2013 Volkswagen Jetta tdi need Battery

[snow_guy1]

Should I spring for OEM or something at Autozone or OReilleys? Im in the northern part of US. Im getting 14v when engine running, 12.1v when its not.

 

[oilhammer]

Your local dealer. They have good batteries at a reasonable price. That's what we use here, and what all of my cars have in them.

 

[snow_guy1]

Will the dealership swap it out for me if I just drop in? Will they take the old battery? Want to avoid several trips.

 

[snow_guy1]

I threw the OEM battery on the charger and it checked the battey and turned off, battery was full charge according to the charger. Measured 12.4v on my VOM. The yellow indicator on the battery is not displayed. Perhaps battery still good? Looks brand new. Only have 22k on this '13. Wife said it would not start one afternoon, made some noise starting up. Wasnt terribly cold. Eventually it fired after a few attempts.

 

[akjdouglass]

Sounds like intercooler icing to me.
Causes a no-start in warm (above freezing) temperatures after driving in freezing temps. Continued starting attempts can damage your engine.

 

[snow_guy1]

Sounds like intercooler icing to me.
Causes a no-start in warm (above freezing) temperatures after driving in freezing temps. Continued starting attempts can damage your engine.

Interesting, is this something that would throw an error code I could retrieve?

 

[oilhammer]

Not unless the MIL is on... if the engine bent a rod, you are kind of past OBD at that point anyway.

There is a TSB about this. An improved cold weather intercooler kit is available. It helps, but may not eliminate it, and post Dieselgate cars use even more low pressure EGR, which is what causes it in the first place. \

Of course, you can fix it permanently, and it cannot ever do that again, ever, 100% guaranteed.

 

[snow_guy1]

Since then the car drives fine, I doubt I have a bent rod. It gets stored in garage at night. I will take the car into VW for service and inquire abt the cold weather intercooler kit. thank you for pointing that out.

 

[oilhammer]

For more info, search for a thread here authored by user "Granite Rooster", as this has been brought up here many times before for the last decade.

 

[snow_guy1]

Thanks oilhammer I understand the potential problem. Its going into the dealership on Wed. ill post up what they find out.

 

[dhuddleson]

We have a 2012 and have experiened this strange start phenomenon about once each late fall. Car sits outdoors overngiht at temperatures hovering around freezing, and it is almost like a hydrolock symptom. Almost cannot turn over... but a second attempt then starts to crank near normal and it starts. I am assuming this is also the intercooler icing problem described. Oil change service is due so I am going to ask my garage to pull an intercooler pipe connection to inspect for any remaining wet/standing water conditions.

 

[snow_guy1]

We have a 2012 and have experiened this strange start phenomenon about once each late fall. Car sits outdoors overngiht at temperatures hovering around freezing, and it is almost like a hydrolock symptom. Almost cannot turn over... but a second attempt then starts to crank near normal and it starts. I am assuming this is also the intercooler icing problem described. Oil change service is due so I am going to ask my garage to pull an intercooler pipe connection to inspect for any remaining wet/standing water conditions.

Appreciate the reinforcement, odd issue it is. Our 2013 is going in to the dealership on Wed. & will post what they find out.

 

[06bluebeetletdi]

Oilhammer, do you mean improved over the original version of the car or a second version of the cold weather kit? Mine had the cold weather kit installed in 2017 and iced the intercooler again in January 2020. I now have a winter front on it and drain the intercooler hose every 5,000 miles after draining 2 cups of water in January.

 

[oilhammer]

Read post #7 again...

It is the same kit as always, it just may not be as effective as it once was post Dieselgate.

 

[06bluebeetletdi]

Understood, here’s the numbers for mine: Purchased 10/4 at 9700 miles, first icing 1/17 at 53k (intercooler cold weather installed) fix 8/17 at 61k, second icing 1/20 at 89k.

 

[oilhammer]

The other thing people have done with some success is to take off the cap on the underhood cold air intake duct, the one right up top, to force warmer air be drawn into the engine. Sort of a "winter" setting. The other is to cap off the grill with either a winter front (ideal) or the low-tech version, strips of pipe insulation in each slat.

From my experience, the people/cars it happens to, it happens with some frequency. And then others it never ever happens to. In the end I really have to suspect it has a lot to do with how it gets driven. Because if it gets driven with some "spirit", there really cannot ever be much accumulation of moisture in the charge air tract. The gale force wind blasting through there when you foot is firmly planted to the floor and the engine is nearing 5k RPMs will absolutely push it all out.

 

[06bluebeetletdi]

233CB741-B23D-4ACA-9916-61991FC70D75.jpeg

• 06bluebeetletdi
• Nov 17, 2020

Winter front is my style. I have a few coworkers with gen 1 TDIs, they must drive with more spirit than I do. I have a winter front on the bottom grill of the passat, I’m enjoying a nice increase in fuel economy (2-3 mpg )

 

[snow_guy1]

Dealership found water in a pipe on passenger side. Intercooler cold weather installed. Two other vehicles had same kit installed day before.
Replaced recalled shifter switch. Lets see how she handles the cold now.

 

[oldsoul]

My 2 cents:
I have a 2013 with a vw battery (2 years old). Any time the mercury drops below -30, battery is done. Just last month dropped to 40 below, had to hook up two extra batteries to get my car started. I'm told the "glass mat" batteries are the way to go for these extremes. I'll be going that way before fall. I NEED MY CAR TO START. No matter the temp.