Starting Woes

I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.

Sounds good, right?

This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.

Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
for a couple of hours, and it started right up.

I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\

I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
say you all?


--

Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

"Steve Daniels" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>
> Sounds good, right?
>
> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>
> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>
> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
>
> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> say you all?
>
>
> --
>
> Life is too short to play cheap guitars.


to test a battery it needs to have a load put on it..........or use a
hydrometer to test specific gravity

just go get a new one..........battery that is, not TT

In article >,
Steve Daniels > wrote:

> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>
> Sounds good, right?
>
> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>
> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>
> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
>
> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> say you all?

Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
early death for a modern battery. Two common causes for an early death
are deep discharges and... car accidents. Hopefully it's just been
through a few accidental discharges.

--
Block Google's spam and enjoy Usenet again.
Reply with Google and I won't hear from you.

On Mon, 5 May 2008 04:53:41 +0100, against all advice, something
compelled "tpow" >, to say:

> > I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> > say you all?
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Life is too short to play cheap guitars.
>
>
> to test a battery it needs to have a load put on it..........or use a
> hydrometer to test specific gravity

It doesn't look like you can open it to test the SG.

> just go get a new one..........battery that is, not TT


I'd love a new TT, but there is a financial reason I got a used
one.

It only had 35,300 miles on it. The previous owner lived very
close to her work, and I suspect that the car suffered from a lot
of very short trips. Not long enough to fully charge the
battery, and after a year of this the battery is just worn out.

I have it on a charger right now, which will allow me to start it
in the morning and get it home from my . . . well, let us just
say I don't spend all of my nights at home.

Can one get a new battery from Les Schwab or similar, or is it a
dealer only part?
--

Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

On Sun, 04 May 2008 21:30:24 -0700, against all advice, something
compelled Kevin McMurtrie >, to say:

> > I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> > say you all?
>
> Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
> early death for a modern battery. Two common causes for an early death
> are deep discharges and... car accidents. Hopefully it's just been
> through a few accidental discharges.



How about a lot of very short trips, with no real chance to get
back up to charge?

The car shows no sign of damage, and it had a clean carfax.
--

Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

"Kevin McMurtrie" > wrote in message
et...
> In article >,
> Steve Daniels > wrote:
>
>> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>>
>> Sounds good, right?
>>
>> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
>> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
>> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>>
>> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
>> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>>
>> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
>> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
>> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
>>
>> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
>> say you all?
>
> Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
> early death for a modern battery. Two common causes for an early death
> are deep discharges and... car accidents. Hopefully it's just been
> through a few accidental discharges.
>
> --
> Block Google's spam and enjoy Usenet again.
> Reply with Google and I won't hear from you.

like anything it can break when it wants...........

my Vitara's battery failed at 2 years from new. Dealer said it was not
covered under warranty............my 5th vehicle from his shop. I kicked up
some sh1t and they changed it free of charge.

"Kevin McMurtrie" > wrote in message
et...
> In article >,
> Steve Daniels > wrote:
>
>> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>>
>> Sounds good, right?
>>
>> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
>> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
>> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>>
>> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
>> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>>
>> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
>> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
>> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
>>
>> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
>> say you all?
>
> Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
> early death for a modern battery.

Depends on where you live. Here in Phoenix, the desert heat kills the
typical battery in about 3 years.

On Mon, 5 May 2008 08:26:30 -0700, against all advice, something
compelled "iws" >, to say:

> "Kevin McMurtrie" > wrote in message
> et...
> > In article >,
> > Steve Daniels > wrote:
> >
> >> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
> >>
> >> Sounds good, right?
> >>
> >> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
> >> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
> >> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
> >>
> >> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
> >> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
> >>
> >> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
> >> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
> >> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
> >>
> >> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> >> say you all?
> >
> > Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
> > early death for a modern battery.
>
> Depends on where you live. Here in Phoenix, the desert heat kills the
> typical battery in about 3 years.


Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
They replaced it under warrantee.

Life is good.

--
Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

On Mon, 05 May 2008 17:50:30 -0700, against all advice, something
compelled Steve Daniels >, to say:

> On Mon, 5 May 2008 08:26:30 -0700, against all advice, something
> compelled "iws" >, to say:
>
> > "Kevin McMurtrie" > wrote in message
> > et...
> > > In article >,
> > > Steve Daniels > wrote:
> > >
> > >> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
> > >>
> > >> Sounds good, right?
> > >>
> > >> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
> > >> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
> > >> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
> > >>
> > >> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
> > >> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
> > >>
> > >> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
> > >> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
> > >> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
> > >>
> > >> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> > >> say you all?
> > >
> > > Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a bit of an
> > > early death for a modern battery.
> >
> > Depends on where you live. Here in Phoenix, the desert heat kills the
> > typical battery in about 3 years.
>
>
> Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
> They replaced it under warrantee.




I was sitting at a light on my way to the service center, and I
saw the tach drop to 0, and a few random trouble lights come on.
Then everything came back. I was wondering if it would just drop
dead in the middle of the road, which would have been so
embarrassing. But then everything came back up again, and I made
it to the Audi place.

I left the car running when I went in. I told the Audi guy, "My
car is still running, because I'm afraid that if I turn it off,
it won't start again."

He looked at me, his face expressing compassion. It was as if he
was saying, "Don't worry, anxious Audi owner. You are now in the
presence of Trained Audi Professionals. We know what to do. It
will be fine. Don't worry."

He drove my car into the safety of the Audi Service Center Womb,
and placed it into the hands of a Trained Professional. The
Trained Professional showed me how to make the seat go up and
down (something I had not been able to figure out from the
owner's manual), pointed out that I was missing a bracket (it's
on order), and diagnosed the sick battery. And then he replaced
it under warrantee.

They then told me that the 35000 mile service had in fact been
done (it's a big one involving changing the transmission fluid
and filter), that the computer was not throwing any error codes,
that they had reset my radio from the dead battery drama, and
that I would not have to mess with my car for ANOTHER TEN
THOUSAND MILES!! INCLUDING OIL CHANGES!!

I did something last evening that I haven't done for years. I
went for a joyride. Gas is four something (at 11.25:1
compression, I need premium) and I used twelve bucks of it to
drive around just because I love driving this car. I was nailing
eighty on a back country road without even pushing it.

I love my car.

--
Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

"Steve Daniels" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 05 May 2008 17:50:30 -0700, against all advice, something
> compelled Steve Daniels >, to say:
>
>> On Mon, 5 May 2008 08:26:30 -0700, against all advice, something
>> compelled "iws" >, to say:
>>
>> > "Kevin McMurtrie" > wrote in message
>> >
>> et...
>> > > In article >,
>> > > Steve Daniels > wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> I just bought a 2004 TT, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>> > >>
>> > >> Sounds good, right?
>> > >>
>> > >> This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
>> > >> enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage
>> across
>> > >> the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>> > >>
>> > >> Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on
>> it
>> > >> for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>> > >>
>> > >> I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting
>> it
>> > >> twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour
>> the
>> > >> battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a
>> pancake.\
>> > >>
>> > >> I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery.
>> What
>> > >> say you all?
>> > >
>> > > Some battery plates probably cracked. Four years does seem a
>> bit of an
>> > > early death for a modern battery.
>> >
>> > Depends on where you live. Here in Phoenix, the desert heat kills
>> the
>> > typical battery in about 3 years.
>>
>>
>> Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
>> They replaced it under warrantee.
>
>
>
>
> I was sitting at a light on my way to the service center, and I
> saw the tach drop to 0, and a few random trouble lights come on.
> Then everything came back. I was wondering if it would just drop
> dead in the middle of the road, which would have been so
> embarrassing. But then everything came back up again, and I made
> it to the Audi place.
>
> I left the car running when I went in. I told the Audi guy, "My
> car is still running, because I'm afraid that if I turn it off,
> it won't start again."
>
> He looked at me, his face expressing compassion. It was as if he
> was saying, "Don't worry, anxious Audi owner. You are now in the
> presence of Trained Audi Professionals. We know what to do. It
> will be fine. Don't worry."
>
> He drove my car into the safety of the Audi Service Center Womb,
> and placed it into the hands of a Trained Professional. The
> Trained Professional showed me how to make the seat go up and
> down (something I had not been able to figure out from the
> owner's manual), pointed out that I was missing a bracket (it's
> on order), and diagnosed the sick battery. And then he replaced
> it under warrantee.
>
> They then told me that the 35000 mile service had in fact been
> done (it's a big one involving changing the transmission fluid
> and filter), that the computer was not throwing any error codes,
> that they had reset my radio from the dead battery drama, and
> that I would not have to mess with my car for ANOTHER TEN
> THOUSAND MILES!! INCLUDING OIL CHANGES!!
>
> I did something last evening that I haven't done for years. I
> went for a joyride. Gas is four something (at 11.25:1
> compression, I need premium) and I used twelve bucks of it to
> drive around just because I love driving this car. I was nailing
> eighty on a back country road without even pushing it.
>
> I love my car.
>
> --
> Life is too short to play cheap guitars.

only four something...........let me tell you in the UK you only drive as
much as you have to, no matter how much you love the car cos over here its
$9 per gallon.