# VW Golf battery problems - getting desperate!



## Marrabone (Apr 8, 2010)

I have a 2005 VW Golf GTi diesel. Last April it let me down with a flat battery. I charged it once but when it happened again l changed it for a new one, an original VW one fitted by the dealer.

It then went on to fail several times, always after a week or so of non use. The VW delaer had it in for tests and said nothing wrong but they cleaned contacts etc. It continued not to start every time it had been left a while. The garage put the blame on my doing too many short journeys. When it let me down a week after l'd used it for a long journey, they took it in and did lots of tests to prove it was indeed a faulty battery and then changed it for another new one. This was just before Christmas. It failed to start again once but this was to do with needing to be re-coded. 

Last week it let me down again, it had been standing for 6 days. The AA man l called said it seemed to have a drain of 0.3 (amps?) when the engine was off but that as the engine actually took some time to shut down he could not be sure. No one has been able to find anything to cause a drain but everything points to this.

I have an emotional attachment to this car as it was my late husband's so l am inclined not to change it and also have spent about 1K on it in the last year. I thought everything except lights went off when the engine was shut down. I'd be really grateful if anyone could throw some light on this.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Does the battery invariably discharge itself after 5 or 6 days of non-use or is it only sometimes? In other words, is the problem an intermittent one?


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

Perhaps your Alternator is on the Blink ? intermittent earth ? worth getting them checked out. wire shorting out some place- may be near the work you have had done?

Hope you get it fixed soon.


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## Marrabone (Apr 8, 2010)

Peribo,
Its never let me down unless its been standing idle for a week or so, this last time though it was only 6 days.
Ramblingon, the dealer kept my car for 5 days (over a weekend) in order to run extensive tests, which they said they had to do in order to convince VW to replace the 'faulty' battery. l guess the alternator would have been tested then?


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

It could be something as simple as the light in the boot staying lit when it is closed.

I know it is a long shot but it took me weeks to find this out on a car I once had. In fact, I did not find out. Somebody suggested it.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Marrabone. my question was coming at it from the other way round, so to speak. I understand that the battery only goes flat if it has been left for 6 days or so but does it always go flat if left for that length of time? Or put another way, has it ever been left (since the problems started) for a week without the battery going flat? The best answer in a way is that it always goes flat because if that happens then I would have thought that any competent auto electrician will quite quickly find the fault. I had a car a few years ago which developed a faulty relay controlling an engine run-on fan. Trouble was it was intermittent and no-one could find out why the battery was discharging as it never did it when you wanted it to. Eventually the problem got worse which made diagnosis easier.


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## poleman (Aug 31, 2008)

Has the radio been recently changed, or is there a disc in the player? It was a common fault with the radios turning on when the car is stood, leaving a disc in the player was a cheap alternative to a replacement radio.

There was a software update available via VW Dealers during warranty periods.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

This may sound silly but are you locking the car when you leave it? I say this as I bought new Jaguar in September, left it in my garage for 6 weeks while away in Spain, battery went flat partly caused by not locking it (thought that would prevent the alarm discharging the battery)'. Apparently lot of the electrics do not shut down completely until the car is locked on this car, could this also apply to the Golf?.


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## kandsservices (Sep 5, 2010)

Hi Marrobone did the aa man check the alternator when he was there the other day,your radio will take some life out of the battery as will the clock and alarm if fitted.Kev


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## Marrabone (Apr 8, 2010)

Peribo, l see what you mean. Yes looking back over the last 9/10 months, l think it has always let me down after non use. I think it is happening after a shorter period now though, maybe due to the cold weather?
747, l have checked for lights staying on in the glove box, boot etc. but found nothing.
Poleman, there are half a dozen CD's in the player but l've never found the radio on or seen any light coming from it at night (no street lamps outside so very dark) I did have a software upgrade earlier this year, l think it may have been when the first new battery was fitted. I've not had a new radio or anything like that.
Javea, l always lock the car. One thing that springs to mind though. Once when l was talking at the door to a neighbour, we noticed my alarm, or indicator light flashed a few times. Not seen this since though. I did have to have the alarm horn changed after it went off while l was driving it, that was before this incident.
K&S, The AA report says it passed the alternator and battery test but the battery drain test shows -0.3amps.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I have a 3003 Golf GTD and was amazed at the short time it took to discharge the battery. Most two week holidays or periods away from home using the van or other car and we would come back to a battery barely able to start the VW.

I also got VW to change the battery under warranty but it still happened. I now put a battery maintainer from Lidl's connected to the Golf while away for more than a few days. Only €15 and well worth it.

I think the drain is residual and parasitic loads keeping the engine computer, alarm and radio awake.

Ray.


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## Marrabone (Apr 8, 2010)

Ray is this a mini solar panel? My daughter suggested one of these. I may try one. 

What l can't understand is that the car was fine for 4+ years until the battery needed changing. Its had the same kind of usage for the last 3 years ie. not being used for up to 2 weeks at a time.


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## chrisjrv (May 7, 2007)

Hi,
I had a Golf VR6 which did exactlly the same as yours and I spent a lot of time and money trying to sort it out. My Golf had a total closure alarm which was the cause of the problem. As you have had a new alarm horn fitted (different type?) it's possible that this is now what is happening to your car. You may either not set the alarm and see if the battery stays ok or I used to set the alarm and then disconnect the battery, when it was reconnected the alarm would go off but as I only took it out about every three weeks this wasn't a problem,
Regards,
Chris


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## wackywyco (Apr 30, 2007)

Just to add my pebble to your cairn, my wife has had this problem on her mk4 Golf. I reckon it's to do with the alarm system.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Marrabone said:


> Ray is this a mini solar panel? My daughter suggested one of these. I may try one.
> 
> What l can't understand is that the car was fine for 4+ years until the battery needed changing. Its had the same kind of usage for the last 3 years ie. not being used for up to 2 weeks at a time.


Nope Marrabone.
It's a mains plug in charger. But it's a very low charge that cuts off when the battery is full and only clicks back on when the volts in the battery drop down a little.

I am away now for three months and the Golf is being maintained with one as I type (I hope) as it would be totally flat without it.

Ray.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Have you changed the battery for a new one? Every time the battery is flattened it will half it's life (in a regular car battery, not leisure battery). 

On the Golf GT TDI (MK5) there are a lot of electrical systems and there will be some current drawn from the battery for about 10 minutes after the car is turned off in order to check engine temperature and so forth in case the fan needs to be cut in.

I have a local independent VW/Audi garage who have been great in re-coding my car to make it do (and in some cases not do!) things that I want it to, all by plugging it into a laptop.

It's worth mentioning these cars will go on forever, I have a friend with 160,000 on his and going up by 30k a year and he's not had a single part replaced other than tyres, brake discs and pads.


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## Marrabone (Apr 8, 2010)

Yes, Addie l had a new battery in April but it kept going flat. Eventually they replaced it for a new one believing it to be faulty. It seems its not the battery but something draining it. I have heard that its damaging to allow it to go flat but sometimes its difficult not to.


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