FSI Battery Advice

Chipper

Member
Hi All,

Lousy timing, my battery appears to have died. It was flat this morning and won't go past the first stage on the Smart charger. I'm going to try a dumb charger to kick start it but it looks like it might be time for a new battery.

Luckily I have a very good battery supplier just round the corner. They are advising that it needs to be replaced with another AGM (eye watering price) but when I do an online search it comes up with standard sealed ones. Any opinions either way?

Many Thanks
 
You could try this one.

 
When was the car last used? How old is the battery? If the battery is old (10 years or more) it's quite likely that one cell has gone. For cars that are not used that often, it's a good idea to keep the battery topped up with a solar charger.


RAB
 
I'm not sure on the age of the battery. The supplier here thinks it's the original. Car was last used 2 weeks ago but isn't used that often. The battery has only gone flat once before when a light was left on.
 
I'm not sure on the age of the battery. The supplier here thinks it's the original. Car was last used 2 weeks ago but isn't used that often. The battery has only gone flat once before when a light was left on.

Post a photo here of your current battery and we'll give you clear advice on the latest Varta replacement (likely to be the F-19)
 
Here's a pic
 

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Here's a pic

Thanks. Yes that is indeed the original battery, and it's well past its intended life.

The Varta F19 is the correct match for size:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/F19-Varta-Silver-Dynamic-Car-Battery-85Ah/362642920629

But you might prefer the E44 (which Varta now recommend) since it's a bit smaller and lighter:

Both batteries have considerably higher capacity than your original ever had.
 
I've managed to source the E44 locally, any hints/tips for fitting. I presume that I'm going to need the radio code which I can't find!
 
I've managed to source the E44 locally, any hints/tips for fitting. I presume that I'm going to need the radio code which I can't find!

You shouldn't need the radio code, although you may need to resync your keys and windows if it takes too long.

Assuming you've gone for a genuine Varta battery, there's be a warning label on it telling you to remove the ventilation bungs before fitting. However, because the battery is inside the main body of the car, you should only remove the bung at the end where the vent tube gets plugged in.

Transfer the +ve lead cover over to the new battery after fitting the +ve lead.

All pretty straightforward to be honest.
 
Steve,
Interesting comment on the vent bungs. I have just purchased an E38 Varta for the ur quattro and no bungs were fitted-required car vent tube fitting and one vent bung fitting ( supplied on a sprue attached to the terminal transit cover).
 
But of a strange going on. I went out to restart it, absolutely nothing..... lock and unlocked it a few times.... hey Presto, it starts. Hopefully it's just got itself confused with the lack of battery power.
 
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