2009 Jetta TDI Battery Failure

NY.TDI.Fan · Aug 3, 2010

We went to take our 2009 Jetta TDI out today and discovered the car to be completely dead. Turning the ignition key produces no dash lights, just dead silence. We put the battery on a computerized charger and it will not take any charge whatsoever. The charger reports that the battery has failed.

Is anyone aware of early failure problems with the batteries in the 2009 Jetta TDIs? Should the dealer let us bring in the battery for testing? Should they replace it under warranty? We have had the car less than two years and have about 27,000 miles on it.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

D-Cell_Mekanick · Aug 3, 2010

I would call and find out how long they warranty the battery before I did anything. If it's still covered call roadside assistance and have it towed in. If the battery isn't covered, go buy a new one and replace it yourself.

NY.TDI.Fan · Aug 4, 2010

2009 TDI USA Warranty - Battery

From our 2009 USA Warranty booklet:

"Original equipment batteries are covered 100% parts and labor for 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first, for defects in material or workmanship."

Unfortunately, we have over 27,000 miles on ours, so we're on our own.

hid3 · Aug 4, 2010

for materials or workmanship.

Did your battery crack? Any other material or installation defects? Unfortunately, even if the miles were not due, it wasn't covered, I think.

dzcad90 · Aug 4, 2010

Sometimes batteries fail prematurely. It happens. It shoul not be hard to find one that fits the TDI.

Maybe you can get your dealer to good will it, but it's probably easier and potentially cheaper to just buy one once you figure in the hassle of getting your car into the dealership and going through that process (especially when there's a good chance to be told "No")

D-Cell_Mekanick · Aug 4, 2010

They may prorate the battery depending on the battery manufactures warranty, which should be more than 24 months. It's worth a shot, take the battery into the service/parts department and try at least.

NY.TDI.Fan · Aug 4, 2010

The End of the Story

Our dealer agreed that most VW batteries lasted 4-7 years and that the failure of our battery was very premature. They still offered no help as we were 3,500 miles past the new and reduced 24,000 mile warranty for the battery. Under the old 36,000 mile warranty, our battery would have been replaced at no cost.

At the dealer's suggestion, we called VWOA and they also offered no help for the same reason as the dealer. This seems to be the first model year that VW had reduced the battery warranty from 3/36 to 2/24; perhaps because the new batteries are not as good? Why else would they reduce the warranty on such a critical part?

We bought an exact fit replacement battery from our local NAPA store for about $105 including tax and after their AAA discount. After installing the new battery the car runs perfectly.

aja8888 · Aug 4, 2010

Curious, but what brand was the OE VW battery?

NY.TDI.Fan · Aug 4, 2010

I'm sorry to say that I did not notice the brand of the OE battery that failed. One difference that was noted at the NAPA store was that the OE battery was 640 CCA and the new NAPA battery is 700 CCA and 875 CA. Hopefully that will be a help if the winters happen to be unusually cold.

D-Cell_Mekanick · Aug 4, 2010

I'm surprised they didn't atleast give you a battery at a prorated cost. The new batts must really suck. Sorry to hear you had to front the whole cost yourself. But I'm glad your up and runnin again!

GTIDan · Aug 4, 2010

I'm surprised you paid so much.............several stores out here in So. California would beat that price by 20/30 percent. But than living in New York your used to getting hosed. Most expensive place in the US I've ever been.

But glad to hear your up and running again and I sincerely hope the new battery gives you years of service.

ZiggyTheHamster · Aug 5, 2010

Same exact thing happened to me. The new batteries are garbage, I'm guessing.

Battery from NAPA fit perfectly and is running great.

T_D_I_POWER · Aug 5, 2010

NY.TDI.Fan said:
....the OE battery was 640 CCA and the new NAPA battery is 700 CCA and 875 CA. Hopefully that will be a help if the winters happen to be unusually cold.

Glad to hear another TDIer went with an OEM SAE battery. Size for size when compare OE DIN to OEM SAE batteries, in general OE batteries are weak and mediocre. The extra 60 Amps it should help you in NY sub-freezing cold weather temp.

FowVay · Aug 5, 2010

So what is the number from the NAPA battery for those of us who may need one after this freakin' heatwave of a summer we're having?

ruking · Aug 5, 2010

NY.TDI.Fan said:
We went to take our 2009 Jetta TDI out today and discovered the car to be completely dead. Turning the ignition key produces no dash lights, just dead silence. We put the battery on a computerized charger and it will not take any charge whatsoever. The charger reports that the battery has failed.

Is anyone aware of early failure problems with the batteries in the 2009 Jetta TDIs? Should the dealer let us bring in the battery for testing? Should they replace it under warranty? We have had the car less than two years and have about 27,000 miles on it.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

Sorry to hear about the bad news. The good news is my 03 TDI oem provided battery warranty WAS 12 mo/and or 12,000 miles, so it is up 2x from the old platform.

(like this is some consolation). The Mk IV platform battery on mine lasts app 3 years 30-36 mo. I have had two replacements, 1 oem. I got a good prorate on the current oem battery.

I'm am guessing the 09 TDI either has greater 24/7 current draw, and/ or you might use it in ways that the battery drains even more and never really gets back past 80%. This obviously keeps the battery in a sub par charge position and it just degenerates from there. VW charging systems were not designed to return the battery to the so called 100% charged position. In fact if my trickle charger indicator lights are any indication, the VW charging system doesn't even return it to 80% charged.

MayorDJQ · Aug 5, 2010

I just went and looked at my battery. It's an Enertec, p/n 000 915 105AF. 72ah 380A. On 1stvwparts.com it lists at $166.97 and retails for $140.21.

I'm assuming it's an OEM battery as it was installed at a dealership in Sept of '09.

T_D_I_POWER · Aug 5, 2010

FowVay said:
So what is the number from the NAPA battery for those of us who may need one after this freakin' heatwave of a summer we're having?

I won't answer your Q to him, but this s/b an alternative to the OE DIN battery at wally world

OEM Battery
Make: Energizer
Model P/N:108-94R
Ah capacity: N/A
CA: 956 A
CCA:765 A
Manufacturer: JCI
Battery Std. Spec: BCI & SAE
OE Equivalent P/N: 1JO 000-915-105-AG

VS

OE Battery Genuine Part
Make: VW
Model P/N: 1JO 000-915-105-AG
Ah Capacity: 80
CA: N/D -Not Disclosed- by mfr. Approx. 475 A DIN 800 A EN/SAE (calculated)
CCA: 380A DIN, 640 A EN/SAE
Manufacturer: Bosch (?), Varta(?), moLL (?) who knows
Battery Std. Spec.: DIN, EN
OEM Equivalent P/N: 94R

Picture provided by koyaajerms

Windjammer · Aug 5, 2010

t_d_i_power said:
1st to use mobil 1 esp formula m 5w-40 in the club http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.p...56&postcount=9
1st to prefill ofh/ofi instl w/ oil in the club http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.p...02&postcount=5
1st to prefil ff w/ diesel fuel in the club http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.p...4&postcount=14

The first to fill a fuel filter with fuel?

ROFLMAO You are a piece of work.

MayorDJQ · Aug 5, 2010

Windjammer said:
The first to fill a fuel filter with fuel? ROFLMAO You are a piece of work.

I never caught that before, that's pretty funny!

I prefilled the fuel filter of my '01 back in '01 the first time I changed the filter. I also poured some oil in the oil filter housing of the same '01 back in '01. Guess I should have taken pictures of myself in the act.

FowVay · Aug 6, 2010

Thanks TDI Power for the pictures. However, my '09 model doesn't use a BCI size 94R. It's more like a size 48 from the Beetle. This is a good thing because I already have two of those reverse post BCI 48 batteries from NAPA sitting on my shelf on trickle charge.

Thanks again though!

T_D_I_POWER · Aug 6, 2010

FowVay said:
Thanks TDI Power for the pictures. However, my '09 model doesn't use a BCI size 94R. It's more like a size 48 from the Beetle. This is a good thing because I already have two of those reverse post BCI 48 batteries from NAPA sitting on my shelf on trickle charge.

Thanks again though!

Your welcome. The GS 49R is an up-grade bettery - mine takes the GS 48 also - from the stock size. I don't know for sure if GS 49R will fit w/i the 09/10 battery compartment. I don't believe 09/10 the battery compartment have changed completely from the 05/06. However there's somebody in the forum who installed the gs 49R in the 05/06 Jetta - I forget the screen name. There's the more powerful 108-H6 that might fit under the 05/06-09/10 hood.

T_D_I_POWER · Aug 6, 2010

MayorDJQ said:
.... Guess I should have taken pictures of myself in the act.

Loser weepers

I've been doing this ritual since my 1st car in HS, a '74 Volvo 244GL, both oil and fuel filters. Then College a 1978 Audi Fox, 1st Diesel car was a 1980 Rabbit GL Diesel.

Windjammer said:
The first to fill a fuel filter with fuel?

Sore loser

Everyone else use the Mighty Vac methods

MacBuckeye · Aug 6, 2010

There are a lot of variables to "battery life" as people with the same car & same battery use the power/electricity differently. My experience is some batteries seem to last forever, some just crap out early and usually at the most inconvenient time.
I have the same battery as MayorDJQ-
Enertec 12V 72ah 380 DIN 640A EN/SAE
Bought my car in the Fall of 2008. Pushing almost 38K miles. No issues thus far. (fingers crossed, rabbits foot, etc. etc.)

40X40 · Aug 6, 2010

T_D_I_POWER said:
Loser weepers

I've been doing this ritual since my 1st car in HS, a '74 Volvo 244GL, both oil and fuel filters. Then College a 1978 Audi Fox, 1st Diesel car was a 1980 Rabbit GL Diesel.

Sore loser

Everyone else use the Mighty Vac methods

Oh, the irony.

Bill

dzcad90 · Aug 6, 2010

T_D_I_POWER said:
Loser weepers

I've been doing this ritual since my 1st car in HS, a '74 Volvo 244GL, both oil and fuel filters. Then College a 1978 Audi Fox, 1st Diesel car was a 1980 Rabbit GL Diesel.

Sore loser

Everyone else use the Mighty Vac methods

No, not everyone else uses the mity-vac method, though technically it's the correct way to prime the fuel filter. Filling a filter with diesel then adding the filter element allows amounts of unfiltered diesel through to the injection pump. Drawing fuel in via the mity-vac allows fuel to be drawn through the filter media and only filtered fuel will be reaching your injection pump.

Oh, and BTW.. You were far from the frist. A quick search turned up that former TDIClub member Ric Woodruff was priming his fuel filter back in 1999. You aren't the first coming, and you didn't invent the wheel.

(Note: We aren't for sure, but it was possible that he was filling his filter with 2TF...

)

Claudio · Aug 6, 2010

just a little trick, if you have a dead battery that a charger is refusing to charge, put another battery in parallel with the dead one and then connect them to the charger, the charger should now see them, let them charge for 2-3 hrs then disconnect the second battery and just leave the "dead" one charging

ZiggyTheHamster · Aug 10, 2010

FowVay said:
So what is the number from the NAPA battery for those of us who may need one after this freakin' heatwave of a summer we're having?

From the post I linked, this battery works on my 2009 Jetta with a build date of 5/2009

FowVay · Aug 10, 2010

Thanks Ziggy!

nyrussell · Aug 10, 2010

Never thought to post it here. But we lost our first battery in our 2009 2 months after purchase... LOL got a tow to the dealer (took AAA half the morning to get a truck to put us on) and got a new one of course...

But still it was a bad lottery choice for us

soontbtdi · Aug 16, 2010

Our battery just died also, went out to start it and nothing. Got it towed to nearest stealer, (friday the 13th), now waiting for results. Hopefully just bad battery!!

2009 Jetta TDI, 27,000+ kms on it. 17 month old battery!! JUNK

2009 Jetta TDI Battery Failure

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