Hi all,
I picked up a new car a couple of weeks ago and it\'s first job was to take me to the airport for a two week holiday the very next day.
When i returned to the long stay car park yesterday the car was dead as a dodo with a totally flat battery!
The car is a polo - no alarm - and the VW assistance bloke who came out when i got the car home said that it was normal for a battery to run down over 2 weeks, although the manual with the car says it should be ok for 4 weeks.
What do other BR-ers think - and what remedy would you suggest? Is it possible that the thing wasn\'t fully charged when new, or is it likely to be a duff battery in the first place?
Thanks,
CF
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For what it's worth, in my experience (30 odd years) there's only one reason a battery won't hold its charge - and that is it's either on its way out or it's already U/S.
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Bob - what does U/S stand for please?
Thanks,
CF
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When you say new do you mean brand new or new to your possession.?? I ask because many years ago when working for big second hand dealer it was their practice to remove good battery from cars which had been sold and substitute ropey batteries from new stock.
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".. it was their practice to remove good battery from cars which had been sold and substitute ropey batteries from new stock"
Now I know why I almost always buy privately!
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"..what remedy would you suggest?"
Buy a new one. Even a basic new battery will work far better than an old on-the-way-out one.
However, it is just possible that the one you got with the car is OK, as it may have been nearly discharged when you picked the car up. Worth an overnight charge first perhaps, but if you're in any doubt (and you know that you didn't leave something on, like a light or the radio) get a new one.
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I should have made it more clear - the car was brand new, so buying a new battery is something I will not be doing!
I think waht i'll have to do is arrancge for VW assistance to come out first thing in the morning to start it, and then I'll drive to the local VW garage and get them to check it over / replace it.
By-the-by, I guess this adds to the VW reliabitly thread :-(
CF
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Surely a new battery should hold its charge for far longer than 2 weeks, or even 4 weeks!
I bought a new battery about 6.1/2 years ago when I was in the midst of restoring my Triumph 2500. The car sometimes stands for the whole of the winter without being touched. When the better weather arrives, I prime the carburettors with the lever on the fuel pump, pull out the choke and turn the key. I never even think of the battery being flat - and it never is (so far!).
Taking a bit newer car, a year ago my 1992 BMW stood for about four weeks whilst my lower leg was in plaster after an operation and the starter spun the engine just as quickly as normal when I came to start it.
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I have now spoken to my local VW garage who seem to acknowledge that there is a problem, and that 2 weeks isn't OK!
I'll update the board after they look at it next thursday.
CF
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If it helps, my 5-year old Polo has been stood for several weeks, several times without any problem. Have done similar with other cars. There is no excuse for a flat battery ona new car after 2 weeks.
What do they think everyone else in the long-stay car-park does?
Andy
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What do they think everyone else in the long-stay car-park >>
Andy - I agree. when the guy from VW assistance who told me that it was normal for a battery to discharge after 2 weeks I must have been too jet lagged to argue.
The guy in the long stay car-park told me he did about 30 flat batteries a day - but that they weren't all Polos!
It seems that whenver you have a complaint about something these days that the first answer you get is "that's normal". They must be trying to deter those too meek to pursure the complaint.
CF
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I had to call someone out to er-indoors new(ish) punto a few weeks ago after two weeks of ownership. On parking up for a few days and reading a map to find where to park, finding a well lit space and not realising the map lights were on.
Map lights 1 : Battery 0
I was told this is a very common problem, generating much income for the local breakdown company who knew all the precise locations of all parking areas.
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The car is a polo - no alarm - and the VW assistance bloke who came out when i got the car home said that it was normal for a battery to run down over 2 weeks, although the manual with the car says it should be ok for 4 weeks.
I don\'t think much of the the VW assistance bloke\'s comment that a battery will only last two weeks before going flat if the car is not used. I have a 5 year old Mondeo, with an alarm fitted. I go to Australia every December, and return in March. The car is left in the drive, and has always started first turn of the key on my return.
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The supplying dealer should give you a new battery and then on installation check for any abnormal current drains, otherwise you could be back to square one.
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The supplying dealer should give you a new battery and then on installation check for any abnormal current drains, otherwise you could be back to square one.
Thanks jud - that's what I will be pressing them for.
Re comments about the map light - I did check that, and the switch was set to light-on-when-door-open, and all the doors were shut ok.
CF
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If it has one check that the boot light isn't staying on all the time. I once replaced a battery needlessly when it went flat on me repeatedly. Put a brand new one in, only to find the same thing happened!
Fault was traced to a short in one of the horns which were permanently live, so about 3 amps was being drawn continuously when the car was left. A bit of checking before rushing out and buying a battery would have saved me some money. The horn didn't make any sound, though.
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could it be a simple case that of the battery was not fully charged to begin with? as you said, as soon as you got the car, next day (i presume not much driving in between) to the airport and left it there for two weeks. If the battery was not fully charges to start with, then this might be natural and no cuase for concern
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Amin,
Although it was indeed the next day that i left it at the airport, I had actually put 200 miles on it on friday night / saturday morning, which I would have thought should have charged it up?
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