Skoda batteries

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Thu 16 May 2019 19:09
Skoda batteries - Penumbra

Just had to buy father-in-law a defibrillator after his quote from Skoda for a Fabia battery.

£235 inc fitting. I know it's an AGM battery, but blimey, that's still a fair chunk of money even though they are specially made for Skoda (according to the parts manager).

Mind you the last time FiL bought a battery it probably had a Unipart logo on it.

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Thu 16 May 2019 19:28
Skoda batteries - RT

Third party alternatives are available but AGM batteries for stop-start cars are expensive.

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Thu 16 May 2019 20:52
Skoda batteries - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

A quick internet search reveals an AGM battery for an Octavia 1.4Tsi is

BOSCH AGM CAR BATTERY TYPE 096

at £159.

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Thu 16 May 2019 21:19
Skoda batteries - gordonbennet

Just checked my paperwork, both batteries on the Landcruiser supplied and fitted by the Toyota main dealer for £230, so yes i reckon the Skoda dealer is taking the proverbial.

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Fri 17 May 2019 11:21
Skoda batteries - kiss (keep it simple)

So a stop-start AGM battery costs a lot more than a premuim flooded one. How much does the stop-start save you in fuel over the lifetime of the battery? Answers please.....

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Fri 17 May 2019 11:37
Skoda batteries - RT

So a stop-start AGM battery costs a lot more than a premuim flooded one. How much does the stop-start save you in fuel over the lifetime of the battery? Answers please.....

Stop-start isn't designed to save money - it's there to reduce emissions.

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Fri 17 May 2019 11:45
Skoda batteries - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

And helps to reduce pollution. If you are a pedestrian and cross main roads frequently then you will appreciate that. Chelsea tractors idling outside schools are an antisocial menace. My car has £30 annual road tax and is in the EU6 category because it has lowish emissions.

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Fri 17 May 2019 11:45
Skoda batteries - skidpan

So a stop-start AGM battery costs a lot more than a premuim flooded one. How much does the stop-start save you in fuel over the lifetime of the battery? Answers please.....

Stop-start isn't designed to save money - it's there to reduce emissions.

Stop-Start has saves us a large sum since 2008, about £100 per year in VED compared to previous cars without it. So @£100 per year and 14 tax years its about £1400.

Not relevant now of course with flat rate VED @ £145.

However, its probably saved us about a cup full of fuel over the same period.

Had to have a new AGM battery on a BMW. Total cost was about £250 including coding to the car back in 2011. Fortunately BMW picked up the bill.

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Fri 17 May 2019 12:12
Skoda batteries - Engineer Andy

What would be interesting is to see what the actual difference is, CO2-wise, between a car with and without the stop-start system engaged, at least during the test.

As regards the price of batteries, I was horrified how much they've gone up in recent years - when I had my Mavda3's first (ordinary) battery replaced (always at the dealership), I was charged (pardon the pun) about £100, but last time (only 4 years later) they wanted around £150. Most other prices at the dealership didn't go up by that much in the same time, and it only takes them about 15 mins to complete the work. I wonder why?

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Fri 17 May 2019 14:58
Skoda batteries - skidpan

As regards the price of batteries, I was horrified how much they've gone up in recent years

Not noticed that myself.

The only batteries I have bought have been for the Caterham. Its a standard 056 type with approx 450 CCA being the important bit for starting a 2 litre motor. Not many consumers on the car so once running they must get an easy time. Up until 2010 it was fitted with a 45 amp Lucas alternator but that was replaced with a Denso off a 1988 Daihatsu Charade GTTi in 2010, think they are 45 amp as well.

2005 paid about £40 for a Fiamm

2010 paid about £45 for an Exide

2017 paid about £45 for a Yuasa.

Same factors each time. Guess they swap brands depending on the price.

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Fri 17 May 2019 18:15
Skoda batteries - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

Been searching for EFB Stop/Start batteries for my 1.4l Octavia. They seem to vary from £100 up to £299 on line, but a lot are out of stock. Hmm. Halfords stock a higher capacity one than the one I've just had fitted under warranty, for £135. Thanks for the heads up.

Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 17/05/2019 at 18:41

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Fri 17 May 2019 18:25
Skoda batteries - Andrew-T

What would be interesting is to see what the actual difference is, CO2-wise, between a car with and without the stop-start system engaged, at least during the test.

I remember way back people saying that it was wasteful to keep stopping a diesel engine in a delivery vehicle because the saved fuel was needed to put the charge used in restarting back in the battery. So not much CO2 saved overall?

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Fri 17 May 2019 19:38
Skoda batteries - John F

Five yrs ago I paid £119 for a stonking great Yuasa HSB019 100Ah 900CCA for the Audi A8 which was a dud - failed after a year (replaced free by Halfords ). I can't see why a special AGM battery is needed for stopstarts as a modern engine fires almost immediately, using very little battery energy which is soon replaced by today's efficient alternators.

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Fri 17 May 2019 20:12
Skoda batteries - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

I have read that an AGM or an EFB battery used with Stop/Start spends a lot of time powering a cars ancillaries when off charge. I guess this is a tougher duty cycle.

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Fri 17 May 2019 21:12
Skoda batteries - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

And the battery spends a lot of time sitting at less than fully charged.

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Fri 17 May 2019 23:09
Skoda batteries - Big John

I can't see why a special AGM battery is needed for stopstarts as a modern engine fires almost immediately, using very little battery energy which is soon replaced by today's efficient alternators.

I think the issue is when the alternator as during the er "regenerative" slowing down it turns the charging dial up to 11. The AGM or EFB batteries are designed to cope with the higher charge rate.

Saying that some friends of mine have a 1920's Morris Cowley Bullnose which has a dynamotor which is attached to the engine by a chain and can act as a dynamo or starter - I suppose this could do with an "enhanced" battery as it known to boil the battery from time to time.

Edited by Big John on 17/05/2019 at 23:09

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Sat 18 May 2019 00:10
Skoda batteries - Andrew-T

<< ... some friends of mine have a 1920's Morris Cowley Bullnose which has a dynamotor which is attached to the engine by a chain and can act as a dynamo or starter - I suppose this could do with an "enhanced" battery as it known to boil the battery from time to time. >>

Do you really mean 'boil', BJ - not just a vigorous generation of gas ? Boiling would mean about 105°C and would do any battery no good at all ....

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Sat 18 May 2019 00:25
Skoda batteries - Big John

Indeed, probably vigorous generation of gas- sound like boiling though. You have to manually turn the charging off. Either way I don't think it is great for the battery!

Electric starting is strange as well - No motor noise you just hear compression strokes before engine then "hopefully " runs. Can't be used when engine cold either.

PS this car is from many moons ago. It runs on unleaded as in 1923 leaded petrol hadn't been introduced yet, no front brakes, no shock absorbers, no brake lights and the petrol tank is behind the dash! Also just to keep things interesting - the brake pedal is on the right and the accelerator is in the middle!

Edited by Big John on 18/05/2019 at 00:51

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Sat 18 May 2019 12:21
Skoda batteries - Avant

That brings back memories of one of the young teachers at my prep-school, Patrick Cashell, who had a 1923 bullnose Morris Cowley, known as 'Daisy'. I think he'd bought it as a banger and restored it, certainly to a high standard.

This was in the late 1950s: I hope Patrick is still around and still has Daisy - he'd be in his 80s by now. Last time I saw him, in the 1990s, Daisy was still going strong. The noise she made when setting off in first gear was one never to be forgotten.

It was a good school in every way and especially for a car enthusiast like me: the headmaster had a 1939 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine, whch he loved as a work of art but also made good use of as a people-carrier. He got most of the first XI in there to go to away football and cricket matches.

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Sat 18 May 2019 13:20
Skoda batteries - Penumbra

Eventually purchased a Yuasa battery for the Skoda at under £150 with free fitting.

Now to deal with my Golf 1.4 TSI timing chain which the local VW garage has quoted a

"worst case scenario price" of £1500 to change.

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