This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What say you all?
Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an early death for a modern battery. Two common causes for an early death are deep discharges and... car accidents. Hopefully it's just been through a few accidental discharges.
On Mon, 5 May 2008 04:53:41 +0100, against all advice, something compelled "tpow" , to say:
It doesn't look like you can open it to test the SG.
I'd love a new TT, but there is a financial reason I got a used one.
It only had 35,300 miles on it. The previous owner lived very close to her work, and I suspect that the car suffered from a lot of very short trips. Not long enough to fully charge the battery, and after a year of this the battery is just worn out.
I have it on a charger right now, which will allow me to start it in the morning and get it home from my . . . well, let us just say I don't spend all of my nights at home.
Can one get a new battery from Les Schwab or similar, or is it a dealer only part?
like anything it can break when it wants...........
my Vitara's battery failed at 2 years from new. Dealer said it was not covered under warranty............my 5th vehicle from his shop. I kicked up some s*1t and they changed it free of charge.
On Mon, 05 May 2008 17:50:30 -0700, against all advice, something compelled Steve Daniels , to say:
I was sitting at a light on my way to the service center, and I saw the tach drop to 0, and a few random trouble lights come on. Then everything came back. I was wondering if it would just drop dead in the middle of the road, which would have been so embarrassing. But then everything came back up again, and I made it to the Audi place.
I left the car running when I went in. I told the Audi guy, "My car is still running, because I'm afraid that if I turn it off, it won't start again."
He looked at me, his face expressing compassion. It was as if he was saying, "Don't worry, anxious Audi owner. You are now in the presence of Trained Audi Professionals. We know what to do. It will be fine. Don't worry."
He drove my car into the safety of the Audi Service Center Womb, and placed it into the hands of a Trained Professional. The Trained Professional showed me how to make the seat go up and down (something I had not been able to figure out from the owner's manual), pointed out that I was missing a bracket (it's on order), and diagnosed the sick battery. And then he replaced it under warrantee.
They then told me that the 35000 mile service had in fact been done (it's a big one involving changing the transmission fluid and filter), that the computer was not throwing any error codes, that they had reset my radio from the dead battery drama, and that I would not have to mess with my car for ANOTHER TEN THOUSAND MILES!! INCLUDING OIL CHANGES!!
I did something last evening that I haven't done for years. I went for a joyride. Gas is four something (at 11.25:1 compression, I need premium) and I used twelve bucks of it to drive around just because I love driving this car. I was nailing eighty on a back country road without even pushing it.
only four something...........let me tell you in the UK you only drive as much as you have to, no matter how much you love the car cos over here its $9 per gallon.
Nah some of us still take the car out for a good drive in the UK even at those prices, its still cheaper than the pub, & on the right road a lot more fun. I do have the bonus of the Derbyshire peaks and all its great roads being 10 mins >>> way though which is a bonus.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.