How long does the battery last?

I'm wondering if my battery might have become weak and that is what's causing my hard starting problem. My car is coming up on it's 2-year birthday. How long does the OEM battery last???

I purchased my Jetta TDI in July 2000 and it is still running on the OEM original battery.

I am at 5 years and 150k, and just now thinking since winter is coming it will be time. But still turns over fine. Just getting a little slower in the mornings

Hmm, I figured 2 years was way too soon for a battery to
wear out.

Guess I need to look elsewhere to fix my hard starts.

Thanks for the replies.

Factory VW battery needs topping up with distilled water, mine was half-empty after just 1 year before I learned about this fact.

I switched to Exide Ultra. Double CCA, maintenance-free, no electrolyte spitting and corroding my car as with the original one, and it starts before the engine is turned over even once.

Just replaced mine yesterday. Lasted over 4 years. Not that bad I guess.

Don't know yet. Still have the OE in my 2001.

Rougher starting could be a timing problem. If you have someone with Vag-Com in the area they can check your injection timing.

I bought my Golf TDI in Feb 2000 and it's still on its original battery in relatively cold Michigan. I'm going to preemptively replace it soon, though, just to be safe.

Mine has survived since December 1999.......almost 5 years!

The original battery in my 2000 Jetta is 5+ years old and doing just fine -- although I only have 55K miles on it. It's been my experience that 5 years is about the maximum lifespan (at leaset with my previous gassers). I plan to replace it soon -- knowing it will likely fail at a very inconvenient time.

Hmm, I figured 2 years was way too soon for a battery to
wear out.

Guess I need to look elsewhere to fix my hard starts.

Thanks for the replies.

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Check the grounds under your battery for corrosion. You should also check where the ground wire is attached to the engine block.

I replaced my battery this fall since it was 4 years old. It didn't really fix any of my electrical problems though. Repairing all of the ground corrosion did.

You could also have some damaged glowplugs.

alex

Their is no hard fast rule on battery life. I have seen them last for years and I have seen them go bad in a few months.

Greg

My OEM battery lasted 4 years.

I bought one of those $3 hydrometers and checked it. If I lived in a warmer climate I'd have kept it another year.

Have someone with a VAG-Com check your timing. Your's may need to be advanced slightly.

Mine lasted 4 years, never maintained it expcept to clean the terminals.

99 NB I had the first replaced by VW after 2 years (they paid) and then replaced the second after 3 more.......not good

I had to leave my car in the driveway Thanksgiving night
because my side of the garage was taken up by the turkey
deep fryer.

Anyway, it dropped into the 20's overnite and the next
morning the starter was definitely turning slower than
usual. The car started, but it took almost 10 seconds
of cranking.


I have an Optima R34 on order.

The original battery in my 2002 Jetta TDI wagon lasted 3 years, 70k miles.
It never got low on electrolyte, and no visible corrosion. One thing is that
I very often would keep the stereo running with the engine off ... sometimes
until it automatically turns off the accessories (is that 30 minutes?). Once
in a while we would leave on one of the map lights (or whatever you call them),
and a couple of times I accidentally left the side-mirror heater on (Doh!).
But anyway, I expected a bit more (maybe 4 years). It has gotten down into the
30 degrees in the past few days ... mine died at around Thanksgiving time. I
had about 2 days' notice once I noticed it cranking a bit weakly in the morning. Larry

still have the oem on my 2k golf.... have checked water levels, never added any.

I live in a warm climate - 4 years 2 months - died instantly of an internal short in one cell.

99 NB I had the first replaced by VW after 2 years (they paid) and then replaced the second after 3 more.......not good

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That's about how mine went, except VW did NOT pay...

No troubles now, I have an Optima Orange Top!