Touareg T1: another battery isssue

13140 Views 51 Replies 10 Participants Last post by TRespect, Jan 2, 2018

TRespect

Discussion Starter · Dec 12, 2017

Here is the thing:
battery is charged via a cteck charger mxs 5.0.
Charger is at stage 7.
You open the door and battery is showing 14volts.
you turn the key to ACC position and the battery starts draining fast going lower than 10volts !!
I don't have the battery history so it might be just a dead battery but it was fine last august and the car has been sitting in a garage since without the charger. The only issue it had was the htird light was on for 2 weeks for no reason and wouldn't shutdown even if you lock the car. This was then repaired.
So either the repair caused a leak somewhere or the battery is dead.
I will let the battery connected to the charger for a few days and then start hunting for the leak or replace the battery.

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Gnits

· #21 · Dec 25, 2017

TRespect said:
Not sure how exact this is. Treg Battery meter (charger/alternator) shows up to 16v !! And is constantly at 14v when driving.

14V when driving is perfectly fine, because that's when your alternator is running, and is charging the battery. The battery meter scale going up to 16 Volts is not there, because charge voltage should ever go near that value under normal circumstances, but to allow you to see when it actually does - meaning when you alternator/voltage regulator has failed. Then you indeed need to stop driving the car and have it repaired, because it will kill your battery. Actually, anything above 14.5 Volts will kill any automotive battery in the long term (even a regular, lead-acid one), and 16 Volts is so much, that it would boil your battery fluid practically instantly, and maybe even cause the explosion of it.

Oem Battery is lead acid so is it safe to go AGM if the véhicule charging system was not designed for an AGM battery?

I don't think any car alternator will overcharge, unless of course the alternator/voltage regulator in them is defect. They're working with a safety limit, and never actually charge the battery to full and/or with full voltage, but with a safe margin below it (like 85-95% max), to avoid boiling the battery during the trip.

Because T1/T2 Touaregs have a voltage meter in their instrument clusters, you can always see in them what the the actual charging voltage is - and also, that it never goes anywhere above 14.4 Volts (in a healthy car), but stays around or just slightly over 14V when charging. So, I'd say it's pretty safe to use AGM batteries with Touaregs - or with any modern car with a healthy alternator/regulator, for that matter.

Of course owner manuals should always be consulted regarding the charging voltage values/limits, but I doubt you could find a modern mass produced car in the 1st world markets that would charge its 12 Volts battery with anything above 14.4 max.

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TRespect

Discussion Starter · #22 · Dec 29, 2017

The Varta Silver Dynamic AGM 570 901 076 (Short code E39) arrived yesterday from belgium (ebay) at 147€ delivered. 20 Kg.
Any infos on how to get the production date from the codes on the battery?

noobytoogy

· #23 · Dec 29, 2017

I think the Varta production date is a colour code that's on the front of the battery.

Google.....

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #24 · Dec 29, 2017

I asked google yesterday when I got the battery but no luck. No color coding on the battery. There are some codes but I couldn't find any info on decoding them.
here is one on the top : Varta Code A 26 E39 710 N65 with a QR code with the same info.
Then there is this: 570901076 D85 2 (up to 076 is the long code of tha battery. I don't know about D85 2.
On the top sticker I have this: RA 609 805
On the side sticker I have this: RA 609 793
Printed on the plastic on the side:
16 017 2 3
17 42 1 2813 F
with a tiny QR code I couldn't read with the iphone.
On the bottom printed on the plastic:
0099 10
H6 VRLA

Of course I sent an email to Varta

and I got two replies, one was from a guy saying I'm out of the office and the other was from the mail server saying the guy is no longer working here

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Flash635

· #25 · Dec 29, 2017

Gnits;1908513It might also come with a warranty limitation - but because in reality no dealership/shop will honor any warranty on a battery - except it being DOA - anyway said:
That's why I used to get seconds. A battery that had a mark on it but otherwise was perfect.
Once I went to get a second, they didn't have one so he gave me a good one with the limited warranty.

As or DOA, Fair Trading here states clearly that goods must be "fit for purpose."

Gnits

· #26 · Dec 29, 2017

TRespect said:
Any infos on how to get the production date from the codes on the battery?

It should be embossed on the top of the negative pole of the battery. It's in WW/YY format (WW - week number, YY - year). Original Varta branded batteries are also supposedly color coded as already written above, however, in my experience the color label might not be present on rebranded or OEM batteries.

with a tiny QR code I couldn't read with the iphone.

That's because it's not a QR code but a so called "Data Matrix Code", which is not recognized by most bar code reader software. You can decode it here.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #27 · Dec 29, 2017

Gnits said:
It should be embossed on the top of the negative pole of the battery. It's in WW/YY format (WW - week number, YY - year). Original Varta branded batteries are also supposedly color coded as already written above, however, in my experience the color label might not be present on rebranded or OEM batteries.

Already checked that. Nothing on the poles. Battery is new and clean. Well packaged, Not in an original Varta branded package though.
So no color, no indication on any of the poles. just the codes I wrote above.
Battery voltage as of yesterday is 12.76v
Will check tonight.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #28 · Dec 29, 2017

this is the battery:
https://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/products/varta-silver-dynamic-agm/570-901-076

Gnits

· #29 · Dec 29, 2017

You'll have to read/post the data matrix code to figure out the manufacture date.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #30 · Dec 29, 2017

Ok will check that. Thanks.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #31 · Dec 29, 2017

I managed to read the code with an iphone app 'i-nigma'. The content is the same as what I posted earlier:
1601723174212813

Gnits

· #32 · Dec 30, 2017

TRespect said:
I managed to read the code with an iphone app 'i-nigma'. The content is the same as what I posted earlier:
1601723174212813

Try the site I've linked previously! Or just post the photo of the bar code here.

This app was most likely not able to decode the label properly. Or you scanned the wrong label - presumed there's more than one on the battery. The label we're looking for looks like this.

The data in the matrix code should be longer and more complex than what you've posted. It should - amongst others - also contain the part number of the battery (even though obviously in encoded form).

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #33 · Dec 30, 2017

Found the date

I should have looked closer on the bottom side. There are two gauge style markings engraved in the plastic. One for months and one for years with a needle pointing to month and year. The battery was manufactured on septembre 2017. So It is a new good battery. It looks new and the seller confirmed but I wanted to make sure. I found the info on a german forum. pic coming.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #34 · Dec 30, 2017

Here is the pic

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noobytoogy

· #35 · Dec 30, 2017

Simples!

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #36 · Dec 30, 2017

First time I looked at the bottom I thought those circles were for some plastic chemical info or something like that !!
This coding is brilliant ! No decoding voodoo

Gnits

· #37 · Dec 30, 2017

TRespect said:
This coding is brilliant !

"Brilliant" is not exactly the first word that comes to my mind when I hear that somebody decided to put some important markings on the bottom of a 50 pounds lead-acid battery.

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #38 · Dec 30, 2017

Heheee I hear you ! but i meant the coding not the spot they chose to put it on. The markings are inside a square which protects them from being erazed. On a second thought they could just have marked the date on the top with the other infos instead of putting it in a guage style. But I guess they don't want you to see it easily as batteries take some time to sell. Well at least with the markings you see which month and which year right there instead of trying to guess from some numbers or tables. I have to say I did lose some time searching before I found it. I didn't want to send the battery to be put in the Treg before I get the exact manfatcure date. so now I know.

JimJ

· #39 · Dec 30, 2017

There are two gauge style markings engraved in the plastic. One for months and one for years with a needle pointing to month and year.

Is that for when the battery was assembled or for when the battery box was moulded?

TRespect

Discussion Starter · #40 · Dec 30, 2017

Ahaaa ! You really want me to waste more time looking for the answer there

You're right ! Might be just the box manufacturing !!!! Anyway I sent an email to Varta and will wait for them to reply but I don't think they would go into the trouble of marking the plastic box manufacture date !

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