Two weeks since the car got a long journey and it really struggled with the cold start (10 seconds cranking). Second start it was ok and same for third.

 

When I stuck the ctek on it stayed in bulk charging (2 of 4 LED) for quite a few hours and 6 hours later is up to 3 of 4 LED, so suffice to say it was drained by the starts/short journey.

 

Its now 6.5-7 years old, so probably on it last legs, but do you agree as it seems to suffer with heavy loads or is it just a low state of charge?

 

It’s been regularly on ctek every month tops, so not had a long period of nothing, but still.

 

I believe it’s an 096AGM in there, so question I have is are the Halfords batteries (5 yr guarantee AGM) models any good. They used to be yuassa and very good.

 

Halfords have them in stock and I get a good price. Other option is a carts/Bosch from Tanya.

 

As I have a long journey to do in the next few days, I am not sure I fancy being a statistic by chancing it.

Edited 6 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

Get it bought. Even after being babied every month it's not that happy. You've probably had an extra year out of it already.

 

I'd use Tayna for a Bosch/Varta/Yuasa at 110 sovs unless you can get the Halfords significantly cheaper.

 

Batteries tend not to die on long trips (they like being charged) but not fretting is worth something too.

I’m 99% certain the Halfords is a Yuassa and a reasonable bit cheaper but not massively so. Looks identical, same specs and start count. If Tanya can get a varta/Bosch over in time I will go that way, if not Anyones experience would be good.

 

ECP are having a laugh at 250 odd after a claimed 40% discount.

 

Your thoughts were mine, but I was curious as stop start hasn’t stopped working, which I would have expected.

 

 

It's not clear which Ctek you're using in your post , but out of interest,  did you try it on AGM maintenance charge? Then again though, if it's 7 years old then it's done well really. Time for a new one. 

 

I did a maintenance charge on my 5.5 year old efb with my msx5.0 ctek and it took about 6 hours to finish, and my car gets used 600 miles a month even during the lockdown period. 

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by paulski

I would say just go with VARTA AGM.

I fitted it after 7 years on the stock EFB battery.

Had to recode the car to change the type.

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by nickytheshaft

Just replaced my battery with another Varta AGM from Tanya.   Ordered a.m Thursday, delivered a.m. Friday for £109.99 plus £6.50 delivery.  Really good value.

36 minutes ago, paulski said:

It's not clear which Ctek you're using in your post , but out of interest,  did you try it on AGM maintenance charge? Then again though, if it's 7 years old then it's done well really. Time for a new one. 

 

I did a maintenance charge on my 5.5 year old efb with my msx5.0 ctek and it took about 6 hours to finish, and my car gets used 600 miles a month even during the lockdown period. 

 

MXS 7 ctek 👍

 

I do agree getting on for 7 years isn’t bad and whilst it used to get a long daily drive COVID saw to that.

 

Dont fancy getting to destination and not getting back until after a recover tow.

 

Original battery is a skoda(varta) 096 AGM but only rated to 68/680 CCA vs 70/780 on the new one.

 

If I can get the varta/Bosch  in time I will. What are Tanya like on faulty batteries in the 5 year warranty? Do you have to post it back as if so that’s a big cost for a 20kg battery?

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

@cheezemonkhai can I presume you know you need to code it to the car once fitted? 

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by paulski

Got vcds and yes know to code it.

 

Anyone know what Skoda charge for their easy life premium?

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

Just gone to check the state of charge and it’s on float /maintain charge state only 1.5 hours later 🙄🙄

 

Load test after it’s sat overnight I think, but pretty certain that’s way too fast so new battery time.

Edited 5 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

Yeah COVID has caused loads of peoples' journeys to be infrequent and not as far, hence the AA and RAC making a killing of this and last winter.

 

My battery is only a few years old (Bosch AGM 096) but since I've now started predominantly working from home, I've thrown my bike's optimate on every couple of weeks or so just to keep the battery fighting fit.

9 minutes ago, tunedude said:

Yeah COVID has caused loads of peoples' journeys to be infrequent and not as far, hence the AA and RAC making a killing of this and last winter.

 

My battery is only a few years old (Bosch AGM 096) but since I've now started predominantly working from home, I've thrown my bike's optimate on every couple of weeks or so just to keep the battery fighting fit.

 

Indeed and as somebody else said, I think sticking the ctek on the cars every 2-4 weeks has kept them alive and extended the life as otherwise they'd have died before the cold weather pushed them over the edge.

It was holding 12.7V this morning (No load reading) and it started the car ok, but it still took a bit longer than an instant start and whilst it could still be ok,  for less than £130 why take the chance.

 

The battery is 6-7 years old and if it's still ok once swapped and charged/tested, then I can always repurpose it for a solar light for the shed etc

FWIW I went for a Halfords battery (096 AGM) as it was in stock locally and as stated any issues and I can just take it back to store rather than having to post it back. That plus with postage delays due to COVID I couldn't guarantee it would be here before I need it fitted.

The battery is definately a Yuassa (YB serial number matches their format, the warranty sticker is the same as you find on the branded batteries, the case is identical, as are the specs and weight - 20.5kg and not that you take it as gospel, but the shop manager also stated they were). I'm pretty certain the 096 AGM ones are YBX9000 series, so a bit of a bargain compared to most physical shops tbh.

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/batteries/car-batteries/halfords--096agm-start%2Fstop-agm-12v-car-battery-5-year-guarantee-548638.html

https://www.yuasa.co.uk/ybx9096.html

 

Will fit it and recode it as soon as it stops raining so heavily

So the rain stopped and I thought the thread was worth updating with an FYI (and title change), as it's now done.

 

To do it on a 2.0TDI the following are needed:
(This may vary depending on the car, so it is entirely at your own risk - if you're unsure of what you're doing/why or any safety issues, then don't do it and go to a garage).

• A new battery (Mine was an 096 AGM to replace the OEM 096 AGM) 
• A 10mm spanner
• A 13mm socket with a long extension (to get to the bottom of the battery).
• Petrolium jelly or other similar protective lubricant (probably not required for modern cars)
• Pair of suitable nitrile etc gloves.
• Suitable Eye/body protection (The battery may be full of acid)
   

1. Undo the black negative terminal and place it carefully out of the way (I placed it in a ziplock plastic bag to stop it touching anything).
2. Undo the red positive teminal and place it carefully out of the way (Again I placed it in a ziplock plastic bag to stop it touching anything)
3. Remove battery surround (Fabric type thing) by gently pulling upwards and wiggling etc as needed.
4. If there is a protective cap over the negative terminal, pull the part attached to the battery upwards to remove. (It is in two holes)
5. Use 13mm socket to undo the bolt at the front side of the battery (At base of battery near positive terminal) and remove the bolt/plate taking care not to drop them into the engine bay.
6. Slide the old battery forward on the tray until it's released and remove it from the car.
    
7. Fit the new battery by placing it on the tray then sliding it into place (May require a wiggle)
8. Replace the battery plate and bolt, screwing the plate down, so the battery is securely held in place
9. Wiggle the battery surround (Fabric type thing) back into the correct place.
10. Clean up the battery connections removing any dirty grease and replace with clean suitable grease. (This is probably not required on modern cars - see later posts)
11. Refit the red positive lead and do it up (Making sure to keep all tools well clear of the other battery terminal/metal)
12. Refit the black negative lead and do it up (Making sure to keep all tools well clear of the other battery terminal/metal)
13. Push the negative protective cap back into the holes by the negative terminal to cover it
14. Close the lid of the battery surround and make sure everything is securly in place.

 

Next you need to code the battery, so will need VCDS or another suitable tool.
Again if you don't know what you're doing, just pay a garage to supply, fit and code the new battery.

Code the new battery using VCDS under modules / CAN gateway (19) / Adaptations (10) and then selected the correct values for your new battery in the categories below:

 

IDE03256-MAS06105-Battery adaptation-Rated battery capacity,
IDE03256-MAS06106-Battery adaptation-Battery technology, 
IDE03256-MAS06107-Battery adaptation-Battery manufacturer,
IDE03256-MAS06108-Battery adaptation-Battery Serial Number,

 

My OLD Battery
Capacity     68 Ah
Technology     Fleece
Manufacturer    JCB
Battery Serial Number    1111111111    

My NEW Battery 
Capacity     70 Ah
Technology     FLEECE
Manufacturer    YBX 
Battery Serial Number    1111111112    (incremented by 1)

 

Check your new battery specs, as it may well be different to mine, for example EFB instead of AGM, different capacity/manufacturer etc) and make sure you pick the correct values for your new battery.

 

I then took a very short drive for about 100 yards to sort out the ABS sensors all being implausable and warnings to go out.

The tyre pressure warning system complained it had lost all values, so they were checked and that reset.
Finally I auto-scanned the car, checked for faults and cleared any fault codes related to the low battery.

 All seems fine and it started instantly so I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days to make sure the battery has solved the original issue.

 

Regarding the old battery and why voltage (with no load) isn't really useful in deciding if it's dead,  it's still at a constant 12.7V without load.

Stuck it back on the CTEK now to see how long it takes to get back to float charge (Shouldn't be long if it's healthy) and then I'll get it load tested in 24 hours to see what's left and if that is the likely candidate.
 

 

Edited 7 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai
Grease update

For what it's worth, my car refuse to start of the driveway as the battery was dead. I have Roadside recovery through Skoda so the chap showed up and jump started the car. He also checked the price and availability of a replacement battery and did the replacement for £213 all in. I'm happy with that having checked the battery prices on ECP and knowing I didn't want to end up getting the wrong battery as I know it needs to support stop start, nor do I have the kit or know how for VCDS.

 

Interestingly I also get the feeling the DSG is performing better in the new battery? I think the old battery (original that came with the June 2015 car) was well and truly gone as I noted stop start barely worked even after long drives. DSG was starting to get sluggish changing gears. Seemed to hold into 1 and 2 for a bit longer than I would expect, but is now shifting as I would expect. Dunno if that's a false perception or actually the strength of the battery affects DSG since it ultimately relies on the battery?

34 minutes ago, RB79 said:

For what it's worth, my car refuse to start of the driveway as the battery was dead. I have Roadside recovery through Skoda so the chap showed up and jump started the car. He also checked the price and availability of a replacement battery and did the replacement for £213 all in. I'm happy with that having checked the battery prices on ECP and knowing I didn't want to end up getting the wrong battery as I know it needs to support stop start, nor do I have the kit or know how for VCDS.

I personally think that some of the prices ECP quote as standard prices are in the realms of fiction.

As you say however, regardless of price, getting the right battery and doing it correctly is the priority.

£213 including swap and coding isn't any more than you'd pay to buy it yourself and pay a dealer to code it in, so not that bad.

TBH the local dealer seemed quite reasonable too, just sadly the lead time to get it fitted was more than I could wait.

 

34 minutes ago, RB79 said:

 

Interestingly I also get the feeling the DSG is performing better in the new battery? I think the old battery (original that came with the June 2015 car) was well and truly gone as I noted stop start barely worked even after long drives. DSG was starting to get sluggish changing gears. Seemed to hold into 1 and 2 for a bit longer than I would expect, but is now shifting as I would expect. Dunno if that's a false perception or actually the strength of the battery affects DSG since it ultimately relies on the battery?

 

Perhaps taking the battery off and clearing everything, resulted in the DSG losing it's learned characteristics, but I'm not the right person to answer that as I'm not a DSG person

 

Edited 6 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

FYI.

 

Bolt torque settings from VAG:-

 

clamping plate bolt = 15Nm (11lbft)

battery terminal clamp nuts = 6Nm (4.4lbft). 

 

I just do the battery terminal up until the "gap" is just closed at one end..

 

How to retro-fit a bigger capacity battery to a Mk7 Golf | GOLFMK7 - VW GTI MKVII Forum / VW Golf R Forum / VW Golf MKVII Forum

6 minutes ago, fabdavrav said:

FYI.

 

Bolt torque settings from VAG:-

 

clamping plate bolt = 15Nm (11lbft)

battery terminal clamp nuts = 6Nm (4.4lbft). 

 

I just do the battery terminal up until the "gap" is just closed at one end..

 

Thanks, I took your approach.

 

6 minutes ago, fabdavrav said:

 

How to retro-fit a bigger capacity battery to a Mk7 Golf | GOLFMK7 - VW GTI MKVII Forum / VW Golf R Forum / VW Golf MKVII Forum

 

The H6 size they mention, has the same dimensions as the 096AGM I fitted.

I clearly got lucky having both the larger capacity and an AGM not EFB battery from the factory

1 minute ago, cheezemonkhai said:

 

Thanks, I took your approach.

 

 

The H6 size they mention, has the same dimensions as the 096AGM I fitted.

I clearly got lucky having both the larger capacity and an AGM not EFB battery from the factory

 

H6 is the Euro name for 096.....& yes the biggest 096/H6 case size can be fitted at factory to certain high output cars with loads of electrical load...

 

In the first post it lists all the factory batteries for MQB:-

 

For cars WITHOUT "Start/Stop” eco engine shut off (BlueMotion II):-
44Ah/220A (DIN), H4 size, Lead acid type
51Ah/280A (DIN), H4 size, Lead acid type
60Ah/280A (DIN), H5 size, Lead acid type
61Ah/330A (DIN), H5 size, Lead acid type
72Ah/380A (DIN), H6 size, Lead acid type

For cars WITH "Start/Stop” eco engine shut off (BlueMotion II):-
59Ah/320A (DIN), H5 size, EFB type
69Ah/360A (DIN), H6 size, EFB type
68Ah/380A (DIN), H6 size, AGM type

 

 

P.S. I wrote that thread,  I just chose to go under a different name over there..

Quote

• Petrolium jelly or other similar protective lubricant

@cheezemonkhai what do you mean by protective lubricant? what is it for? Is it a necessary thing to do?

35 minutes ago, Vahids said:

@cheezemonkhai what do you mean by protective lubricant? what is it for? Is it a necessary thing to do?

I used a light smear of Vaseline to reduce corrosion on the terminals and leads whilst the battery is in the car. 
 

It’s something I was taught to do on old cars, so I’ve just carried it over.  I’m of the opinion that it just makes things easier when it’s time to change again.  As to if it’s essential I am not certain. 
 

My car had it on the factory battery, so either the factory or dealer clearly thought it was a good idea at some point.

 

Edit:

 

Silicon grease or some specialist grease might be better (or not) but it’s probably just to keep moisture etc out of the connection.

Edited 6 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai

Unless your battery is leaking acid or gassing due to being knackered or overcharging there is absolutely no need for any lubricant, jelly or grease anywhere near the battery terminals.

 

Most of these products are excellent electrical insulators so not exactly desirable on terminal posts prior to fitting the connectors. They are also great at collecting dirt.

 

Not used at new car build and not necessary.

 

I don't use anything on mine except electrical contact cleaner...sprayed onto a cloth first & wiped around the terminal & the clamp...I don't use any white grease either...especially since I have both plastic terminal covers & then the felt type cover with lid/flap.

 

 

25yrs ago I did use white lithium grease, then realised that dirt stuck to it which is rubbish if you have to remove the clamp & refit & get the crud in the clamp...so just used WD40...that gets rid of water/dirt....now for the past 10yrs+ I use electrical contact cleaner...the right tools for the job..

4 minutes ago, fabdavrav said:

I don't use anything on mine except electrical contact cleaner...sprayed onto a cloth first & wiped around the terminal & the clamp...I don't use any white grease either...especially since I have both plastic terminal covers & then the felt type cover with lid/flap.

 

 

25yrs ago I did use white lithium grease, then realised that dirt stuck to it which is rubbish if you have to remove the clamp & refit & get the crud in the clamp...so just used WD40...that gets rid of water/dirt....now for the past 10yrs+ I use electrical contact cleaner...the right tools for the job..

Interesting…

 

Maybe I’ll stop using it in future, but I definitely  removed plenty from the original factory fit battery/leads. Hence the dealer/factory comment.

6 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

Interesting…

 

Maybe I’ll stop using it in future, but I definitely  removed plenty from the original factory fit battery/leads. Hence the dealer/factory comment.

 

Things move on..much like I stopped using copper grease for the brake calipers to pads & the slide pins...now only those two greases I mentioned in the other thread (Loctite & TRW)

cheezemonkhai just for info, modern batteries haven't needed their post protecting to the terminal clamps for quite a number of years but don't loose sleep over it.  If you remove the terminal clamps for any reason in the future you can wipe the inside of them and the battery posts clean.

 

You can buy a tool for cleaning the battery posts and inside of clamps but you should need to do much cleaning on the posts of a new battery anyway.

 

Lots of garages spray over the top of the battery clamps and posts but as xman has already put not necessary and put good for collecting dirt/crud/ muck/grit.

 

For battery figures of Ah and CCA you do have to also consider for how long and how well any given battery will keep to its figures as stated at new so a bit of  research, calculation of other info given, trust, guesswork, reputation and hope involved.  I've attached a PDF of different standards to measure CCA as there might be variances in other countries, usually EN here but also note the DIN in fabdavrav post.

 

As I discovered with a neighbour's old Merc, Halfords can have their own system of battery numbering if you use their database, as my neighbour did and then didn't want me to cut off the additional level of plastic foot hold down bar, 30 seconds work, so I spent 30 minutes altering the clamping plate instead.

 

Batteries and charging don't like the cold or hot, some chargers also have a winter setting for when the temperature will be below 5c as well as AGM setting.  Your CTek MXS 7.0 is fully set for AGM going from -20c to +50c.  At 7 amp it's quick but note Yuasa recommend 4 Amp so you'd be better perhaps, when required, putting the charger on at nearer 4 weeks than 2.  As with the battery figures the highest numbers aren't always the best.

 

I always recommend a long low slow recharge as possible rather than faster especially if the discharge was long, low and slow.

 

Sounds like you already have a separate battery analyser but you can also get combined smart charger with battery analyser.

 

The 12.7 wasn't necessarily fully charged but it does depend on what figure your machine usually gives (can be 12.8v or 12.9, my digital multimeter will show well into 13 on my car even after surface discharge).

 

Hope this is useful with your battery changing guide.  Cheers.

CarBatteryInformation.pdf

Edited 6 December, 20214 yr by nta16