Flat Battery - Warning Lights

[Hendry]

Got a flat battery on the Jetta (or at least pretty sure that's the case) awaiting the AA patrol coming out, however when I tried to start it, as well as showing symptoms of a flat battery it's keeping the airbag warning light on and a message is coming up "airbag fault" the glow plug light is flashing and it's saying "engine fault garage" and there's 3 loud bleeps and a red (!) warning light is flashing.

 

Prior to flat battery none of these warning lights were on when the engine was running, has it just thrown a hissy fit and when it's started and running they'll clear? Or is there a much bigger problem here now?

[DSdriver]

Strange stuff happens when the voltage drops.

[Bobthebeard]

The Honda Accord had a massive strop last year after it was parked up for three weeks. Battery had just about enough life to start the engine, but almost every warning light lit up, the autobox went funny and banged into Drive then wouldn't actually drive. After the battery was charged perfectly normal service was resumed.

As above. Just voltage drop causing mayhem.

[Longblackcoat]

I had everything going with the electrics on the GL - went into limp mode, turbos not boosting, central locking non-operational, panel lighting off - entirely solved with a new battery.

[Bren]

New battery - no more idiot lights.

[SiC]

Often control modules throw error codes when low voltage - often actual codes labeled as low voltage.

[Hendry]

Well as soon as battery put on a booster pack and engine started the coil light stopped flashing and went off, and no engine fault garage message, the (!) brake warning light stopped flashing and no beeps, the airbag light stayed on however and "airbag fault" still came up, also power steering warning light and traction control light, now i knew about traction control light and power steering warning light as its had a flat battery before and turning the wheel full lock either way or just driving it puts those lights off, AA guy plugged a scanner in and it said it was an open circuit on the "passenger airbag deactivation switch" but he cleared that code. there was another related to the low battery: basic jist of which is suspect needs a new battery.

 

He put this battery tester which to me looked like a multimeter but with cables with red and black clamps on it like a booster pack and this black circular thing on another cable round the battery negative cable, at first it wouldnt test until engine running, then it wasnt playing ball with engine running, eventually the battery tester came up "replace battery" and the patrol says that the battery in the car is a 540A battery, as shown on the battery tester screen, but also labelled 540A on a label on the battery, well mines is only reading 355A on the tester, also there was some volt reading above that which the maximum it showed was 9v, guy said it should be reading 50/60v normally. However, the actual battery voltage was normal, sitting around 12.5v, i said i thought it was usually about 14 and he said itd probably rise to 14 but anything above 12 is fine. He did try and sell me a new battery at £110 but wasnt pushy with it, my dad said no (car still in his name so technically his and im skint) my dads also convinced the battery tester is a con to make you think you need a new one, my dad says its just went flat because i left the interior light on and that its been fine since then, save for a couple of times back in August where it came back after sitting for weeks at a diesel specialist not getting run and sat outside the house for a few days after that and the battery was discharged, i tried explaining its just going to get worse and eventually totally fail, and how its down nearly 200A on what it should be etc. but his outlook is if the car starts theres nothing wrong and also if its failing id be as well to just wait till it does fail completely before we fork out, he hasnt considered the point that when it does it might strand me again, and the AA wont come out twice for the same fault, also its the original factory fit battery and hes had taxi aerials and meters and radios running directly off it etc. for years so its had a lot of strain. 

[SiC]

Wow. That was one really long sentence...

 

You can't leave interior lights on modern cars (especially VAG), they shut them off if left on after so long. Usually around 20 minutes. It may also shut them off when you lock the car too.

[Richard]

Personally I'd take advantage of ECP's 30% discount weekend and pick up a new Bosch S5 battery, which will cost nearly what the AA one would have but be much better. That's what I did last week, life is too short to piss about with dodgy batteries.

[Longblackcoat]

Car batteries last well - if you've had five or six years out of it, that's fair enough. And honestly, £100 (or less) is less than two tanks of fuel.

 

My last one died after being in -20C in the Alps for a week. it was failing before that, but that finished it off. Once they're going, you're playing Russian roulette on when it finally flops over, with a zillion flashing lights and false codes on the way. You're going to have to change it, so might as well save the hassle and do it now.

[overrun]

My (original) batteries seem to last for at least a decade. Those and exhausts are made really well these days imo.

[Guest Hooli]

Batteries like the rest of the car/bike seem to like to be used.

 

People are always saying bikes need a new battery every year. I got 7 years & 100k out of the one on my 14.

[DodgeRover]

Our record was 20 years from a Varta, it's now in use as a boost pack as it's still plenty good enough for that

[Dirk Diggler]

Bosch guarantee car batterys here for 3 years; but only for 1 with taxi use

 

With good reason

[Hendry]

ive gone with an exide one from ECP, £59 with their 30% discount, was £100 down to £85, before the discount, but i tried local motor factor first as i like supporting local businesses, guy said their computer was saying as it was a 2 litre diesel it needs a heavy duty one at £90, i said the original was 61Ah rated with 540cca, he said he could sell me one of them but would advise against it, and that the original was probably whatever VW had lying around the production line which i highly doubt. anyway their one rated the same as the factory spec one was £70.58 so ECP one, cant really go wrong with a battery, not like with brake pads etc where you could easily end up with the wrong one.

[beko1987]

My puma did a dial sweep when trying to start it with the battery too low. Because either the battery or alternator or both were fucked, if u didn't drive it for more than 3 days it needed a jump. Amy started to leave for work after it had started, as otherwise I needed the meriva!

 

If that helps...