Winter Time Battery Maintenance

volmaniac · Dec 18, 2014

I believe the VW warranty is 12 months free replacement and prorated for the next 24 months (unless it has changed in the last 3 years).

My VW 94R battery from 2008 has removable caps and I usually have to add between 16 to 32 ounces of DI water once or twice a year. I would check for removable caps, but if you see the "eye" you probably DO have removable caps/serviceable battery.

SFHGolfTDI · Dec 18, 2014

volmaniac said:
I believe the VW warranty is 12 months free replacement and prorated for the next 24 months (unless it has changed in the last 3 years).

My VW 94R battery from 2008 has removable caps and I usually have to add between 16 to 32 ounces of DI water once or twice a year. I would check for removable caps, but if you see the "eye" you probably DO have removable caps/serviceable battery.

Thanks. I think the warranty isn't worth waiting around for. I'll check it out and top it off if possible and charge it when I get the chance.

993er · Dec 18, 2014

volmaniac said:
My VW 94R battery from 2008 has removable caps and I usually have to add between 16 to 32 ounces of DI water once or twice a year.

If you are having to add that much water once or twice a year, your battery is gassing due to it being defective or your voltage regulator output is too high.

My electrolyte levels might be down 1/4" per cell after two years.

993er · Dec 18, 2014

SFHGolfTDI said:
I bought an OE VW battery last year. I haven't had a chance to look yet, but have they still been making them serviceable with the removable caps to add water (after removing the sticker)?

I'll be peeling my label off next spring to check, but it appears so.

This the battery in my 2013 Jetta...

SFHGolfTDI said:
Also, what is VW's warranty on batteries and is it worth waiting to remove the sticker if you are still within warranty?

I asked that same question in a thread I stated a few months ago. I can't remember the answer but I am not going to worry about the warranty on my battery. I get many times the warranty period out of mine so I'll bank on my past experiences maintaining it myself.

sps · Dec 19, 2014

the varta batteries such as the one in your picture last a long time.
i know that on the 2004 model ones ,you culd peel off the sticker,open the caps to the cells and top up with distilled water if necessary.
but on later cars it may be a sealed battery but you could check if yours is sealed or of the serviceable type by removing the sticker just up the the first cell.Peeling the sticker just up the + sign of the battery will give you an idea if you an top up or not.

mittzlepick · Dec 19, 2014

i got something like 8 years from a red top, good unit. the new ones fir better having a cleat on the bottom like it should.

kiwibru · Dec 19, 2014

Like sps said, the Varta is a good battery if you maintain it. I just lost my 2000 Golf OEM Varta but that means more than 14 years use! Amazing. I have a red-top Optima in another platform that is already getting weak after 7 years and same maintenance (except no cells to top off). I will go Varta again in a heartbeat.

SFHGolfTDI · Dec 19, 2014

993er said:
I'll be peeling my label off next spring to check, but it appears so.

This the battery in my 2013 Jetta...

I asked that same question in a thread I stated a few months ago. I can't remember the answer but I am not going to worry about the warranty on my battery. I get many times the warranty period out of mine so I'll bank on my past experiences maintaining it myself.

Yup, looks just like mine. I'm going to check it out tomorrow and top of.

kiwibru said:
Like sps said, the Varta is a good battery if you maintain it. I just lost my 2000 Golf OEM Varta but that means more than 14 years use! Amazing. I have a red-top Optima in another platform that is already getting weak after 7 years and same maintenance (except no cells to top off). I will go Varta again in a heartbeat.

Amazing. That is the longest I've heard on original battery. Congrats.

SFHGolfTDI · Dec 20, 2014

So I went in to do add water and found that all the levels were the same about an inch or a little more under the top:

It might be a little hard to see in the pics, but there was no mark to indicate except there was a little plastic lip in there at about the same level as the water. I found the acid level window kind of useless. It says black is good and clear is replace, but how you could see the difference on a black cover I have no idea.

Voltage was about 12.5 after sitting overnight. I didn't add any water since I couldn't really tell if any was needed and they were all at the same level near the top. Anyone know where the level should be on these newer black batteries?

kiwibru · Dec 20, 2014

Liquid should be up to the protruding lip seen inside the hole. Hard to tell from your pix but it looks like they are a bit low and not up to the lip seen part-way down the access hole.

volmaniac · Dec 21, 2014

NarfBlast posted this info on battery level:

NarfBLAST said:
Here is a battery I bought from VW a few years ago, it has actual marks for the fluid and the case is translucent so you can see the fluid level in these pictures. This battery has obviously been abused and poorly maintained, and may be too far gone to hold a charge again. It was in 2001 Golf that has been in storage for over a year.

I used a black marker to highlight the marks:

I did have to remove stickers to find the fill caps. Also, someone was asking "what are split rings" I guess those are the black half moon things you see down the fill holes?

Before filling I could see plates and acid and white plastic down the holes. After filling I could see nothing but the black fill tubes and water touching the half moon things at the bottom of the fill tubes. So I guess you could say "fill to the bottom of the fill tubes"? I forgot to take a picture before filling and my after picture just shows a black hole so all I can say is, "You will know what I mean when you see it."

thread link: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=69491&highlight=battery

SFHGolfTDI · Dec 21, 2014

Thanks volmaniac. I did actually find that same post a little after posting here. I guess my battery is doing fine after 1 year 5 months. I think the split rings are at the upper line level.

volmaniac · Dec 21, 2014

The distance between the min and max lines is about 1/2".... for a 12" x 6" battery (my 6 year old "defective" battery measurements) that is 36 cu inches, or about 20 ounces.

TDISD · Dec 21, 2014

Factory battery was in my 04 until last year. Thought I would replace it, Biggest regret I have had to date!! Will buy OEM when I can justify it .

Stinkyfingers · Oct 22, 2017

Bump for the coming winter!

Winter Time Battery Maintenance

volmaniac

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SFHGolfTDI

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993er

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993er

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sps

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mittzlepick

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kiwibru

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SFHGolfTDI

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kiwibru

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volmaniac

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volmaniac

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