12v battery low alert - ideas?

[Snowr0]

Still happy with the car after 2 months of ownership, 47 mpg average, tows the caravan a treat, 33mpg towing, well pleased.

DSG position indicator switch mod being done under warranty, should be happy BUT................

continually getting "12v battery low. Charge by driving alert"!

Been all through receipts and it had a new battery in 2019, BOSCH so good pedigree!

Battery voltage, off load before start 12.65v, the meter belonged to a good friend Bob Tanner, nothing to do with a Telecoms firm!

When running on tick over healthy 14.2 volts seen so all appears to be charging OK.

But still getting the 12 battery low or "infotainment system shutting down as battery critically low", even after a good drive.

Never has she failed to start or cranks "lazy".

Charging overnight clears alert for a few days but battery low alert will return.

Auto stop / start fails to activate, assume this is a result of ECU sensing battery low so self preservation kicks in!

ECOBAT in Shrewsbury did test AGM battery, said it was tiring as 3 years old but still fit.

Local Skoda agent today informed me that battery not covered by warranty and they'd charge it up.

so questions:-

1/ is the battery starting to fail? Appreciate that start / stop is a big load.

2/ Has ECU got a setting that can be varied to trigger low battery alerts as it's never failed me as yet?

3/ Is 3 years about the expected life of the battery on such a car? Have I got to just bite the bullet and get a new one?

4/ any recommendations on a good replacement if I go that way? (Tanya batteries do good brands and prices, £100 - £140 ish)

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

 

[StevesTruck]

Bosch batteries aren't great, if it's still in warranty, dive in quick and get another one. If it's not, give it a slow trickle charge. 

 

I've used Tayna twice and not been impressed. When I bought a battery for my Fabia the battery came, really carefully delivered in a box marked "this way up", opened it up and they'd put it in the box upside down. I'd have sent it back, but there was the whole "need to get to work" factor at play. 

[Snowr0]

Thanks for update, Bosch batt is still under warranty but as fitted by a garage for the previous owner not sure that would carry through to next owner? Might just give the garage a ring tomorrow.

Tayna batteries, thanks for heads up! Ecobat at Shrewsbury are my preferred but they only do a NUMAX replacement, not sure of brand.

[KenONeill]

Well, my experience of cars fitted with stop/start is that 3 years is about the life of a battery, and don't forget to get the new one "coded in" so the rest of the electronics know it's a new battery!

[VRS_White_Hatch]

Vrs is 5 years old in December, 24k miles (I guess lockdown helped) and stop start works fine, still on factory fitted battery. 

[Snowr0]

Reply from Skoda garage post diags - battery in good condition and charge, but as non OE (it's a Bosch AGM) unable to code it to car.

Cost of changing to OE and fit / code.........£300! 

Think I'll suffer the warnings till battery gets lazy!  

Technological advances ............are they really beneficial to us as owners?  

[Breezy_Pete]

The bit about non-OE batteries not being able to be coded sounds like a  blatant lie. Doubt coding would change the situation though. Find a local VCDS owner to do it for you if you want. Quick, easy job I believe,

Battery voltage as measured by you, and seemingly confirmed by them does not seem low enough to cause legitimate warnings, I expect there's a minor but irritating fault with the battery management system that they wish to avoid fixing at their cost under warranty.

[KenONeill]

@Snowr0 - I agree with @Breezy_Pete above, particularly about the need for an OEM battery only. If this were true, Skoda would have to state "battery used- $make_and_model" in the build file for every car!

[Berisford]

There’s a ‘default’ setting in VCDS for non codable batteries such as the Bosch I’m sure, certainly there’s a work-around……….

[thejames]

I could be way off base, but I’ve heard of tow bars throwing up battery charge level issues 🤷‍♂️ Just a thought. 

[AGFalco]

I have a Fabia III from new, original battery still fitted at 65K miles.

Battery was tested at its 7th service in May and is still good, and it is a lower grade of stop/start battery being an EFB type.

 

First thing I would do is charge the battery with a smart charger but do not connect the charger up to both battery terminals.

The type of usage the car gets will also effect the useful life of a battery.

 

It IS worth coding a new battery when one is fitted to the car. Especially if it has different ratings to the replaced one.

A lot of batteries faired badly during the lock downs due to covid.

 

 

On 18/08/2022 at 21:30, Snowr0 said:

Ecobat

Sell other makes as well, Exide and Lucas that I know of.

 

Thanks,  AG Falco

[ukgnome]

It seems amazing that you have to code a battery into the car and pay a dealer for it.

 

It will be coding tyres next.

 

Crazy

[varooom]

4 minutes ago, ukgnome said:

It seems amazing that you have to code a battery into the car and pay a dealer for it.

 

It will be coding tyres next.

 

Crazy

Not strictly tyre's themselves, but TPMS is a thing 🤣

[nicknorman]

My March 2016 Superb with 80k miles is still on original battery, no issues. (FLW!).

[Snowr0]

Too impatient! 

So Skoda dealer says nothing wrong but non OE compatible battery fitted so unable to code in.

Had fitted Bosch batt coded in by local VW indy garage, alert's came back.

Charged overnight, fine for 1 day then back to no auto start / low volts alert.

Left on drive when on hols for 10 days and started ok so not considering any draining occurring.

Skoda say OE or VARTA only are recommended, but now I have found out that both Bosch and Varta are from the same plant of manufacture so identical!

Selling garage washed their hands of it saying battery was good when tested and OK at MOT (?) in April.🤔

So, as fitted Bosch is now 3 years old, and been told 4 year warranty is non-transferrable, Tayna have received a lump of spondees for a new Varta.

Watch this space!

[Ootohere]

@Snowr0 I assume when you say Skoda Dealer you mean someone at a Skoda Dealership and not the manager who likely knows nothing about car mechanics.

?

So did you talk with a Master Tech, a Tech or even a fitter from the workshop or a Service Desk Manager who knows as much maybe as a Dealer Principal?

 

?

Has your car had the Haldex serviced for the 2nd time yet?

If so hopefully done someplace that knows about Skoda Servicing and doing things properly.

[varooom]

@Snowr0 I wonder if the battery charger sensor to tell the car what Voltage is in the battery is duff or dying?

 

The part connected to your battery terminal to tell the Alternator to charge.

 

You started with message about a low 12V main battery, reading 12.65V on your BT meter.

 

How is the car reading a different Voltage from what your meter is reading?

 

You did mention test's have been done on battery and all report healthy for its age.

 

[Snowr0]

19 hours ago, roottoot said:

@Snowr0 I assume when you say Skoda Dealer you mean someone at a Skoda Dealership and not the manager who likely knows nothing about car mechanics.

?

So did you talk with a Master Tech, a Tech or even a fitter from the workshop or a Service Desk Manager who knows as much maybe as a Dealer Principal?

 

?

Has your car had the Haldex serviced for the 2nd time yet?

If so hopefully done someplace that knows about Skoda Servicing and doing things properly.

Yes, yes & yes! Service manager even discussed several options of how to progress, but DIY swap was by far the cheapest! Wouldn't have bought the 4x4 if Haldex had not been serviced, so selling garage did it for me, whether first or second I can't tell but have receipt for oil and parts, 6 years old and 63K.

[Ootohere]

Good.

As long as it got a clean out and not just as oil change. 

[Steviedakota]

"So Skoda dealer says nothing wrong but non OE compatible battery fitted so unable to code in."

 

Utter nonsense. Any suitable battery will work, but it has to be to spec for Stop/start, Varta, Exide, Yuasa, etc. 

 

It is also my understanding that the battery is not coded to the car, put the car does have to be told via the OBD that there is a new battery so that it does not try to overcharge it.

 

If the above procedure was not done for your existing Bosch battery it could certainly shorten its life.

 

If it was me OP I would just cut to the chase, off to Halfords, buy a new battery (5 year guarantee), €200 done. 

[varooom]

9 minutes ago, Steviedakota said:

If it was me OP I would just cut to the chase, off to Halfords, buy a new battery (5 year guarantee), €200 done. 

It would appear he has ordered up a new Varta battery already

 

 

On 12/09/2022 at 15:46, Snowr0 said:

<snip>

So, as fitted Bosch is now 3 years old, and been told 4 year warranty is non-transferrable, Tayna have received a lump of spondees for a new Varta.

Watch this space!

[Snowr0]

Battery arrived, within 24 hours of order, swapped over, expected a few alarms post change as expected but short drive and lock to lock steering check sorted that (TPMS alert was a nail in rear o/s tyre, why do things happen all at once!), and since no further low battery alerts!

Bought an OBDeleven as we have two Skodas and and Audi in the family, changed the battery in config so now just wait and see!

Tayna supplied Varta battery £130 all in, expensive way to verify fault but substantailly cheaper than other or OE alternatives!

Windows up on lock work immediately and after a few trips auto stop / start also, which appeared not to on the questionable Bosch battery, fingers crossed!

Time will tell!

Thanks for all FB and tips, appreciated.

[Snowr0]

Just an update, since ne battery fitted, all is good! No low batt alarms and everything working as it should!

Once again not happy with dealers warranty, to be told "Battery was fine when we tested it at MOT" (WTF! how long has a battery been part of the MOT!) and not covered by guarantee!

Ah well, was only £140! Thanks Tayna!

[KenONeill]

3 hours ago, Snowr0 said:

(WTF! how long has a battery been part of the MOT!) and not covered by guarantee!

A battery is not part of the MoT, but it's often explicitly excluded from a warranty as a "wearing component".