Another dead battery

[shark_90]

Yes it's bound to be the alarm/central locking that's doing it on mine. Not measured the current draw but to be honest it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference if I did as I won't be able to find it anyway, not in this weather!!

I charged my booster pack last night to enable me to at least move the car, then I'll run the car on the battery and see if the alternator can give it a kick start, enough to allow it to charge maybe. Then I'll disconnect the battery.... or take Mark up on his offer!!

I've also seen a Hella master switch jobbie in the back of Audi Driver, might buy one of those but for £15 I think I can just disconnect the battery!!

[Rusty]

Fit a motorsport style battery cutoff, it'll look cool too

[Bram]

EXIDE Maxxima 900 DC Auto Battery

Anyone have experience with this gel-type battery (http://www.leab.de/english/exidebatt...y/index.html)? I can buy one for 159 Euro (+30 Euro shipping) on Ebay.de and it looks like a good price.

The specs are as follows (sorry they are in German):

Technische Daten EXIDE MAXXIMA

Typ
MAX 900 DC

Abmessungen (LxBxH/mm)
260 x 173 x 206

Verschlossene Batterie
ja

Gewicht/kg
17

Ausführung
4-Pol mit integr. Tragegriff

Kaltstart A (EN)
900

Kapazität (20h)/Ah
50

Ladestrom/A bei 0o C,14,4 V
55

Ladestrom/A bei 25o C,14,4 V
>100

Startzyklen nach SAE J240 bei 40o C (soll >4300)
8600

Startzyklen nach SAE J240 bei 75o C (soll >2150)
3870

Zyklentest nach DIN-EN 60 095-1
>160

Rüttelfestigkeit nach DIN-EN 60 095-1
20h 6g


Now I probably would need a special battery charger for this gell battery, with the following requirements:

Externes Laden der MAXXIMA-Batterien

Zu verwenden sind ausschließlich Geräte mit den Kennlinien IU oder IU1U2 und folgenden Eckdaten:

I-Phase mit Stromstärken zwischen 10 und 30 A/100 Ah.
U-Phase bzw. U1-Phase (Hauptladephase) mit konstanter Spannung zwischen 14,1 und 14,4 V.
U2-Phase (Ladeerhaltung) mit konstanter Spannung von 13,8 V.
Ladezeiten: Phase IU bzw. IU1 mind. 12 Std., Umschaltpunkt für U2-Phase nach 12-16 Std.

Can you recommend one, because I have no idea what these terms mean.

[sheppardnias]

This is almost certainly irrelavent but never mind...

Do the problem cars sit for longer and still run if the battery has just come off a mains charger?

I've battled with the battery going flat in my URS6 for a year. Done all the drain tests etc and found a few gremlins but nothing major.

Used to be that with nothing on (lights etc) that the voltmeter inside would show 14V but dropped under load. At the battery the couple of times I checked it seemd up at 14V though. Alternator was new, battery new and huge (looked more at home in a tractor). I cleaned earth points all over assumed there was a bad one somewhere but that I was too dumb to find it.

After 3 days the car would never start and even when just run turned slower than I expected but not crazy slow.

The other month I went to it and it was dead leaving me stranded at work. Touched the battery terminals and it came back to life. I fiddled with it cleaning terminals etc but no change. Turned out the original Audi battery clamps on the positive feed and supply from the battery had corrosion within the crimped area. Discovered it by spraying electrical contact cleaner inside the crimp and watching the charge voltage rise.

Cut the clamps off and replaced them, the car is a different beast. Can be left for 2- 3 weeks with no problem and spins much much faster on the starter. Under any amount of load the voltmeter barely flickers. I guess the corrosion was increasing resistance to such a level that the battery barely got any charge.

Might be worth just checking....

[johne]

[QUOTE=bram;383882]Anyone have experience with this gel-type battery (http://www.leab.de/english/exidebatt...y/index.html)? I can buy one for 159 Euro (+30 Euro shipping) on Ebay.de and it looks like a good price.

The specs are as follows (sorry they are in German):

Technische Daten EXIDE MAXXIMA

Typ
MAX 900 DC

Abmessungen (LxBxH/mm)
260 x 173 x 206

Verschlossene Batterie
ja

Gewicht/kg
17

Ausführung
4-Pol mit integr. Tragegriff

Kaltstart A (EN)
900

Kapazität (20h)/Ah
50

Ladestrom/A bei 0o C,14,4 V
55

Ladestrom/A bei 25o C,14,4 V
>100

Startzyklen nach SAE J240 bei 40o C (soll >4300)
8600

Startzyklen nach SAE J240 bei 75o C (soll >2150)
3870

Zyklentest nach DIN-EN 60 095-1
>160

Rüttelfestigkeit nach DIN-EN 60 095-1
20h 6g

I can't see what advantage you'll get from a gell battery unless you roll the car

Given it costs twice the price of a good Bosch Silver standard battery, I'd save your money for something else on the car!

John

[johne]

This is almost certainly irrelavent but never mind...

Do the problem cars sit for longer and still run if the battery has just come off a mains charger?

I've battled with the battery going flat in my URS6 for a year. Done all the drain tests etc and found a few gremlins but nothing major.

Used to be that with nothing on (lights etc) that the voltmeter inside would show 14V but dropped under load. At the battery the couple of times I checked it seemd up at 14V though. Alternator was new, battery new and huge (looked more at home in a tractor). I cleaned earth points all over assumed there was a bad one somewhere but that I was too dumb to find it.

After 3 days the car would never start and even when just run turned slower than I expected but not crazy slow.

The other month I went to it and it was dead leaving me stranded at work. Touched the battery terminals and it came back to life. I fiddled with it cleaning terminals etc but no change. Turned out the original Audi battery clamps on the positive feed and supply from the battery had corrosion within the crimped area. Discovered it by spraying electrical contact cleaner inside the crimp and watching the charge voltage rise.

Cut the clamps off and replaced them, the car is a different beast. Can be left for 2- 3 weeks with no problem and spins much much faster on the starter. Under any amount of load the voltmeter barely flickers. I guess the corrosion was increasing resistance to such a level that the battery barely got any charge.

Might be worth just checking....

If you've got starting problems it's always worth checking the voltage drop between the battery terminal and the starter motor. I accept this is easier said than done and you'll need a good voltmeter with long leads + an assistant. One lead needs to go to the centre on the lead battery terminal +ve, ie direct onto the battery. The other lead needs to go the the big terminal on the end of the starter motor. Crank the engine. If you see more than 1 volt on the voltmeter start looking for corroded connections. Do the same for the -ve side. Go from the centre of the lead post -ve on the battery to a good earth connection on the engine, eg the earth stud on the inlet manifold. Again crank the engine and see how much voltage drop you get. The less the better.

John

[sheppardnias]

If the engine turned, it started. But within a week the battery was so flat that the interior light barely lit. I had no reason to think that the battery was just not getting charge. In hindsight I could kick myself for not thinking of original leads being faulty. I just thought that it had to be something else. The time I wasted on this made me feel so bloomin stupid.....

Still you live and learn!

[Bram]

If you've got starting problems it's always worth checking the voltage drop between the battery terminal and the starter motor. I accept this is easier said than done and you'll need a good voltmeter with long leads + an assistant. One lead needs to go to the centre on the lead battery terminal +ve, ie direct onto the battery. The other lead needs to go the the big terminal on the end of the starter motor. Crank the engine. If you see more than 1 volt on the voltmeter start looking for corroded connections. Do the same for the -ve side. Go from the centre of the lead post -ve on the battery to a good earth connection on the engine, eg the earth stud on the inlet manifold. Again crank the engine and see how much voltage drop you get. The less the better.

John

Hi John,

Thanks for the tip, however i am 99% sure my batery is dead, since the Avant has been standing still for 4 months and before that time the 30 Euro battery already gave me some starting issues on short rides.

[Henkjan]

had a dead battery problem for some time now.. decided today to at least find the cause.. so I went to the car armed with my amp meter. and with everything off it drew 0.7A dropping to 0.4A after the CD changer was ready with reading CDs.. so started to pull out the fuses, and #4 out showed a drop to 0.05A.. long story short: it was the light in the bootcompartment that was lit all the time took the bulb out, just hope that the battery has not died after being drained completely empty

on the subject of gell accus: they are much better suited for cars that are not used frequently, normal lead/acid can die if drained, gell accus apparently are less prone to this

[Bram]

I just bought a 85 Euro battery from Brezan with 2 year warranty and 75A. It's originally some Japanese brand who make also batteries for other brands I believe. I learned from my friend Nero that a battery is only used for starting the Avant. Better spend the money on engine components is what he says. I have to agree with him

[Henkjan]

as long as it's good enough to start... you'll look prety silly with those expensive parts doing nothing