Flat Dead Battery

[Nitro]

I have never had any problem with this before, went to start my car yesterday battery flat dead! I quick jump and it up and running fine. The gauge in dash shows 14 Volts so alternator fine. Do not think i left lights, maybe alarm went off but i did not notice, or radio button jumped out and turned radio on? What else could cause a drain? Everything is standard in car no mods? Maybe cold weather and old battery but it has always been perfect no sign at all of loosing its charge. If I take it out and put it on charge will it do any harm to ecu or radio code or anything else? Radio is standard Bose concert.

Thanks

 

[aragorn]

check all the interior lights including the boot light are going off as they should?

 

[SPARTAN91]

I swaped my battery last week due to a low batt charge warning which would not clear turns out it was a fault with the circuit board in the instrument cluster but when I put the new one on the radio came straight on just had a few other warning lights come on but they soon cleared after driving a few yards and I noticed it took a short while to recalulate the fuel mileage left in the tank as I had half a tank left and it was saying only 5miles left but this figure went but to normal after a while.

 

[Rallyman]

Try measuring the voltage on the battery. If its running it should read about 14v (ish). When you switch the engine off it should rest at about 12.8v (ish) but if it sinks then below that either:
You have have a dead cell on the battery this will make it drop quite quickly - its probably this, the recent cold snap will start to kill off old batteries!
or
You have something draining it, you can connect an ammeter and see the drain on it - anything above 100mA is concerning!

If you haven't got one - get a diesel battery as they have extra capacity - you just need to move the bracket across.

 

[B5NUT]

How old is the battery?

 

[Nitro]

It looks like it is original battery as it has that written on it. Also the VW/Audi sticker and writing is all in German. The DOT is black. It is a sealed unit type. Can they be taken out and recharged? If i need a new one where is best to get it and how much are they

 

[SPARTAN91]

It looks like it is original battery as it has that written on it. Also the VW/Audi sticker and writing is all in German. The DOT is black. It is a sealed unit type. Can they be taken out and recharged? If i need a new one where is best to get it and how much are they

Looks like you have the same battery as I had,does it say MOLL on it.Yes they can be recharged if they will accept one.I changed mine because it was 5 years old and would only go to 12v so wasn't 100% full the dot was still black with a red ring on the edge thought it should be green.Any how I went for a stronger battery up from the standed 61AH to 80AH plus 5 year guarantee by Yuasa.

 

[Nitro]

Thanks Spartan, My battery is a Varta DE which is a 72AH battery has the original VW/AUDI Skoda sticker on it. All in German.
How much is the Yuasa and where do you get it from.

 

[ex911driver]

Try euro car parts

 

[SPARTAN91]

Thanks Spartan, My battery is a Varta DE which is a 72AH battery has the original VW/AUDI Skoda sticker on it. All in German.
How much is the Yuasa and where do you get it from.

It was £116 from Halfords but I wanted this brand but of course there are plenty of cheaper one out there and as gen.heinz has pointed out euro car parts have good deals

 

[griswold]

Can recommend the exide batterys from euros I have one in the A4 and A6

 

[Rallyman]

see the other thread....

 

[Nitro]

For some reason i have had to type this again.It did not post. Put the battery on charge, took it off and tested it 14,50 volts left it for over 30 hours tested again it was still reading 14,50 volts. If it had a dead cell would there not be a drop off. Put it in car and so far fine? But as the battery started playing up when the recent cold weather arrived I guess it is indicating it is at the end of its life.