For a few days now my cars struggled to start, I thought it was down to the colder mornings.

 

Today was the worst and after driving less than a mile to drop daughter at nursery it wouldn’t start again.

 

”12v Battery Low. charge by driving”

 

Car has a years warranty left. Called Skoda Assist. Chap said they can’t make them quick enough, problem happens all the time.

 

For anyone else looking for the answer - It’s being replaced and coded under warranty.

 

Octavia Mk3 2016.

Modern skoda cars with stop/start are configured as micro hybrids .

 

As such the battery runs with typically 70%-80% charge. With the demands of frequent stop/start, energy recovery and load shedding, the battery is placed under far greater strain than was the case years ago when it was used basically for starting only.

 

Specially constructed batteries, EFB and AGM help, but in the end, running any lead acid battery long term at less than full charge leads to deterioration via irreversible sulphation and stratification, or to you and me, a short life.

 

A way to help stop an early demise is to fully charge the battery using a good quality external smart charger regularly. Turning the stop/start system off will also help stop deep discharge of the batteries, a quick way to kill lead acid batteries.

 

Unfortunately, this is the price we pay for EU/ECO regulations.

Edited 27 November, 20187 yr by xman

As long as they don't class the Battery as a consumable item - I guess they will cover them for 3 year.

 

The first thing I reach for is the Start-Stop Button - it is an automatic reflex - like putting on my seat-belt.

I’ve only had the car 6 weeks so would have been back to the Skoda dealer

I know a lot of garages do class batteries as a consumable item, however with you only just getting the car, you'd be worth getting in touch with the place you bought it from and seeing what they say.

 

If the car had been sat on their forecourt for a while, it has probably been discharged somewhat. Then as said above, shorter trip and using the cars' electrics (heaters, radio, lights), the battery probably hasn't been given the opportunity to fully recover.

 

Like I say, ring the dealer and take it from there. Best thing they'll say is they'll swap the battery free of charge and worst case is  you'll have to foot the bill for it's replacement

Edited 27 November, 20187 yr by tunedude

Fuel in  and it will be Winter Spec fuel now and do some driving and it does wonders for cars starting in Winter and cold weather.

 

Good to keep the fuel tank as full as possible come winter months, help reduce condensation / H20 in the fuel.

5 minutes ago, Offski said:

 

Good to keep the fuel tank as full as possible come winter months, help reduce condensation / H20 in the fuel.

 

As someone who keeps his new car garaged, rarely used over winter, I'm interested in the subject of long term storage of cars.

 

I've thought long and hard about this oft quoted bit of advice about keeping a full tank of fuel. And it really doesn't make sense to me. The fuel system is a closed system with evaporation control/capture. However as fuel expands/contracts with temoerature changes (and its quite a bit), the empty space above the fuel will increase/decrease in pressure. Ultimately though there is a vent that can open to atmosphere to prevent too much pressure/vacuum.

 

So bearing that in mind, a full tank will always breathe to atmosphere far more than an near empty tank. And breathing to atmosphere is the route how moisture is drawn in and allowed to be absorbed by the fuel (particularly with ethanol content).

 

Add to the fact that petrol in particular has a  limited shelf life, due to evaporation and separation, again a full tank will blow the evaporated lighter fractions to atmosphere with temperature change far more regularly than a near empty tank. 

 

Its easier to freshen the fuel by topping up when there's little fuel in the tank too.

 

I think this myth really originated in the days of bare steel tanks which form moisture on the inside of the walls and rust.

 

BP advice is to keep the tank half full. Probably a good compromise.

 

Opal-factsheet-storagehandling.pdf

 

 

No myth. No old wives tales, and maybe for millions of people no issues ever.

 

It will be maybe just Location location location relevant and waxing diesel or moisture in petrol tanks.  & Waxing may well happen no matter the fuel level.

If you do not believe it is possible that plastic tanks can have condensation in the interior or that vehicles or tanks sit with Summer Fuels that are more Hygroscopic when it is Winter weather day and night temps fluctuate by maybe 15*oC even 20*oC or more then no need to bother.

Edited 27 November, 20187 yr by Offski

{meanwhile, back at the point} Buy a new battery from a rapid fit place, including Halfords et al, and you'll normally get a 2 or 3 year warranty on it. I think SUK would be on a really sticky wicket trying to argue that aftermarket batteries are that much better than their OEM fit.

Battery warranties are rarely straightforward swap for new. And it depends on how they died.

 

https://www.thebatteryshop.co.uk/warranty-20-w.asp

Discharge the battery yourself through neglectful usage and you're on your own.

Vehicle is in 'long term' storage (layed up for 4 weeks or more) and it becomes discharged, your problem unless you just picked the vehicle up from a retailer. Then you can argue the battery was damaged beforehand.

 

OEM spec batteries are designed to be the smallest possible for the vehicle requirements and still deliver 10 years of life on a 95th percentile useage pattern. The battery used by OEM's is tested to their exact specifications for construction, weight, deep cycling, and pass 600+ discharge cycles for AGM. Not many Aftermarket batteries can meet the same criteria except those from the top named companies.

 

@xman @BigEjit - In which case SUK are arguing that the battery was not fit for purpose, since they installed it in a new car with "stop-start" fitted.

44 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

@xman @BigEjit - In which case SUK are arguing that the battery was not fit for purpose, since they installed it in a new car with "stop-start" fitted.

 

Not really

VAG fits EFB & the smallest it can get away with..& the stop start function kills them off easier anyway....

 

Fit bigger case/capacity & AGM & use a trickle charger in between times..

 

Mind you I was coding a 17 plate Superb L&K (all options on it) that had a huge AGM from factory!!...so VAG can & do fit decent stuff...but only to the top spec...

& 'They' can fit ones that do the job just fine on Dirty Diesels that will fire the engine up time after time even in low temps with Stop / Start enabled and functioning.

 

Toyota had this problem in particular the GT86 one of which I owned at the time.  Most of the agencies replaced the OEM batteries with an uprated one under guarantee.

Fifteen month old SE L estate, 16,000 mls on clock. 3 days ago car failed to turn over, Roadside Assistance called, AA attend and check battery, readout states "REPLACE BATTERY", car started and driven to dealer to have battery replaced (battery covered by three year warranty), batteries are on TWO WEEK back order due to the amount needing replaced across VW group vehicles. AA arrange courtesy car through MOBEX and Enterprise provide a 18 plate Audi Q5. (Nice car)

10 minutes ago, Elsus said:

Fifteen month old SE L estate, 16,000 mls on clock. 3 days ago car failed to turn over, Roadside Assistance called, AA attend and check battery, readout states "REPLACE BATTERY", car started and driven to dealer to have battery replaced (battery covered by three year warranty), batteries are on TWO WEEK back order due to the amount needing replaced across VW group vehicles. AA arrange courtesy car through MOBEX and Enterprise provide a 18 plate Audi Q5. (Nice car)

 

Just swap your battery for the Q5’s. Problem solved...

32 minutes ago, Elsus said:

Fifteen month old SE L estate, 16,000 mls on clock. 3 days ago car failed to turn over, Roadside Assistance called, AA attend and check battery, readout states "REPLACE BATTERY", car started and driven to dealer to have battery replaced (battery covered by three year warranty), batteries are on TWO WEEK back order due to the amount needing replaced across VW group vehicles. AA arrange courtesy car through MOBEX and Enterprise provide a 18 plate Audi Q5. (Nice car)

 

The Roadside Assist chap told me they had that many failing the can’t make them quick enough! Fortunately he had one in his van but a different make.