1 minute ago, AGFalco said:

Is it hard wired to BOTH battery terminals?

 

 

The Fabia III is a micro hybrid vehicle:-

https://www.yuasa.co.uk/info/technical/micro-hybrid-hybrid-vehicles-explained/

 

HTH

 

Thanks. AG Falco

 

Wow, this forum is a bit mental. I am not stupid, positive connection to battery, negative to body earth point! Yep, of course.

1 minute ago, Tintowellfan said:

Wow, this forum is a bit mental. I am not stupid, positive connection to battery, negative to body earth point! Yep, of course.

Good.

Just checking as other posters have not known this.

 

Thanks. AG Falco.

1 minute ago, AGFalco said:

Good.

Just checking as other posters have not known this.

 

Thanks. AG Falco.

Thanks. Looks like this forum maybe not for me. Some of responses so far are quite cryptic, no just weird!!

What charge level are you finding with your battery?

 

Thanks. AG Falco

22 hours ago, AGFalco said:

What charge level are you finding with your battery?

 

Thanks. AG Falco

Thanks for your input, but I am out of here for a wee while as there are a few really strange people responding to my posts. I usually find new forum posters are accepted, but seems a few on here just like to belittle them, well maybe just me. Not sure why. Anyway, I am out.

My milage is lower nowadays than previously, so I use my C-tek At Least once a month, battery charges overnight.

@Tintowellfan did you get things sorted?

 

I'm the, near local forums, battery charging 'nutter' (but not expert, in anything) so perhaps I can help you if you still need/want (though I think all other posters were also trying).

 

Just to check I've got the right end of the stick  you have a 2023 VWSkoda Fabia with it sounds like an EFB battery, which you have been charging with a smart (they not really that smart) 4-amp charger maintainer.  The Fabia battery takes longer to recharge on the charger than the Mokka you had.

 

I don't know the Mokka, a very quick Google search and it might be post 2014/16 with stop/start hence the AGM battery (beyond VW) - a 2023 car generally has more computer and electric stuff than a bit earlier car so more demanding on battery and perhaps alternator.

 

I've no idea if a 2022 Mokka would be better with its electrics, battery charging and computer programming than a 2022 or 2023  VWSkoda Fabia.

 

For possible answers more info is required and in the same way different people use more fuel than others their electric/battery use can vary.  

• What Ah is the EFB battery in your Fabia?
• Did you note the battery voltage before starting the charging with your 4-amp charger maintainer?
• How low is your low mileage use, how long is the car parked up (I'll assume it's always locked even if garaged)?
• Does your Fabia have things like 'coming home'(?), KESSY keyless entry and start, heated seat(s), others?
• Are you old school scrap/clear all windows or heater/blower/air-con, heated glasses on and let them do all the work? 
• Are there any Recalls (those admit to anyway) on your car, there was a battery [ETA: management] recall on earlier cars previously (whether it was actually the battery or VW programing or other parts or components I've no idea)?  Recall actions here. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/services/recall-campaigns

 

My wife has a 2015 Mk3, I fitted an AGM battery to it in 2021 (and discovered the 'joy' of 'coding' such things) as my wife's Fabia does very short journeys every work day, usually only two now, and I wanted as little hassle with this car as possible (if only!!) so purchased out of want rather than need.  The first time I done a preventative charge on it, forget when, using the newly purchased for the task Ring Smart (it's not) Charger & Maintainer, 4-amp, RSC804, IIRC it took 15/16 hours to get to "Ful" (full) and this was on a preventative recharge the battery wasn't that low (forget voltage reading) that the stop/start wouldn't activate.  The battery is a Bosch (labelled, Varta apparently) AGM, 60Ah.

 

I would normally use a lower amperage charger and take longer but it's not my car and it's has to be available for use at short notice for my wife's very full socialising and shopping needs which can opportunistic in mature (quality time apart from me).

 

Of course it may not be, or have been, your battery at fault.

 

Edited 20 February, 20242 yr by nta16
ETA:

nta16. Thanks for your input. I was merely making an observation about the battery in the Fabia compared to my Mokka, but having received some rather cryptic, strange, comments, I posted no more.

Anyway, the battery is what it is. Seems to be holding up well on my trickle, sorry 'smart' charger, so all is good. Had the car for 9 months, but only driven it a few miles over last 6 months, so less than 500 miles on clock.

Hopefully be driving it a bit more soon.

Maybe showing my age, but does seem to be some strange people on this Skoda forum!

@Tintowellfan if you're not driving it much and it's parked locked up for weeks on end use the "smart" charge as a charger or even maintainer.  In the Owner's Manual (unless it's one of those horrid digital only type which tell you even less) it might say disconnect the battery if you're not using the car for x-number of weeks but a maintainer left on would do similar.

 

My neighbour's second Ren-No! (2021) car was parked (outside) for 6-weeks he told me when I pointed out his brake discs were getting very rusty and they needed using to try to clear them up.  I wasn't surprised that they engine started (though the starting sounded a lot better that I was expecting) and I certainly wasn't surprised at the lights being bright - but 24 hours after the failed attempt to clear the rust by driving, repeatedly round the crescent, to save petrol, and braking, I was surprised at the battery voltage reading at the battery terminal posts wasn't anywhere near as low as I'd expected (forget what now).

 

But after 47 (four, seven) hours of the 4-amp "smart" charger maintainer doing it's stuff (with the battery still on the car outside in cold weather) the charger wouldn't show full, confirmed by use of a multimeter reading the next day.  Had I been allowed to remove the battery from the car and in my home use my 20-year old 1.8 amp charger maintainer I might have done better but possibly not or not a lot.

 

The 6-week slow drain from a 2021 vehicle, plus whatever use/abuse/neglect/  and no use of a charger or maintainer from the previous 2.5 years, had injured the battery enough that it couldn't full recover.

 

2 hours ago, Tintowellfan said:

Maybe showing my age, but does seem to be some strange people on this Skoda forum!

😄  I think I'm the only strange one you've meet on this thread so far, there are a very few others I consider even stranger than me, but I think on this thread it's just been a matter of misunderstanding(s) one and both ways.

 

Some like or expect quick answers from very little given information, some like to give very quick answers based only on the information given which may sometime be good and correct, some like to see quick question and quick answers too.

 

You can guess which way I go.  😄  Whenever I try to give a quick answer it all goes wrong plus assumptions have to be made if questions are not asked or answered and we all know what assume does(?).  I feel more and sometimes better information and answers can be given and not only to the one question asked, by sometimes expanding on the one question asked.

 

What I thought of as a trickle charger 45 years ago isn't necessarily what people think of as a trickle charger now, and even might not be the same as you thought of 45 years ago, whereas they all seem to know "smart" devices now.  Despite none of those devices being smart - don't get me going on "smart"-"phones" .   .   .   

 

Most of the Kia/Hyundai range (certainly my MY17 Ceed that I've just sold)  have a switch in the (easily accessible by your right knee ) cabin fusebox that turns off the power to the:

radio

clock

power seats

windows

smart key

to help prevent current drain over longer periods.

Only downside is you have to use your manual key to get back in (there is a delay after exiting where the smart key still works)

https://www.youcanic.com/switch-inside-fuse-box-a-kia-hyundai/

Edited 24 February, 20242 yr by Winston_Woof

4 hours ago, Winston_Woof said:

Only downside is you have to use your manual key to get back in

That's not a downside, on a Skoda Fabia MK3 as using the keyblade synchronises the remote keyfob - but the car alaarm then goes off when you open the door - not "clever".

 

I dislike remote keyfobs and almost always used the keyblade on my wife's previous car, it also help to synchronise, -  and the alarm didn't go off !