back the battery is ****ed. I commission computers and mechanical equipment every day, if something works perfectly up until you make a change of done sort or start playing with it, any insuring problems are 99.9% of the time due to something did................

I'm astounded to be honest that you have a remotely technical job, I had you down as an accountant or a geography teacher :pac:

EPM

If all people are going to do is pull the p1ss out of the OP they can do it somewhere else.

sh1tstirrer

Op if you don't want to pay for a new battery just go to a breakers yard and get a secondhand one. They would be around 60% cheaper than a new one with 1 months guarantee. Only problem it could go after the month and then again it could last a few years, that's the chance you would have to take.

the_syco

Jimmycooker wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned the most obvious answer is usually the right one, this battery lasted all last year through very cold weather and is only 6 years old.

If the battery was broken, how were you able to bring it home from the garage? My point is that it sounds like the latest cold spell sapped the energy from the battery. It happens.

sean1141

its the cold spell that caused it to fail. buy a new one and move on. i would advise to get a decent replacement and not a cheap or second hand one. the chances of them lasting another six years are slim

corktina

Batterys do that...6 years out of a battery is good OP...how many more opinions will it take before you belive us all?

Jimmycooker

To those of you with some helpful advice about the breakers yards and that thanks for your help, i knew the battery condition was ok before it went into the garage because the car started every morning, the lights did not dim or fade when the engine was off and i knew it was broken when it came out because after a spin up and down home it was totally dead. The car was serviced weeks ago during the mildest Christmas in decades, it survived temperatures 30 degrees less 12 months previous. I took the car to an audi dealer and paid more than i had to for the work so its not about the money, it just seems that everyone's trying to ride you for more cash these days and i came here to make sure they weren't. As for being an accountant or a geography teacher i don't feel too much of a need to justify my technical credentials to a piece of **** rover driver and or grease monkey. Au revoir

Paddypowered

Jimmycooker wrote: »

To those of you with some helpful advice about the breakers yards and that thanks for your help, i knew the battery condition was ok before it went into the garage because the car started every morning, the lights did not dim or fade when the engine was off and i knew it was broken when it came out because after a spin up and down home it was totally dead. The car was serviced weeks ago during the mildest Christmas in decades, it survived temperatures 30 degrees less 12 months previous. I took the car to an audi dealer and paid more than i had to for the work so its not about the money, it just seems that everyone's trying to ride you for more cash these days and i came here to make sure they weren't. As for being an accountant or a geography teacher i don't feel too much of a need to justify my technical credentials to a piece of **** rover driver and or grease monkey. Au revoir

If the car was serviced not that long ago, a battery check would have been in the service checklist especially coming up to the winter...should have shown up if they load tested it...:/ probably didn't bother...

langdang

Audi stereotype stereotypes other stereotypes, how many stereotypes is that?

lomb

Its not the garages fault its the battery, they may have let the charge run down though which would explain why it died now.
Id look for a battery outside the dealer network though, probably get a good one for it for less than 100 I reakon.

mickdw

I have known old batteries to function perfecfly until for example someone leaves the lights on and after that full discharge, the battery wont take a charge at all.
Isnt it possible that the dealer ran down the battery for what ever reason and it being a very old battery it wont hold the charge any longer. It is possible that they ran down the battery by leaving ignition on or as some do, connecting inspection lamp to battery.
If that was the case, the failure is a direct result of the service work however, a new healthy battery could just be charged up again whereas an old one wont. Anyway, a new battery is needed and really and truely, if running it down now didnt make it fail, it would likely have failed in the next few months so no point kicking up a fuss.
I do agree with the OP in that the failure is related to the service but its still down to the battery being near the end of its life.

sean1141

Jimmycooker wrote: »

To those of you with some helpful advice about the breakers yards and that thanks for your help, i knew the battery condition was ok before it went into the garage because the car started every morning, the lights did not dim or fade when the engine was off and i knew it was broken when it came out because after a spin up and down home it was totally dead. The car was serviced weeks ago during the mildest Christmas in decades, it survived temperatures 30 degrees less 12 months previous. I took the car to an audi dealer and paid more than i had to for the work so its not about the money, it just seems that everyone's trying to ride you for more cash these days and i came here to make sure they weren't. As for being an accountant or a geography teacher i don't feel too much of a need to justify my technical credentials to a piece of **** rover driver and or grease monkey. Au revoir

are you for real? just because the battery was fine last winter dose not mean it will last this winter.. the battery is dead, go buy another one and stop looking for someone to blame for a 6 year old battery failing

Jimmycooker

Jimmycooker wrote: »

To those of you with some helpful advice about the breakers yards and that thanks for your help, i knew the battery condition was ok before it went into the garage because the car started every morning, the lights did not dim or fade when the engine was off and i knew it was broken when it came out because after a spin up and down home it was totally dead. The car was serviced weeks ago during the mildest Christmas in decades, it survived temperatures 30 degrees less 12 months previous. I took the car to an audi dealer and paid more than i had to for the work so its not about the money, it just seems that everyone's trying to ride you for more cash these days and i came here to make sure they weren't. As for being an accountant or a geography teacher i don't feel too much of a need to justify my technical credentials to a piece of **** rover driver and or grease monkey. Au revoir

That's nice carry on
Junior cert science students understand how batteries fail if they were paying attention, you're technical credentials have been well illustrated here, along with your pleasant disposition.

To reiterate ..........

RoverJames wrote: »

They're correct, 100 per cent so, you have no clue what you are talking about. I think you should pay them for a new one.

jimmyw

Well OP I can well understand why you would feel that the garage was to blame.Some garages can try to put extras on that, may, or may not in some cases need doing. Battery was working ok before, and now its not.But there is absolutely no connection in this situation between all the stuff you got done, and the battery.

Yes maybe they could have left something on, ignition, radio etc.But if the battery was in good condition just charging it up would renew it back to good condition.The battery must have been a borderline case and didnt need much to push it over the edge.

The garage would (or should) not need to disconnect the battery for this type of work to be carried out.Even if they did, all they needed to do is just disconnect the earth cable.Between one Jimmy to another:p, there are some high horses on here as usual, but it pains me to say that they are right, 6 years is good for a battery.

Look if you want go to another place that sells/checks batteries, get them to check it but its probably fecked though.

-Chris-

Jimmycooker wrote: »

i don't feel too much of a need to justify my technical credentials to a piece of **** rover driver and or grease monkey. Au revoir

Attack the post, rather than the poster please, or your stay on boards will be very short.

RoverJames wrote: »

That's nice carry on
Junior cert science students understand how batteries fail if they were paying attention, you're technical credentials have been well illustrated here, along with your pleasant disposition.

RJ - If you've an issue with another person's post, please report it. If you keep "standing up for yourself" in the manner that you do at the moment, you will also be liable for sanction.

slimjimmc

Batteries are known to do that (die overnight), I've experienced it first hand.

Own car started perfectly on the button every time then suddenly one frosty morning nothing, completely dead. There was no warning, no tell tale signs of any weakness, just a dead 5 yr old battery. Only solution was a new battery which took me 40mins to get to the shop and back and 5 mins to fit.

Same thing happened to a friend's 2yr battery. I know it was 2yrs old because I had fitted it for him from new.

6 years is a reasonable life time for a car battery.

Jimmycooker

Thanks again to those here to help, apologies mr moderator.

The plot thickened today though, while driving from cork to Urlingford for a funeral today (on the motorway, driving on) a squeaking noise started coming from the back of the car, it only happened when I applied the gas. It got progressively worse as I drove on, metal on metal rattling / screeching sound. On the way back I decided to call black water in fermoy and bring it in for a look. They said the sensors etc were all ok, they thought it might be a problem with the abs / traction control but they ruled that out. They said the noise is coming from the rear diff. The rear axle oil was changed in my last service which was exactly 143 miles ago according to their computer.....screw the battery, I'm sorry I even mentioned it now as this is just too much of a coincidence...they either forgot to refill the oil, used the wrong oil or didn't tighten the cap....please tell me this is too much of a coincidence...the Quattro has done 68k miles, did they even need to change this oil? What should I do?

-Corkie-

Did they check the Diff in Blackwater???

Jimmycooker

Yes they put it up on a lift and said there was noise coming from it, they didn't check the oil level as they said it would need to be opened anyway....they said they'd prepare a price to strip it and check whats wrong.....they probably didnt realise the oil was supposed to have been changed 100 or so miles ago in south douglas road

-Corkie-

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Yes they put it up on a lift and said there was noise coming from it, they didn't check the oil level as they said it would need to be opened anyway....they said they'd prepare a price to strip it and check whats wrong.....they probably didnt realise the oil was supposed to have been changed 100 or so miles ago in south douglas road

In any case I would like to see the oil that comes out of it..

Jimmycooker

Im going to go up first thing monday morning and ask them to check the oil, if there is oil should i take a sample or what? SHould i even go up there and just tell audi cork its their problem, this is too much of a coincidence....a quick look on google tells me these diffs rarely break and the noise that came from it sounded like metal on metal, like when bad breaks squeek...you wouldnt get that if it was submersed in oil would you? how much of the diff is covered?

-Corkie-

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Im going to go up first thing monday morning and ask them to check the oil, if there is oil should i take a sample or what? SHould i even go up there and just tell audi cork its their problem, this is too much of a coincidence....a quick look on google tells me these diffs rarely break and the noise that came from it sounded like metal on metal, like when bad breaks squeek...you wouldnt get that if it was submersed in oil would you? how much of the diff is covered?

They will know by looking or even smelling the oil if its new or old..

There should be no grating sound if there is oil in it. Btw I have only seen Hino Diffs open but its the same sort of setup.. George Dalton would be the man to ask or Nissan doctor..

alexmcred

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Im going to go up first thing monday morning and ask them to check the oil, if there is oil should i take a sample or what? SHould i even go up there and just tell audi cork its their problem, this is too much of a coincidence....a quick look on google tells me these diffs rarely break and the noise that came from it sounded like metal on metal, like when bad breaks squeek...you wouldnt get that if it was submersed in oil would you? how much of the diff is covered?

Audi Cork are Blackwater Motors, Kevin O'Leary Lost the Audi franchise very shortly after they were awarded it.

Jimmycooker

Isnt the garage on south douglas road (which i know is the same as fermoy blackwater) Kevin O'Learys? His name is up there i think still??

BostonB

Do people check their batteries water level often? Is that still required on modern batteries. I do on our older car.

-Corkie-

Might be a good idea to edit the thread title now Jimmy..

Jimmycooker

How do i do that?

alexmcred

Jimmycooker wrote: »

Isnt the garage on south douglas road (which i know is the same as fermoy blackwater) Kevin O'Learys? His name is up there i think still??

No Audi Cork on the South Douglas road is owned and operated by Blackwater Motors.

Jimmycooker

Jimmycooker wrote: »

.........
The plot thickened today though, while driving from cork to Urlingford for a funeral today (on the motorway, driving on) a squeaking noise started coming from the back of the car, it only happened when I applied the gas. It got progressively worse as I drove on, metal on metal rattling / screeching sound. On the way back I decided to call black water in fermoy and bring it in for a look. They said the sensors etc were all ok, they thought it might be a problem with the abs / traction control but they ruled that out. They said the noise is coming from the rear diff. The rear axle oil was changed in my last service which was exactly 143 miles ago according to their computer.....screw the battery, I'm sorry I even mentioned it now as this is just too much of a coincidence...they either forgot to refill the oil, used the wrong oil or didn't tighten the cap....please tell me this is too much of a coincidence...the Quattro has done 68k miles, did they even need to change this oil? What should I do?

If they hadn't tightened the cap the exterior of the dif would make that quite obvious, forgetting to change the oil or using the wrong stuff would be unlikely to result in damage that soon, pity you drove on to the point that it was sounding that bad. Were you charged for this at the service as there was no mention of it in your first post. Cork to url is 80 miles and you had done 100 miles before the battery packed in, I dunno where they are pulling the 143 miles from ?

mickdw

OP,

Get a franchise dealer totally independant of the guys who did the service work to examine the rear diff. Id want a report on quantity of oil drained, condition of oil, sample of the oil & then a diagnosis of what they feel is the problem.
I used to have a quattro TT and that had the haldex diff. Probably different to your setup but I had an audi dealer tell me he didnt have any specific oil for it and that it would be ATF that would be suitable anyway.
This was totally wrong. I eventually ordered the correct audi oil from them. It was more of a gear oil type of stuff from its smell. Perhaps these guys used the completely wrong oil in yours. That would destroy it fairly fast.
The TT only took 1L I think so its not like there is lots of oil rattling around in there. IF the wrong oil was used, it would turn to sh1t pretty quick I feel.

Jimmycooker

Rover James, The 143 miles is the distance between the initial service and the trip back for the battery id say. They said there was no sign of a leak, they didn't check the oil level because the mechanics finished at 3. I rang the garage in douglas on my way back from Fermoy to find out exactly what they had done and the rear axle oil change was included in the service. When i heard that i unfortunately rang Fermoy in the heat of the moment to say i was turning around to collect the car and drive it to another independant garage. In the end i left it as i dont want to damage it anymore, but im going to be out there first thing Monday morning and ill ask them to check it while im there. Im praying theres no oil in it because proving its the wrong oil or amount will be difficult to do. They did say they see very few quatttros in Fermoy (so they wouldnt be able to give me a price for stripping it straight away)....what should i do? I have a flight to catch Monday for work at 11. Its Saturday night and the cars locked in there garage till Monday...i dont have time for this, but it could cost a fortune if that diff is sheared no?

lomb

mickdw wrote: »

OP,

Get a franchise dealer totally independant of the guys who did the service work to examine the rear diff. Id want a report on quantity of oil drained, condition of oil, sample of the oil & then a diagnosis of what they feel is the problem.
I used to have a quattro TT and that had the haldex diff. Probably different to your setup but I had an audi dealer tell me he didnt have any specific oil for it and that it would be ATF that would be suitable anyway.
This was totally wrong. I eventually ordered the correct audi oil from them. It was more of a gear oil type of stuff from its smell. Perhaps these guys used the completely wrong oil in yours. That would destroy it fairly fast.
The TT only took 1L I think so its not like there is lots of oil rattling around in there. IF the wrong oil was use d, it would turn to sh1t pretty quick I feel.

Are you talking about the haldex oil in the tube you inject into the haldex clutch? The rear diff on the quattros also has a diff that has oil in it but this is sealed for life. I changed my own haldex oil and I can tell you its quite easy to lose a large portion of it out of the tube as you inject it which could do some damage.

If you don't trust them a flatbed to the likes of cork gearbox centre might be the best course of action. I can't see them allowing you into the service dept to witness the draining really, with your flight that's not an option. I can see why someone rather than them would be thepreferred option.

Jimmycooker

RoverJames wrote: »

If you don't trust them a flatbed to the likes of cork gearbox centre might be the best course of action. I can't see them allowing you into the service dept to witness the draining really, with your flight that's not an option. I can see why someone rather than them would be thepreferred option.

What a disaster. Thanks for the advice

Jimmycooker

Jimmycooker wrote: »

RoverJames wrote: »

If you don't trust them a flatbed to the likes of cork gearbox centre might be the best course of action. I can't see them allowing you into the service dept to witness the draining really, with your flight that's not an option. I can see why someone rather than them would be thepreferred option.

What a disaster. Thanks for the advice

Am I right to assume this problem has developed due to the oil change, is it the most likely reason? And do you think audi cork will take responsibility?