Battery help

Saul88

Hey folks

Hoping someone can help with an issue I am having with a golf r.

Car has been faultless until a month ago when I left work and stopped to get fuel, car wouldn’t restart so jumped it with a starter power pack (won’t damage electrics via a power surge).

Car was faultless again until yesterday when it wouldn’t restart after a trip to supermarket and had to again jump it with a starter power pack. Drove perfect home.

Wouldn’t start again this evening so another jump and let it idle and took it for a 20 min spin so should have been enough time to recharge battery. Wouldn’t restart after I turned off.

Battery is showing 8volts so the long drive didn’t charge it up.

Any ideas?

Car is in warranty and have breakdown assist but don’t want to bother these just yet given it’s not overly urgent.

biko

How old is car?
A battery can last 3-8 years, it can be quite a difference.

pablo128

Saul88 wrote: »

Hey folks

Hoping someone can help with an issue I am having with a golf r.

Car has been faultless until a month ago when I left work and stopped to get fuel, car wouldn’t restart so jumped it with a starter power pack (won’t damage electrics via a power surge).

Car was faultless again until yesterday when it wouldn’t restart after a trip to supermarket and had to again jump it with a starter power pack. Drove perfect home.

Wouldn’t start again this evening so another jump and let it idle and took it for a 20 min spin so should have been enough time to recharge battery. Wouldn’t restart after I turned off.

Battery is showing 8volts so the long drive didn’t charge it up.

Any ideas?

Car is in warranty and have breakdown assist but don’t want to bother these just yet given it’s not overly urgent.

It could be the alternator. You need to get a voltmeter onto it while it's running and see what it's charging at.

enricoh

8 volts = bin !

Toyotafanboi

What year is it? There was a batch of faulty batteries in these, if it's a mid 2016 to late 2018 model and has a MOLL brand battery fitted, they give intermittent non start issues like this.

It's more popular with the diesels but some of the 2.0 petrol had the Moll 70ah battery battery fitted too iirc.

Saul88

Thanks all for the replies.

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

What year is it? There was a batch of faulty batteries in these, if it's a mid 2016 to late 2018 model and has a MOLL brand battery fitted, they give intermittent non start issues like this.

It's more popular with the diesels but some of the 2.0 petrol had the Moll 70ah battery battery fitted too iirc.

It is actually a MOLL battery so hoping this is the issue. Car is a h2 2017 build so also fits into your time frame.

Do the symptoms in my OP sound like a battery issue (random non starting, 100% performance outside this until now where my spin didn’t recharge). if so I may just get a new one rather than wait for garage to reopen and anyway battery usually not covered under warranty so would probably take a fight to get it covered.

Toyotafanboi

Yeah its classic of the issue they give. Intermittent non start, but sometimes ok, random warning lights on dash board too. If its 172 original irish car it'll be covered by warranty if you can find a dealer open.

Saul88

To close this off, bought a new battery and fitted it yesterday. Seems to have done the trick.

Thanks all again

Toyotafanboi

Should be grand. What brand battery did you get? Did you fit it yourself?

The replacement battery should need to be coded for correct BEM, it isn't critical in the short term but I'd get it done when the restrictions are lifted.

Donie75

Have the exact same problem on a 172 2.0TDi Passat but I also have performance problems. The engine is chugging and losing power. I got a VW mechanic to check it with a handheld unit and he said the DPF Pressure Sensor has failed. It’s also very hard to start so I had to jump it off a booster pack. He said the Moll battery needs to be replaced but will be done under warranty.
Is it okay to remove the battery and charge it so that I can get it to the garage okay?

Toyotafanboi

The battery may not take a charge but you can try it. Best to use VW assist if you are looking to get it straight back to a workshop.

You'll get poor running issues just from the dodgy battery alone. I'd fit a battery, clear all faults then drive it for a bit to see if any faults return, you'll be getting all sorts of spurious faults with the bad battery.

DPF pressure sensors dont usually give bother in those Passats, so it's not likely it needs replacing. DPF's do give trouble in some though, check for black soot in the tailpipe, if there's any soot, you're in bother.

TheBoyConor

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Should be grand. What brand battery did you get? Did you fit it yourself?

The replacement battery should need to be coded for correct BEM, it isn't critical in the short term but I'd get it done when the restrictions are lifted.

Is coding batteries a thing now? What is the actual purpose of this? What issues are likely if one does not code the battery?
Sure isn't a battery just a dumb chunk of metal, plastic and chemicals that produces a voltage?

Are VW fitting batteries that have some sort of electronics integrated into them now?

newmember2

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Is coding batteries a thing now? What is the actual purpose of this? What issues are likely if one does not code the battery?
Sure isn't a battery just a dumb chunk of metal, plastic and chemicals that produces a voltage?

Are VW fitting batteries that have some sort of electronics integrated into them now?

The battery is just a battery - the electronics are in the car. The charging characteristics of an old battery and a brand new fresh battery won't be the same.

TheBoyConor

Ah so it is just to optimise the charging characteristics and life of the battery then. Well so it should still work even if not coded.

Tails142

If it's an AGM battery they need a higher current when new to recharge, not sure if they're an AGM type in this car, but in the case of an AGM battery if the car isn't coded for a new battery after a few weeks the battery won't have enough charge to turn the car over

Waterson

Newer stop-start / AGM batteries run deep charge cycles, as they are required to provide frequent, large current draw events (stop-starts). when a battery reaches the end of its working life, the engine management ECU, which is monitoring the current output from battery via a sensor usually on the negative battery terminal with VW group cars, is commanding the alternator to provide loads of current to keep battery functional.
Now you install a new battery, but don't register it with the Gateway module as new. The alternator is still pumping a load of amps into that battery, effectively overcharging it until a relearn procedure may or may not occur, depending on the logic in ECU / driving style. This will greatly reduce the effective lifespan of the new battery. That's why you should register your battery when you can OP.

derra

Sorry for hijacking this thread too, I have a Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 2010 and the battery i am pretty sure is a goner now.

If i get a jump start off someone and take it for a spin everyday it holds up. Yesterday i took it out only for few mins and this morning it was dead and this happens once in a while. If i plug in a Xs auto charger from Aldis it reads at 9.2v.

So if i was to get a battery and do it myself, is there anything i could make a balls of regards sensors, electronics or am i just better off paying the extra few quid for mechanic to do it? The radio code will probably go too?

Anyone recommend a battery out of the list?

Thanks.

Cantona's Collars

derra wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking this thread too, I have a Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 2010 and the battery i am pretty sure is a goner now.

If i get a jump start off someone and take it for a spin everyday it holds up. Yesterday i took it out only for few mins and this morning it was dead and this happens once in a while. If i plug in a Xs auto charger from Aldis it reads at 9.2v.

So if i was to get a battery and do it myself, is there anything i could make a balls of regards sensors, electronics or am i just better off paying the extra few quid for mechanic to do it? The radio code will probably go too?

Anyone recommend a battery out of the list?

Thanks.

I recently replaced the battery in mine,apart from the awkward placing of the battery there was no problems. Just take out the old one and pop in the replacement. The only thing that I had to do afterwards was retune the radio and set the clock.

I got my battery locally, cost less than the ones you linked to.

The problem I have now is a dodgy solenoid on the starter. Nice new battery and the car won't start, typical.