cliffcoggin

Before you do anything or buy anything get the battery professionally tested, because a dying battery can cause all these problems. If the battery is more than five years old don't bother getting it tested, just buy a new one and get it coded to the car.

An old fashioned technique that might be worth trying is left foot braking i.e. hold the brakes with the left foot for a moment while applying throttle with the right foot. My old A3 protested when I did this but it worked.

Have you resolved the problem Davi?

Yes indeed, it may do so, but that is not certain. I frankly admit I do not know how the battery is coded to the car except that it involves the use of some types of diagnostic equipment. VCDS and OBD11 are two types that are known to work, while many of the cheap types do not have that capability. An auto electrician, Audi workshop, or independant VAG specialist should be able to do the work. Here is one of many videos on Youtube that explains the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ysatH73_gM

Have you resolved the cabin heat problem Tracey?

Well chaps. It seems we have wasted out time responding to Michelle because she has not visited the forum since joining it and posting her query on Tuesday.

Thanks for letting us know.

That's bizarre! Just how gullible does the company believe the public to be? I suspect it to be an excuse for a restrictive practice.

Jeremy. The rear window heater is a large electrical load so I have no doubt there will be fuse for it somewhere, but exactly where I have no idea. Have you found every fuseboard yet? Most cars nowadays have two or even three fuseboards tucked away in odd spaces.

I have to say that the presence of stop/start on an otherwise desirable car would not put me off buying it. My limited experience of the system on a nine year old Skoda automatic is that it works well, though it is a little unnerving at first to find the engine starting itself as soon as the throttle pedal is pressed. Having said that, I am not convinced the system is worthwhile because in slow moving traffic jams it puts a huge drain on the battery, and will soon be automatically disabled as the voltage drops.

No noisier than non electric cars, though you will hear such noises more readily because the drive train is so quiet. Any road noise you hear is undoubtedly as a result of the low profile tyres providing a harder ride. There are quiet tyres available with sound absorbing rubber foam stuck inside the carcass, but they are still new on the market and not yet of proven durability. You would get a quieter, softer ride with a smaller wheel/higher profile tyre, though I can not recommend a specific combination.

They are common symptoms of a dying battery. Get it tested and renewed if necessary. If it is more then six years old forget the testing and just renew it. Don't forget to get any new battery coded to the car.

I guess this is all the thanks you are going get Gareth for your time and effort in solving this fellows problem.

Fit whatever capacity is recommended by the manufacturer, but please ensure you install a good quality battery. Varta and Exide are two names that come to mind, though there are others whose names escape me. Avoid like the plague any cheapie from the internet or the likes of KwikFit.

Emily. You have had sometimes conflicting opinions from several people, none of whom have examined or tested your car, relying instead on your descriptions. That's unfortunate, but I see no point in re-iterating any arguments. Summarising what I see as the relevant facts available: your car is showing some of the classic symptoms of a dying battery, which by your own admission is the wrong one for the car.

Credit where it is due, I found Ohme to be very helpful in trying to rectify the problems I had with scheduled charging. In the end it turned out that the fault lay in the abysmal design of my car's charging system. There is a well known figure in the charge point trade, whose name I do not recall at the moment, who claims all the apps from the major suppliers are rubbish, to use a polite euphemism.

Whether it is worthwhile is a judgement only you can make, depending on how attached you are to the car. In your place I would get the cost of repair and compare it to how much you are willing to pay for a different car.

A dying battery can indeed cause all the symptoms you describe. Get it tested if you want confirmation, but in your place I would not hesitate to replace an eight year old battery. Don't forget to get it coded to the car. PS The volt meter readings tell you nothing about the internal condition of the battery.

The former member who called himself Borat has had a hissy fit and departed the forum.

Please let us know the outcome.

Ricardo. The OP has not looked at the forum for a year and a half so you will not get a reply. Please start a topic of your own. I am locking this topic.

What was the outcome Graham?

Thanks Gareth. I knew the mention of Lion batteries would pique your interest.

I advise getting the battery tested before spending any serious money it. Any auto electrician will be able to do that at little or no cost. Apparently even Halfords, though I am not a fan of the company. Bear in mind what I mentioned about coding a new battery to the car, and if the battery fitter does not know what coding is buy the battery from somebody more competant. I have no experience of Lion brand batteries, but other folk here do, and they condemn them. Buy a well known brand such as Exide or Varta amongst others. It will be more expensive, but worth it in the long run. Only once you have a proven decent battery is it worth investigating the other electrical faults, if they still exist. You may find they have disappeared.

Emily. Two possibilities come to mind: [1] The instrument panel may be faulty even if the engine stills starts. The only way to be certain is to send it to ECU for testing. [2] The 12 volt battery may be defective despite showing 12.2 volts. Your mechanic was on to something when he found low amps from it. Of the two I favour the battery. Winter always highlights deficiencies in battery capacity, so I suggest you get it professionally tested. If a new battery is required ensure you get it coded to the car.