Travelling home for Christmas down the M5 I had to pull into the services for fuel. On trying to start the car, the engine wouldn’t turn over. The AA came out within 2 hours and gave me a jump start...... telling me that it was usual for A4’s to eat batteries (my car is c 16 months old with 30k on the clock) and Audi wouldn’t allow them to change the battery as it invalidates the warranty. I am feeling rather miffed that a nearly new car needs a new battery - which I assume ain’t going to be cheap.
New battery needed?
- Thread starter M5 Andy
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Ouch. I’ve got the same mileage. These batteries are expensive. Did you go through Audi re AA. They cover breakdowns in the first 3 years
Yes went through Audi to get AA roadside assistance. I’m calling Cardiff Audi in the morning to get a new battery fitted - will try to get it done under warranty but assumed it is classed as a consumable hence the need to pay. Hopefully my assumption is incorrect.
That has to be a warranty claim especially on a car that’s not even 3. How far do you travel? These cars also recoup energy whilst driving.
I am surprised the breakdown man made such a statement to be honest. This time of year will always see a rise in cars failing to start, any battery that starts to fail over the summer will then, in the colder weather, have a hard time supplying enough volts before the smart charging systems says not enough to start engine.
My car is over two years old and the battery probably has the hardest time of any, very short journey's in the dark, sat for days without being used and, according to the PMP connected to my dashcam, voltage that regulary drops below 12 volts. So much so I have turned off the auto coming home lights to give the battery an easier time. So if any car was a candidate for a non-starter then mine would be. But every morning, no problem, starts first time everytime.
I have probably tempted fate now...
My car is over two years old and the battery probably has the hardest time of any, very short journey's in the dark, sat for days without being used and, according to the PMP connected to my dashcam, voltage that regulary drops below 12 volts. So much so I have turned off the auto coming home lights to give the battery an easier time. So if any car was a candidate for a non-starter then mine would be. But every morning, no problem, starts first time everytime.
I have probably tempted fate now...
Good news! I'm now sat in Cardiff Audi who have committed to change the battery under warranty. Despite some of the horror stories on this forum, Audi customer service in this instance couldn't be better - I am suitably relieved as wasn't looking forward to shelling out several hundred (?) on a new battery.
Happy days. Result. What is your driving like in terms of distance to work etc. 30k In 16 months is some going. Do you often sit in the car ? Waiting.
Also didn’t realise these cars could be jump started. I’ve told my neighbour, sorry I can’t help you out. Was scared of frying something on mine. Or visa Versa
Also didn’t realise these cars could be jump started. I’ve told my neighbour, sorry I can’t help you out. Was scared of frying something on mine. Or visa Versa
Excellent news, yes the horror stories here sometimes make an incorrect bias towards poorly performing dealerships.
Still they will be able to register the new battery against the smart charging system...
Still they will be able to register the new battery against the smart charging system...
Shouldn't fail after just 16 months, the way you describe the failure suggests a faulty internal cell. I've had similar in the past but only on a cheap, unbranded battery. Good news getting it fixed.
Reseting the battery management system, BMS, no longer can we just swap batteries out https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...WMAh6BAgCEAE&usg=AOvVaw1qsQ4XGZrwF2yAgiLzdcxM
kree-sholva
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Funny you say that. I have a 3.0tdi S line too. 19 months old and 29k on the clock. My battery failed too. The AA guy told me its a common fault on the A4's where the batteries are failing. Audi put in a new one for me under warranty which was a burden off my wallet! Not what I expect from a new car though.
Phil's Barber
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Haad my battery replaced three weeks ago. 17 months old. It started playing up in September. AA out twice in that time. Last straw was after a 50 mile run, stopped for fuel and wouldn't turn over. Very similar circumstances.
In forums those who have 'issues' will always outnumber those who don't. Stands to reason that the majority go to a forum because they wish an answer to a problem they have.
Could be just a bad batch of batteries though on the 3.0l engine.
Three again the thousands are meaningless. I have had the AA say to me a load of twaddle before and take it with a huge dose of salt...
Could be just a bad batch of batteries though on the 3.0l engine.
Three again the thousands are meaningless. I have had the AA say to me a load of twaddle before and take it with a huge dose of salt...
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You could be correct there. Also, I often wonder how much it affects the starter motor's life expectancy?
I mostly do long distance motorway journeys in fast flowing traffic. The Audi chap’s theory was that my car was hanging about on the way from the factory in Germany which damaged the battery. I have no idea whether this is a credible theory or not.
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Nope, start stop batteries are designed specifically for thus purpose, as is start stop technology.
As I stated, my battery has the worst treatment of any. All our cars since 2011 have had this technology, four to date. Not one has had to have a battery replaced over ownership.
If the battery voltage gets low start stop will be disabled. As my battery is hitting that point at this time of year I will be lucky if I have start stop operating.
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Shouldn’t see this happening with your driving mileage and distance. All sorted in the end under warranty. Result.
One other thing about start stop, which I don't think is in that article is that a crankcase sensor registers the attitude of the crankshaft
and positions of the individual cylinders within the engine, so as soon as the driver releases the clutch or brake pedal to restart the vehicle, the engine management system can determine which cylinder to inject with fuel and which cylinder to ignite. Direct fuel injection also means that the engine can be quickly accelerated up to idling speed, halving the starting time of the engine.
and positions of the individual cylinders within the engine, so as soon as the driver releases the clutch or brake pedal to restart the vehicle, the engine management system can determine which cylinder to inject with fuel and which cylinder to ignite. Direct fuel injection also means that the engine can be quickly accelerated up to idling speed, halving the starting time of the engine.
Given what you’ve said above Cuke it’s impressive system on diesel car for those who know about glow plugs.
Here’s my battery story with my 2017 Audi A4 B9 Allroad 3.0 TDI. I drove from my home in Luxembourg to Sussex, UK for Christmas. The 27th December, I experienced slow cranking in the morning, but the car did start. Later in the day the stop/start cut in at a level crossing and the motor only just restarted. I turned off everything I could and dropped by Worthing Audi to have them check the car. I was told the charging system was OK, but the battery charge was only at 65% which, considering the longer trips, seemed low. They were unable to source a battery before my return home foreseen for the 5th January (9 days later). They offered to charge the battery the 4th January to at least start the return trip with a fully charged battery and reserved a replacement car for that day. On arriving the morning of the 4th, no one could find any trace of my visit, no replacement car was available and the service advisor I had dealt with was on holiday. I had the feeling they thought I was trying to scam a free car out of them for the day.
My car started the morning of the 5th, so I drove to Dover port. On being called forward to board the ferry, guess what, my car would not start (and yes all the electrics had been off). Fortunately, P&O Ferries jump-started my car and assisted me also to leave the ferry. I then drove 400km back home without stopping the motor and using the least electrical systems as possible. Today, the motor doesn’t even turn over, so I assume the battery is just about dead.
Naturally, I have reported this farce to Worthing Audi and have requested feedback. I am in contact with Audi Luxembourg for them to collect the car, diagnose the issue and if necessary replace the battery, I assume under warranty (my car is just less than 2 years old). I am considering making a formal complaint to Audi.
My thoughts so far (no answers expected here - it's just what's on my mind right now):
Now maybe, Audi Luxembourg will sort this out under warranty and restore at least some faith in the brand’s services, but right now I am totally unimpressed by Audi UK.
To be continued…
(and thanks again to P&O Ferries who immediately and without any fuss stepped in to help me out – it no doubt didn’t look very good for the Audi brand)
My car started the morning of the 5th, so I drove to Dover port. On being called forward to board the ferry, guess what, my car would not start (and yes all the electrics had been off). Fortunately, P&O Ferries jump-started my car and assisted me also to leave the ferry. I then drove 400km back home without stopping the motor and using the least electrical systems as possible. Today, the motor doesn’t even turn over, so I assume the battery is just about dead.
Naturally, I have reported this farce to Worthing Audi and have requested feedback. I am in contact with Audi Luxembourg for them to collect the car, diagnose the issue and if necessary replace the battery, I assume under warranty (my car is just less than 2 years old). I am considering making a formal complaint to Audi.
My thoughts so far (no answers expected here - it's just what's on my mind right now):
Is this a common fault/a one-off bad battery/could I have the same issue in 2 years time and at my expense?
How can stop/start be initiated in a low battery charge situation?
How can it be that Audi has no record of my visit/issue?
How can it be that Audi could not source a battery in 8 days? (and yes, for sure there are more battery failures in winter, but you would think Audi figured that out already)
How can it be that Audi reserve a car for you, but then have no record of it?
Could it really be that you have to actually break down (possibly in a dangerous situation) before Audi is really interested in stepping in. So much for their Guarantee of mobility that you are supposed to get if you have Audi, and only Audi, service your car.
How can stop/start be initiated in a low battery charge situation?
How can it be that Audi has no record of my visit/issue?
How can it be that Audi could not source a battery in 8 days? (and yes, for sure there are more battery failures in winter, but you would think Audi figured that out already)
How can it be that Audi reserve a car for you, but then have no record of it?
Could it really be that you have to actually break down (possibly in a dangerous situation) before Audi is really interested in stepping in. So much for their Guarantee of mobility that you are supposed to get if you have Audi, and only Audi, service your car.
Now maybe, Audi Luxembourg will sort this out under warranty and restore at least some faith in the brand’s services, but right now I am totally unimpressed by Audi UK.
To be continued…
(and thanks again to P&O Ferries who immediately and without any fuss stepped in to help me out – it no doubt didn’t look very good for the Audi brand)
Sounds like there's a widespread problem with Audi batteries these days. Judging from all the posts here, maybe it's just the 3.0 TDI's. My less-than-2-year-old A4 3.0L TDI also failed to start the other day. But I've had an outstanding experience from Audi so far.
Luckily I was parked in my office car park. As susual, I drove there on the motorway in the morning but when I tried to start the engine on the way home in the afternoon it didn't start. I immediately called Audi roadside assistance thinking that it might be something else as batteries shouldn't usually fail so quickly. They arrived in about half an hour which was great. The chap said that a lot of these batteries had been failing recently and that they're all on a back order. He said he would immediately put in a report into his system re my situation and recommended that I go to Audi to get it replaced under warranty. He also said that Audi was obligated to provide me with a replacement car given the circumstances.
I drove straight to my local Audi garage that evening (Audi Reading). Even before I reached there I was already contacted by Enterprise car rental guys informing me that my courtesy car was waiting. They came and found me in the dealership waiting area and handed me keys from a brand new Q7 S-Line complete with air suspension etc.
I think I was just lucky that that car was available at that very moment.
Had a call from the dealership the next day saying that the battery is on a back order and that I may not have my car back for another 10 working days or so. Given that I'm rockin' around in the incredible Q7 I said "no problems, no rush, take as long as need"
It all went well for me. I absolutely cannot complain about Audi's response in this case. I've already had another warranty matter with them last year and they sorted it no problems too.
I'd say if you notice even a slightest wobble in your battery's performance, go straight to your local Audi garage and don't leave there until they book you in and provide a replacement car.
Luckily I was parked in my office car park. As susual, I drove there on the motorway in the morning but when I tried to start the engine on the way home in the afternoon it didn't start. I immediately called Audi roadside assistance thinking that it might be something else as batteries shouldn't usually fail so quickly. They arrived in about half an hour which was great. The chap said that a lot of these batteries had been failing recently and that they're all on a back order. He said he would immediately put in a report into his system re my situation and recommended that I go to Audi to get it replaced under warranty. He also said that Audi was obligated to provide me with a replacement car given the circumstances.
I drove straight to my local Audi garage that evening (Audi Reading). Even before I reached there I was already contacted by Enterprise car rental guys informing me that my courtesy car was waiting. They came and found me in the dealership waiting area and handed me keys from a brand new Q7 S-Line complete with air suspension etc.
I think I was just lucky that that car was available at that very moment. Had a call from the dealership the next day saying that the battery is on a back order and that I may not have my car back for another 10 working days or so. Given that I'm rockin' around in the incredible Q7 I said "no problems, no rush, take as long as need"
It all went well for me. I absolutely cannot complain about Audi's response in this case. I've already had another warranty matter with them last year and they sorted it no problems too.
I'd say if you notice even a slightest wobble in your battery's performance, go straight to your local Audi garage and don't leave there until they book you in and provide a replacement car.
Akmaliano,
Worthing Audi came back to me with an apology and to say that they have been waiting 6 weeks for batteries, so indeed it seems there are supply problems in the UK.
Sadly, my experience didn't get any better in Luxembourg. No surprise, my car wouldn't start again, so I contacted my local dealer to inform them and was told to contact Audi Assistance, which I did. The local breakdown service (contracted by Audi) turned up and jump started my car. Knowing this to be a temporary solution, I immediately drove to my local dealer.
At the dealers I explained my issues again only to be told that they had no replacement vehicle and because I had driven my car to them the Audi Mobility Guarantee would not reply (but would have if my car had arrived on a trailer). Only after arguing did they tell me I could leave my car with them, miraculously found a replacement car and say it would 'graciously' be free-of-charge only for the battery repair, but not for the door rattle issue I also mentioned, nor the minor inspection which I asked them to do while my car was there (that I can understand, but considering the circumstances...).
More than a week later, I still have the replacement car, have been told the battery has been replaced (one day only to get it), the inspection carried out, but they are still working on the door rattle (which they acknowledge).
I am wondering how much they will bill me, but meanwhile I have anyway written a detailed email of complaint to Audi Germany.
Even after what happened in the UK, this could so easily have been turned into positive as it was for you, but it seems they are just not interested in looking outside the box over here.
Worthing Audi came back to me with an apology and to say that they have been waiting 6 weeks for batteries, so indeed it seems there are supply problems in the UK.
Sadly, my experience didn't get any better in Luxembourg. No surprise, my car wouldn't start again, so I contacted my local dealer to inform them and was told to contact Audi Assistance, which I did. The local breakdown service (contracted by Audi) turned up and jump started my car. Knowing this to be a temporary solution, I immediately drove to my local dealer.
At the dealers I explained my issues again only to be told that they had no replacement vehicle and because I had driven my car to them the Audi Mobility Guarantee would not reply (but would have if my car had arrived on a trailer). Only after arguing did they tell me I could leave my car with them, miraculously found a replacement car and say it would 'graciously' be free-of-charge only for the battery repair, but not for the door rattle issue I also mentioned, nor the minor inspection which I asked them to do while my car was there (that I can understand, but considering the circumstances...).
More than a week later, I still have the replacement car, have been told the battery has been replaced (one day only to get it), the inspection carried out, but they are still working on the door rattle (which they acknowledge).
I am wondering how much they will bill me, but meanwhile I have anyway written a detailed email of complaint to Audi Germany.
Even after what happened in the UK, this could so easily have been turned into positive as it was for you, but it seems they are just not interested in looking outside the box over here.
Sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience. I think because of the way how this industry works, even for a relatively small problem there are so many parties involved (in my case it's Audi UK, AA, dealership which is Sytner I think, Enterprise, etc.) and if any one of them doesn't wanna lift their finger and make an effort to provide the right customer service, the whole experience just falls through the floor. In my case, I think I was just lucky. It could've been a lot worse if, say, AA didn't turn up on time, both dealership and Enterprise not having a replacement car, etc.
With regards the replacement car, if the dealership doesn't have one at such short notice, I think Audi, as the OEM, must arrange one for you. That's what they did in my case: dealership didn't have a car, so they got the local car rental business to get one for me.
Phil's Barber
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My story is up thread, 3.0TDI delivered 6/17. Battery replaced. I dropped it straight to the dealers, unannounced, and was in a replacement Q5 supplied by Enterprise via Audi UK, within three hours. They also repaired a slow puncture free of charge. I couldn't really fault the service.
Phil's Barber
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All of you should report to the VOSA (I think it’s called this authority) re the battery issue as it indeed could be a batch as Cuke has said.
Edit it’s now closed down VOSA and it’s been moved into DVSA.
This is a serious issue, think crossroads, roundabouts and junctions with oncoming vehicles and trains.
Please take the time to report to DVSA. Here is a link. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-recalls-and-faults/report-a-serious-safety-defect
Edit it’s now closed down VOSA and it’s been moved into DVSA.
This is a serious issue, think crossroads, roundabouts and junctions with oncoming vehicles and trains.
Please take the time to report to DVSA. Here is a link. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-recalls-and-faults/report-a-serious-safety-defect
By having the battery replaced does that not count as being reported. We as a forum wouldn’t have the official numbers either.
RobbieWebs
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Add another 3.0 to the list...
Mine is a 66 October plate.
My Mrs complained told me when I was at work the car took ages to crank over and start.
I got home and had no issues until today when I washed it.
Started the car (few cranks and sounded like the battery was almost flat)to get the message parking break error, contact workshop.
I couldn't even open the service bit on the mmi to put the wipers to normal.
Turned the car off and started it with no issues this time.
Does the battery sound like it's on its way out?
Can I code the battery visual through vcds as my last b8.5?
Thanks
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Mine is a 66 October plate.
My Mrs complained told me when I was at work the car took ages to crank over and start.
I got home and had no issues until today when I washed it.
Started the car (few cranks and sounded like the battery was almost flat)to get the message parking break error, contact workshop.
I couldn't even open the service bit on the mmi to put the wipers to normal.
Turned the car off and started it with no issues this time.
Does the battery sound like it's on its way out?
Can I code the battery visual through vcds as my last b8.5?
Thanks
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
