Is the cold killing my battery?

Skuxx

Came out to the car this morning (mk4 tdi golf), and there wasn't a geek out of her! The same thing happened last Monday night, I came back off a late flight into Dublin airport and again it was dead!!
Could it be the cold weather? I had the same problem this time last year and replaced the battery so it's not that old!! Anything I can do outside replace it again??

corktina

probably not. The cold weather will expose a weak battery.

Atlantic Dawn

Your likely doing short trips where the battery is not charging enough to replenish what it is using. This weather your car has the lights on, heater on, probably rear window heater and these all drain the battery.

Gilbert Grape

have the same problem on my 98 mx5,new battery last year,once the cold weather comes it starts to drain the battery dead

Skuxx

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Your likely doing short trips where the battery is not charging enough to replenish what it is using. This weather your car has the lights on, heater on, probably rear window heater and these all drain the battery.

Not really to be honest, 30 minutes each way to work and a fair amount of other driving, I do approx 30000 miles a year! Anyway to check the alternator is charging properly?? I never had a bother at any stage during the year until now!

aujopimur

You can check it's charging with a voltmeter, should be about 14v, your local motor factor will load test the battery FOC.

Bpmull

Did you get the actual right size battery when your replaced it. As diesels need a decent size battery most around 70 amps so if you undersized it. Then it will constantly struggle and be draining so the battery would wear out quickly. Better to buy a slightly higher amp or same as battery it came with rather than a smaller capacity one high cca is important too.