Hi having troubles with my powersteering and after reading through all the information I've decided my jobs for the weekend are as follows

Read fault codes

Take battery and tray out and check/top up fluid.

Replace Battery (Its 5 years old hoping this is the cause of my problems).

Does anyone know what battery is best? from what I understand it will need a decent quality battery due to the electric power steering.

Go for something around the 60ah rating, should also give you a good CCA rating. Genuine batteries of course are good but the HD items from Bosch and Varta are good and can be got from GFS and the like.

Go for something around the 60ah rating, should also give you a good CCA rating. Genuine batteries of course are good but the HD items from Bosch and Varta are good and can be got from GFS and the like.

Thanks! Halfords do a bosch S5 battery with 63ah which they list for my car but its £120! I'm sure I normally pay about £50 for batteries! Looking like an expensive car this skoda :(

The location given is UK .Pity as in Midlands and other parts Britannia do a battery for mine - as a 1.4tdi -it came out at a LOT less than that- almost 50% less . In stock, off te shelf, and I got a decent discount as they'd made a mistake on the part .

Shop around ,and take HALFRAUDS price as a STARTER . I'd sugest your's might be well lower as it's not an oil burner needing oomps of turnover amps .

Edited 16 February, 201214 yr by VWD

Halfords batteries are expensive but then they don't make them so your paying a mark up. Dealer ones will probably be cheaper tbh but not many have stock and they are a two day order.

If I can get a good quality uprated one for my vRS for just over £50, surely you can get one cheaper than £100.

In fact checking at Euro Car Parts yours uses the same one as mine - a 027 - check out the details of mine here

If I can get a good quality uprated one for my vRS for just over £50, surely you can get one cheaper than £100.

In fact checking at Euro Car Parts yours uses the same one as mine - a 027 - check out the details of mine here

YEP - youre not far off Britania at Bristol - and mine was a tad over £50 ,for a 1.4 TDI .Suspect it's the same one for the vRS & THE 14Tdi .

If I can get a good quality uprated one for my vRS for just over £50, surely you can get one cheaper than £100.

In fact checking at Euro Car Parts yours uses the same one as mine - a 027 - check out the details of mine here

Euro Car Parts website is wrong. Although a 027 will fit fine, I believe the battery supplied as standard with a 1.4mpi is a 063. However, I would suggest the 063 is a little on the small side given all the electrical components. A 027 like shown on ECP is slightly bigger. The biggest you can fit, assuming yours has the same battery tray as mine, is a 096.

Halfords prices are only worth considering if you can get hold of a trade card.

There's a discount code for Briskoda for the Euro Car Parts website, not sure what it is is on here if you search around. Possibly brisk25. If you want something a bit bigger than a 027, search Google to find a 096 on the ECP website. E.g. http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/SEAT_Leon_1.9_2005/p/car-parts/car-electrics-and-car-lighting/electrical/car-battery/?444770968&1&e57d14278377e281e89e5daa89734a9df81ec660&000020

Battery dimensions, all have same terminal size and layout.

063 (L:207 W:175 H:175)

012 (L:207 W:175 H:190)

027 (L:242 W:175 H:190)

100 (L:278 W:175 H:175)

096 (L:278 W:175 H:190)

Eurocarparts and use discount code.

Getting myself a new one next week as garage fitted the incorrect one last year and pas light has come on a couple of times in the cold.

Ok all this info is great thanks guys!

When I've been searching in ECP they list 012 type for my car. ECP is just around the corner from me so ideally I'll be getting a battery there and if the discount code works then all the better

I'll measure to check an 096 will fit. Is there any negative side to having a bigger battery? If the car comes with a smaller one as standard?

Sorry - when you said 5 years I merely took 5 off 2012 and fed in 2007 so that might be why it came up with 027.

I bought mine with "click and collect" so I had a piece of paper showing the amount with discount before going in.

I don't think there's any drawback with a bigger battery apart from it being potentially needlessly larger, more costly, and heavier. That said I went for a higher CAPACITY version of the 027 in my vRS and it's certainly starting the car a lot better. The steering has instant power now whereas I had to wait a second or two previously for it to "wake up".

Check the Ah and CCA rating on yours before ordering and make sure you don't go less.

I'll measure to check an 096 will fit. Is there any negative side to having a bigger battery? If the car comes with a smaller one as standard?

None I can think of other than the extra cost of buying one, and the extra weight would theoretically decrease MPG a little.

Will last longer when not driving the car before it becomes fully discharged. Will probably last longer before it needs replacing as it will take longer for the efficiency to reduce to the same level as a smaller battery (being more efficient to start with). Would never be any issues with alternator or blowing things up. Devices only take the power they need (they aren't force-fed) and the wiring is protected by fuses. A 096 is probably more of an advantage if you're doing things like installing subwoofers, amps, or otherwise listen to the stereo for long periods etc with the engine off.

None I can think of other than the extra cost of buying one, and the extra weight would theoretically decrease MPG a little.

Will last longer when not driving the car before it becomes fully discharged. Will probably last longer before it needs replacing as it will take longer for the efficiency to reduce to the same level as a smaller battery (being more efficient to start with). Would never be any issues with alternator or blowing things up. Devices only take the power they need (they aren't force-fed) and the wiring is protected by fuses. A 096 is probably more of an advantage if you're doing things like installing subwoofers, amps, or otherwise listen to the stereo for long periods etc with the engine off.

Suggest you look /Goggle "BRITANNIA" in your neighbouthood . Might be worth a few £££ pounds off the cost .

Thanks guys all this is really useful I'll be fitting a new battery tomorrow probably a 096 as it looks like I'll be able to get a good price from Euro Car Parts round the corner.

Also just read the fault codes and there was two but neither were power steering related so I'm hoping this means it's the battery that is causing my problems as it was flickering terribly on the way home and at one point one headlight went out completely until I turned the car off and on again at a set of traffic lights. Also the huge variance in powersteering makes cornering interesting to say the least