A Battery Of Problems

[Dai Fledermaus]

I thought the issue with the battery in my 2017 Skoda Fabia might be of interest. 

One evening, a few weeks ago, the alarm in the car suddenly went off as it was parked on our drive. I tried cancelling it with the remote, but it continued for five minutes or so, then stopped, at which point the car went dead. Nothing worked. No central locking. No engine management lights. 

The following day, however, I found that the battery voltage had dropped so low that my smart charger wouldn't kick in as a temporary fix and neither I or a neighbour had jump leads. Obviously, I needed a new battery. Manufacturers recommend you change them every five years or so. Mine was clearly living on borrowed time. 

So, having shopped around online, I found Halfords and EuroCarParts had the Exide 027 battery I needed for around £145, with Halfords wanting £27 to fit it. But then I found a battery specialist in North Wales called Taymar who were selling it for £89.99 including next day delivery. I was initially suspicious about the price difference, but I went ahead and ordered it anyway. I have to say their service, packaging and communication was excellent. In less than ten minutesI had fitted the new battery and I was back in business. 

Now, here's the bit that caused me some head scratching, my car has stop start capability and there seems to be some misinformation on line about battery coding when it comes to cars with this feature. I don't pretend to fully understand it but some cars with stop start, need to be told that a new battery has been fitted via a code and an OBD-II reader. However, as I subsequently found out, this only applies to cars with an AGM ( absorbent glass mat) type battery, not as in my case, an EFB battery. In fact EFB batteries don't have a code on them because it's not needed. 

You live and learn. 

 

[PeterF]

I am guessing you mean Tayna batteries and auto correct has changed it. They have a very good reputation.

[J D 8 - Moderator]

 There are as many stories [ old wife's tales] about car and other vehicle battery's as there are about nicads, nimh, and lipo's.  Many on line of how to revive dead ones,  just don't, they do not work and some are dangerous.

   Last year I was on my way to the flying field when the battery warning light came on in my cars dash.  Shortly after the power steering shut down and then engine went into limp mode but still ran.  Tests showed the battery was low volts. Turned out alternator had quit

   Now in an older vehicle once the alternator stops working the charge warning light came on and gave plenty of warning for you that it would sometime ahead run out of charge.

   In more recent cars the batt warning light controlled by the ecu only comes on when the volts get low giving little warning.

     I now have a volt meter that plugs into the car power socket and can keep an eye on state of charge in the battery [engine off] and if charging [engine on].

[Eric Robson]

In 2021 I bought a new Skoda Octavia 2ltr automatic, it was pre registered in March of that year, I bought it in the August and it had 6miles on the clock. I used it a lot initially doing 2 long journeys. Then back in my normal routine driving to the field which is 1mile away and the supermarket which is 2.5 miles. The start stop ceased to work and other related functions like the door lock sensors also stopped working. A message came up to run the car to charge the battery which I did, things improved but a few days later back to square one. I took it  back to the dealer who said I was not doing enough miles. They took it in, said I had to leave it overnight, next day all was fine, two days later no stop start. Despite numerous complaints they suggested I  buy a charge to charge it overnight. I did not and lived with the situation as I didn't do many miles. However 2 months before the warranty expired the battery died whilst in the supermarket. I got a jump start which got me home. Ringing Skoda help an engineer came out with a new battery and ran a diagnostic test on the battery which showed the history and it had been under capacity from when I took delivery of the car. He fitted the new battery and programed it to the car. Since then no more trouble and I still do the low mileage.  

[Denis Watkins]

It is correct lads, that low mileage can badly effect the battery.

Many companies recommend 4000 miles per year minimum to maintain a battery.

If you do have to run a low mileage regime, the battery needs topping up.

To achieve a good input from a car alternator typically occurs around 40mph, and a minimum top up should be around 30 minutes,

Therefore it you find the battery lacking, nip out onto the dual carriageway for 30 minutes or a spin down the motorway for 15 minutes.

[Engine Doctor]

For low use or hobby cars or cars on a SORN a maintenance / trickle charger is a good investment. Dont forget nealy all cars from the 80s onwards had a an alarm or built in computer that draws a few mah that will drian and damage  a  car battery after a few weeks .  I have a trickle maintenance charger  in my hobby car , costs around £20 uses hardly any power and keeps  car battery healthy and ready to go and far cheaper than replacing battery.

[Dai Fledermaus]

I should have added that in hindsight, the signs of a possible battery failure were there. The stop start system had developed a mind of its own in that sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Winter driving with the lights and wipers and heated rear screen probably finished it off. 

Also, I've learned that in the case of a new AGM battery where re coding is necessary, the car's ECU doesn't actually do anything with that new information other than to reset the battery's charging profile. It doesn't cross reference that information with anything for example. You could just change a few digits of the existing code to effect the reset. 

[Eric Robson]

Skoda guarantee a new  battery for 3 years providing the mileage is between 18,000 and 60,000. I was under 18,000 but as the car had been stored for 5 months before I bought it they covered me. I would have done many more miles but my son moved back with me, so a round trip of 800mls. 4 times a year at least and the awful weather we have had for last year and this year so far has kept the mileage low. My last car a Mercedes B class 2ltr done 90,000 mls in 10 years before the battery died. 

[Cuban8]

https://www.tayna.co.uk/tutorials/change-car-battery-without-losing-radio-code

 

Other radio/system setting backup devices are available that plug into the car's OBD port.

[J D 8 - Moderator]

          Another way of keeping a low use car, boat, tractor battery topped up is a solar trickle charger.

          Can be clipped direct to batt or fed in via power socket.

[Engine Doctor]

4 hours ago, Dai Fledermaus said:

I should have added that in hindsight, the signs of a possible battery failure were there. The stop start system had developed a mind of its own in that sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Winter driving with the lights and wipers and heated rear screen probably finished it off. 

Also, I've learned that in the case of a new AGM battery where re coding is necessary, the car's ECU doesn't actually do anything with that new information other than to reset the battery's charging profile. It doesn't cross reference that information with anything for example. You could just change a few digits of the existing code to effect the reset. 

Dependingon what car you have the ECU usually doesnt regulate the charging. Its the BCM (Battery Control Module) that  needs resetting . Some cars can be reset by pressing certain buttons but other need a OBD reset tool often combined within a code reader. Not a lot of money these days and after a couple of uses for code reading etc they pay for themselves as garages often charge an hours labour to plug it in and read any codes. The engine light or mill light is often refered to as an idiot lighf by some mechanics. Halfords charge £27 for fit and reset i believe ! 

[Geoff S]

8 hours ago, PeterF said:

I am guessing you mean Tayna batteries and auto correct has changed it. They have a very good reputation.

 

I used them for a new battery for our campervan, which was also used infrequently.  Excellent and quick service.

[JOHN MOSLEY 2]

Yes modern cars that have BMS system can be a problem, the engineers decided to save load on the engine from the Alternator they would reduce the charge on a new battery. But as the battery ages it would ramp up depending a complex set of condition. But if a new battery is fitted and you do not reset the BMS system it can overcharge a new battery, because it does not know you have fitted a new battery. Some of the German cars

have coding on new batteries and the BMS/ ECU must be told the necessary parameter. Bottom line on some cars fitting a new battery and not have the car coded to suit can damage the new battery.

 

Edited April 19 by JOHN MOSLEY 2

[john davidson 1]

My 2017 Xtrail refused to start a few weeks ago, changed the battery ( £150) , no issues, stop start began working much more so this could be used as an indicator  of battery health if only you knew? Mind you my old much lamented SAAB had a voltmeter which left no doubt.

[Geoff S]

2 hours ago, JOHN MOSLEY 2 said:

Yes modern cars that have BMS system can be a problem, the engineers decided to save load on the engine from the Alternator they would reduce the charge on a new battery. But as the battery ages it would ramp up depending a complex set of condition. But if a new battery is fitted and you do not reset the BMS system it can overcharge a new battery, because it does not know you have fitted a new battery. Some of the German cars

have coding on new batteries and the BMS/ ECU must be told the necessary parameter. Bottom line on some cars fitting a new battery and not have the car coded to suit can damage the new battery.

 

 

... and some people used to find the electro-mechanical voltage regulator/cut-out combination used on old dynamo equipped motor cycles complicated!  I got quite expert on them from necessity as they needed adjustment with the extra lights needed when a sidecar was attached.  The early alternator-equipped bikes were known for boiling (and destroying) batteries as the only regulation was a big zener diode to limit the voltage.  At least the dynamo bikes usually had a magneto for ignition, so, provided it was daylight, you got home OK even if the battery was flat.  I once spent a night in my tiny open sidecar waiting for daylight 🙂

 

Life gets simpler by getting more complicated, it seems.  I wouldn't know where to start fixing my car now.