Sponge Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Local dealer collecting my car Tuesday morning. Let the games commence! Edit: Just had a thought - I should leave the car at home for a few days (cycle to work), so the battery's flat when they come for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGquattro Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Oh I LIKE your style Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maersk Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Definitely do it. Simply warn them that the battery may be flat when they collect it and they should prepare for such an eventuality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeA2B Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 [ QUOTE ] Local dealer collecting my car Tuesday morning. Let the games commence! Edit: Just had a thought - I should leave the car at home for a few days (cycle to work), so the battery's flat when they come for it. [/ QUOTE ] LOL they will probably turn up with a low loader and just tow it on to the truck, but at least they can see what you are having to put up with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Sponge - Here's my stories. In general, the same thing happens, one or two turns, not enough to fire the engine then nothing. Jump start it. It's fine for a day, then one turn, not enough power to start it. Then jump start. Then, it's usually OK for ages again. Counting my days since Boxing day - the last time it happened. Dealer found nothing wrong - I had all the recall work done as well ages ago. One question - has it rained when you have a low power battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigyb Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Do you all have Audi OEM phone preps fitted? these are known to go faulty and kill the batterys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Nope - not me..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 The car wouldn't start again this morning. It's been a damp day, a little drizzle for a while, but nothing too bad. I don't have an Audi phone. I'm now travelling with a portable jump-starter in the boot. I was considering removing the battery and giving it a good charge, see how it lasts, but I don't want it working too well when it goes into the dealer. UBM, did you get a new battery (under warranty) at any point? That's what I'd like. Even if it's only a temporary fix, I'd like a new battery before my warranty expires this October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Yes, I got a new battery in Jan/Feb 2007. It was deemed as faulty by Audi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 I'm concerned they won't give me a new one as their last check, and the check performed by the RAC, said there was no fault. I'm going to have to argue there obviously is one, or the damn car would start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 This is the most frustrating thing! When it went in at other times, the battery load test was fine. On the one occasion (after the Boxing Day 2006 saga) the battery load test failed. So i got a new one under warranty. The most recent check indicated it was fine (the new one) after a year. I can't imagine what causes this fault, but there are several similar compaints on other car sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 My car was collected this morning at 0930 and I've just had an interesting call from them. They've performed all their tests on the "Audi systems" and can find no fault. He suggested I get my phone kit checked out as there could be an earthing fault. I said what phone kit? He then went on to describe the wiring for my towbar. I asked if their test had found a drain on the battery and the answers he gave me were very confusing. He kept repeating the fact that their tests found no fault relating to their systems. They cannot check any other systems, e.g. my towbar wiring, as they "aren't insured". Fair enough, I replied, but is the battery experiencing a drain? We went around in circles. I simply want to know if your tests found a drain, not where it is, but is there one? The battery isn't holding a charge, so if there's a drain, surely you can place a value on it? I think he got a little annoyed, so put me on hold while he went to speak to someone. He came back and said the only way they can ascertain if there's a drain is to keep the car overnight and plug it into their charger? I gave them the go-ahead to keep it. And there we stand. It just seems to me that these guys actually know nothing about cars. They're not real mechanics. They're just trained to use a computer. If the computer says nothing is wrong, even if evidence suggests otherwise, they have no skills to take it further and investigate - 'The computer says no.' I have to admit, I half expected them to mention either my Dension iPod cradle, or the towbar wiring and they did. I'm confident there's nothing wrong with either, but if they continue with this line of defence, then it looks like I'll be on my own and probably have to take the car to a proper auto-electrician for a full diagnostic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 Sponge - sounds all too familiar. They tried blaming my Dension once....and I did find that the wire sheath had split and wire was connecting to the metal radio case! Suggest you check yours.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted April 9, 2008 Report Share Posted April 9, 2008 They're blaming my towbar wiring. They seem convinced nothing is wrong with anything they'd be responsible for and it must therefore be the towbar wiring. Despite the fact they can't touch non-Audi parts and presuambly were unable to touch it to test it. I'm going to isolate it and see what happens. I'm sure it's ok, but then that doesn't make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonlarge Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi UBM, Just reading your flat battery thread, and am sorry to hear about all your trouble. It's interesting for us as we've (today) just part-exchanged the other half's Golf for an A4 2.0T FSI S-Line SE Avant. We've got it from Cambridge Audi and when we went to test drive it today the salesman (who drove a hard bargain...see 'haggling advice' thread: http://www.tyresmoke.net/forum/showthread.php?t=107901 ...took 10 minutes to bring it out from "round the back", the reason being....a flat battery! He says he'll replace it so it will be interesting to see how this pans out. As an aside I had a battery problem in my R32 when I had a Dension Ice>link. I used to leave the 'pod plugged in overnight and it used to drain the battery as it continually charged the ipod. Hope you all get your problems sorted out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Hi Jonny, Keep an eye on the battery! Where about's in Royston are you - that's where I am too! (PM me!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonlarge Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Your PM inbox is full UBM... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted April 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 sORRY - It is now able to receive messages again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson_R32 Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 They're blaming my towbar wiring.They seem convinced nothing is wrong with anything they'd be responsible for and it must therefore be the towbar wiring. Despite the fact they can't touch non-Audi parts and presuambly were unable to touch it to test it. I'm going to isolate it and see what happens. I'm sure it's ok, but then that doesn't make it so. Sponge, didn't you wire your towbar correctly though with the OEM Towing ECU? If so they CAN check the towbar systems to determine the drain, the idiots :smashfreak: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 That's a very good point. Pity I did think of it at the time. I'll certainly mention it if I ever raise the matter with them again. Thanks. I've since bought a 'proper' charger, i.e. feckin' expensive, and topped up the battery. I'm monitoring the situation and up to now haven't had a problems. /me touches wood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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