I've just had my 5 year old Octavia serviced - all was well except an advisory that the battery condition is 'poor' and should be replaced.  When Skoda rang and said it was going to cost nearly £360 I said no thanks.

So now I'm wondering how long should I leave it before replacing it?

I'm told it has a life span of 5-8 years, so it's only just hit the start of that. However I do mostly short journeys these days.  Apparently it's rated at 360A (which seems low based on the quick search I did for new batteries, which were all around 700A) and it's currently at 245A.  So that means it's at 68%.  Is that 'poor' or are they exaggerating?

 

thanks

 

 

Just replaced mine last week. It was the original from May 2015, so nearly 9 years old - it did well, but died quickly! Started getting a few warnings on startup one day, wouldn't start the next. Tried charging it but was not having it....

I just got Halfords out to replace it at home - it was an 360A EFB type, cost £150 all in.

16 minutes ago, robs12 said:

Just replaced mine last week. It was the original from May 2015, so nearly 9 years old - it did well, but died quickly! Started getting a few warnings on startup one day, wouldn't start the next. Tried charging it but was not having it....

I just got Halfords out to replace it at home - it was an 360A EFB type, cost £150 all in.

Did that include coding?

I had my efb battery replaced and coded in for £150 at me local trusted independent garage on my last mk3 Octavia. 

I'd take yours to a trusted independent first & have it load tested. You may not need a new battery yet. I certainly don't trust main dealers. 

No hard and fast rule when it comes to batteries.

 

Mines on the original battery, rated at 380A. Whether I'll get any warnings on the dash or stop start won't work or a sudden total failure I don't know. I'll find out one day

 

As you only do short journeys are you able to charge it up now and then?

 

 

Replace it when the car struggles to start on a few consecutive days. 

35 minutes ago, robs12 said:

Just replaced mine last week. It was the original from May 2015, so nearly 9 years old - it did well, but died quickly! Started getting a few warnings on startup one day, wouldn't start the next. Tried charging it but was not having it....

I just got Halfords out to replace it at home - it was an 360A EFB type, cost £150 all in.

Mine's meant to be 360A but I put my reg into the Halfords site and it came up with two EFBs, both 700A.  And Kwik Fit site gave me just two AGMs, both 760A.  Maybe it's just what they have in stock.  All around the £220 mark, fitted (not sure if coded). 

21 minutes ago, Phoenixboy said:

I had my efb battery replaced and coded in for £150 at me local trusted independent garage on my last mk3 Octavia. 

I'd take yours to a trusted independent first & have it load tested. You may not need a new battery yet. I certainly don't trust main dealers. 

Good idea, I'll look into that.  68% doesn't feel particularly 'poor'. 

16 minutes ago, ords said:

No hard and fast rule when it comes to batteries.

 

Mines on the original battery, rated at 380A. Whether I'll get any warnings on the dash or stop start won't work or a sudden total failure I don't know. I'll find out one day

 

As you only do short journeys are you able to charge it up now and then?

 

 

I'd have to buy a charger as I've realised mine is old and won't work on stop-start cars.  Good to know batteries can last 11 years though!  Mine won't - one of my main short journeys is a battery killer - it's a school run up a steep hill when the engine is cold! 

1 hour ago, CheersDrive said:

Good idea, I'll look into that.  68% doesn't feel particularly 'poor'. 

I first checked mine with a multi meter prior to starting and during idle. My battery was at 12.1v prior to starting, so I knew it was getting down, plus my s/s wasn't working very often, either. I then had it confirmed by taking it for a load test. My current, original battery is 5 years old & still OK. In the past I've had batteries only last two years, others 10 plus. The one I had previously fitted also came with a 2 year guarantee. 

I tend only to use dealers if my car had a dealer related warranty, mainly for convenience when making a claim. Otherwise I'd service it myself or take it to an independent. Even when under warranty I'd change the brakes myself, as Skoda are very expensive. Pads & discs are not covered, as classed as wear & tear, along with the battery, certainly with the Skoda extended warranty which I have now. 

Edited 20 March, 20242 yr by Phoenixboy

I just purchased a replacement from Tayna Batteries "YBX7096 Yuasa EFB Start Stop Car Battery 12V 75Ah" £97.72 + £6.99 postage.  My only issue now is where to find the input port on my 21 reg Kodiaq SE L 200 4x4, a friend has a device to read and update the codes for the new battery.  The Skoda website will not let me in!!

On 20/03/2024 at 21:12, CheersDrive said:

I'd have to buy a charger as I've realised mine is old and won't work on stop-start cars.  Good to know batteries can last 11 years though!  Mine won't - one of my main short journeys is a battery killer - it's a school run up a steep hill when the engine is cold! 

Don't wait until you get any warnings charge it before then with an appropriate battery charger maintainer as preventative measures as required.  Read the car's Owner's Manual and the charger's instructions and follow them.

 

The battery can be low even though the engine starts and the lights seem to be bright and before you get any warning lights and messages the computers can be unhappy and causing all sorts of unexpected issues leading to unseen error codes and intermittent (or not) warning lights.   By the time the car engine is difficult to start the battery is very low and probably won't fully recover but it can be recovered, when it gets to the point of not starting the engine (other than from leaving some electric item on for a long time by mistake) you may well have used, abused and neglected the battery beyond reasonable recovery.

 

ETA: Immediately thinking of changing the battery because it doesn't start the car is a bit like thinking of changing the car when the fuel tank is empty, the 12v car battery is one of the most oversold car parts, often replaced prematurely or very (very) prematurely.

 

Edited 30 May, 20242 yr by nta16

22 minutes ago, Mike2110 said:

I just purchased a replacement from Tayna Batteries "YBX7096 Yuasa EFB Start Stop Car Battery 12V 75Ah" £97.72 + £6.99 postage.  My only issue now is where to find the input port on my 21 reg Kodiaq SE L 200 4x4, a friend has a device to read and update the codes for the new battery.  The Skoda website will not let me in!!

If your friend has a scan tool he may have access to information from that that tells him where the diagnostics port is or have a users forum that might tell him.

 

He only really needs to put in the correct type of battery (EFB on your case), the correct Ah (75 Ah, make sure your friend inputs this correctly, unlike a professional auto-electrician we were told about on here) and the new "serial number" (if this is 1111111111 from factory or not it can be changed to one on to 1111111112)..  The make of battery means nothing now, if shown on a 2021 car(?) (previously a VW three character code).

 

HTH.

 

Just found a Youtube video from Australia showing the port is under the dashboard on the drivers side near the door, hope this helps someone.

Batteries do die and quickly loose their capacity at that age. The first sign that things aren't right is the auto stop/start stops working, followed by fluctuation in the lights on the car (the inability of the battery to cope with changes of voltage and current).

 

You should be doing a CCA test at this point. VAG testers basically condem a battery if it gets below 65% battery capacity. I find a good long run to charge and condition the battery is worth doing before the service.

 

The poor starting is also another indicator.

 

Coding for replacement of battery is simples. I prefer to put in the serial number of the battery (only because I'm OCD). Either AFM/EFB battery is acceptable and try find a battery with a decent 4 or 5 year warranty and a decent brand.

Edited 31 May, 20242 yr by varaderoguy

2 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

The first sign that things aren't right is the auto stop/start stops working, followed by fluctuation in the lights on the car (the inability of the battery to cope with changes of voltage and current).

 

The poor starting is also another indicator.

Totally agree but if the battery is charged, by reading and following the car's Owner's Manual and charger instructions, with an appropriate battery charger maintainer at the point of the start-stop being inactive and not allowed to go even further lower then the battery can be revived and given lots more useful life,  Better still give the battery preventative charges when required so that the battery is at a level above where the start/stop becomes unavailable and the battery with give better service and last even longer.  Doesn't have to be often and it's certainly not hard work and you keep your hands clean, car maintenance as it all should be (but isn't).

 

By the time you get to poor engine starting you have let the battery get too low, if not from a one-off mistake then possibly from too much use, abuse and neglect.

 

My Octavia is coming up to five years . The stop start does sometimes play up. Mainly do short trips so will keep a check on it.

It may be of interest , my Vauxhall vivaro van still has its original battery , 2007.  Hope I last that long🤔.

3 hours ago, jazzyjeff said:

My Octavia is coming up to five years . The stop start does sometimes play up. Mainly do short trips so will keep a check on it.

It may be of interest , my Vauxhall vivaro van still has its original battery , 2007.  Hope I last that long🤔.

With mostly short trips, the smart alternator control unit limiting battery SOC to around 75% max. can become an issue - you don't normally get sufficient energy recuperation to maintain a decent SOC.

To prevent excessive hard sulphation and ensure a reasonable battery lifespan, an occasional recharge or longer run should be considered.  

4 hours ago, jazzyjeff said:

The stop start does sometimes play up. Mainly do short trips so will keep a check on it.

The start-stop has a list of requirements before it will operate but if yours isn't activating when it normally would then simply recharge ASAP be it a longer drive where you're not using the battery power too much so that the battery can regain or very simple, easy (non) work recharge it with an appropriate battery charger maintainer reading and following the car's Owner's Manual and chargers instructions with as low slow long recharge as possible and get the battery to fully recharged even if it takes more than one go.  Do it now before the battery goes down more and you could get much more useful life out of the battery, consider preventative charges too when required or reasonable.

 

The heat of summer helps the battery to self-discharge more, twice as much at 30c ambient than 20c and twice as much between 30c to 40c ambient (like it was a couple of years ago) and of course cold winter weather, so just before or after these types of times, when changing to and from winter tyres if you do that, whatever suits.  A battery maintainer if the car sits for many days or a few weeks.

 

Using a battery charger may extended the life of the van battery too, make it a family heirloom for when you've gone to the Bus Lane in the sky. 😁

 

My Kodiaq is just over 3 years old and would have expected the battery to last much longer that it did, and Excide... just replaced it with a Yusa for £105 including delivery but took some effort recoding it to the car, a friend had a device to do this which works on VWs etc, but the Yuasa make was not in the list so had to find the battery code before completing the amps & serial number.  I will try it as given a good run and now away for 10 days, hope it starts when I return (stood for 2 days a couple of weeks ago and only just started with everything turned off).

Like everything else nowadays, nothing lasts. As I said before my van has original battery  . 17  years old. Can anyone better that'?

I would just like to say how helpful everyone is on this forum.   Very informative. 

10 hours ago, Mike2110 said:

My Kodiaq is just over 3 years old and would have expected the battery to last much longer that it did

Yes it should but a battery is only a store so it depends on its use, abuse and neglect by the car and owner/driver, it's very rare nowadays that a battery is faulty, the of likes VW car manufacturer's computing programs or parts being faulty is another matter.  Batteries may be changed just to keep the customer happy as many don't understand and put the car battery at fault when it is not, even when the battery is new.

 

10 hours ago, Mike2110 said:

a friend had a device to do this which works on VWs etc, but the Yuasa make was not in the list so had to find the battery code before completing the amps & serial number.

The make of the battery and its three letter VW code is totally unimportant that was for VW's benefit the car and the computer program couldn't really care less, your friend could have just left it the same as it was.  On my wife's car we changed to "BOSCH" which isn't even three letters.  The serial number you want to change but you only need to change one digit, my wife's, and others have reported the same on here, was from factory 1111111111 (ten lots of 1) and it was changed to 1111111112 the same as on many other VW cars that got a battery change. See below from when a Briskoda member 'coded' the battery for me (on his OBDEleven).  The type of battery, EFB or AGM (which of course VW call "fleece"), the Ah rate (or close enough) and change of "serial number" are the important changes for 'coding'.

 

 

 

11 hours ago, Mike2110 said:

I will try it as given a good run and now away for 10 days, hope it starts when I return (stood for 2 days a couple of weeks ago and only just started with everything turned off).

If you have the new battery and you or car haven't depleted its store you shouldn't need to give it a good before going away for 10 days but check your Owner's Manual for advice.  If you want or need to go for a good run then that's fine but if during that run you take out from the battery, by using lots of electric consumers on the car more than you put back in then obviously there will be less in the battery whilst the car sits for 10 days.  Think of it like your bank account whilst you are away and spending.  Personally unless I had, or wanted, to go for a good run in the car I'd save fuel and if possible just connect up an appropriate battery charger maintainer whilst I was away to return to the car with a full battery rather than 10 days depleted, having used a very , very little home electric and easiest work on the car whilst away from it. 

 

I like any work on the car that keeps my hands clean and I have the very least to do as possible and battery charging is so easy (with the appropriate charger maintainer reading and following the car's Owner's Manual and chargers instructions).

 

I am at this very moment ,whilst one finger typing this, charging a neighbour's 2021 car battery that is sat 10 doors away down the street, I am warm from it (though it might be the sausage sandwiches and mug of (singular so far) tea, this is the only sensible way to work on cars!!

 

12 hours ago, Mike2110 said:

My Kodiaq is just over 3 years old and would have expected the battery to last much longer that it did, and Excide... just replaced it with a Yusa for £105 including delivery but took some effort recoding it to the car, a friend had a device to do this which works on VWs etc, but the Yuasa make was not in the list so had to find the battery code before completing the amps & serial number.  I will try it as given a good run and now away for 10 days, hope it starts when I return (stood for 2 days a couple of weeks ago and only just started with everything turned off).

Actual manufacturer of battery is not critical information - EFB or AGM, capacity in AHs, and a minor change to the existing serial number sequence (to tell battery monitoring unit that the battery has been replaced) are all that is necessary.

1 hour ago, jazzyjeff said:

Like everything else nowadays, nothing lasts. As I said before my van has original battery  . 17  years old. Can anyone better that'?

I might have bettered that with my last car had I not changed the battery for my convenience (being lazy and loathing to do anymore work on my car even charging the battery).  But my last car had very little electric stuff on it from new, previous model didn't even have a boot or interior light and was dynamo not alternator.

 

As I've probably (I might be wrong) had more ****-poorly, abysmally, poor, not correct out of the box car parts than all the rest of the posters here put together by my 30+ years of running various "classics" (old over-priced and over valued) cars as "dallies" I can say I think that for decades car batteries have been excellent and long lasting given the changing circumstances but now unless some/many owner/drivers revert back to using (appropriate) charger maintainers the car manufacturers like VW will their way with changing the battery (most times prematurely or unnecessarily) at first 5 years or less.  The car 12v battery has been the/one of most oversold car part for many years, if not decades now.

 

A van that is 17 or more years old generally will have nowhere near the potential electric loading use that a 2021, let alone 2023/4 car has, plus the van generally has a bigger studier battery and is used a lot more frequently giving the battery what it is designed for, cyclical (not sure that's the word I mean) use, many would not know or understand have very little some cars are actually driven.  The car for some is no more than a portable entertainment, information, communication device and in the future a portable storage of electric energy to be taken or used elsewhere for other than transport or 'infotainment.'

 

For those with more interest about car batteries in more modern VW and others cars, but there is plenty more and better info on here and elsewhere than the below examples.

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/499006-car-battery-now-is-the-time-to-check-it

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/519903-flat-batteries-on-the-first-working-day-of-each-year