re: Something's Draining my Battery

[mpcripps <mpcripps@mediaone.net>]

I agree that the battery is a likely suspect. Older vehicles usually 
required more
cranking *time* to get a start, and a dying battery was more obvious. 
Electronic
engine management really does improve starting, and most often, you need 
run the 
starter for only 1-2 seconds. With that short a load cycle, detecting an 
imminent 
battery failure is much less likely. I've had 3 company vehicles (cars 
and vans) 
start AOK in the morning, only to go belly up at the second start. No 
warning, 
just suddenly flat. In each case, replacement of the battery was the fix.


>Cab:
>
>These are all signs of a bad battery.  The problem is that our engine
>compartment is very hot and this really cooks the batteries.  Mine only
>lasted 5 years then suddenly just went over night without any warning.  The
>car started fine until one day it just didn't crank at all.  I at first
>thought it was an electrical problem also such as a bad ground but soon
>realized that the battery had just given up real quick.  I even tried
>boosting the battery which then damaged the ECU (Warning to everyone else
>don't try this - not recommended on our cars even if your boosting under the
>recommended current they have posted in our VW manual - it doesn't work).
>Fortunately the Service Manager who I've done business with for years
>figured out some way to get me a new ECU at no-charge.  My advice is to just
>bite the bullet and get the best battery you can find, and to those who are
>running 4 plus years on your battery - get it replaced soon or you'll find
>yourself stuck somewhere unexpectedly.
>Also make sure your insulation blanket is on your battery and properly
>secured, which helps protect your battery from the heat soaks after stopping
>the car.  I have wondered if perhaps more insulation would be helpful? This
>might be another good mod to put into our cars. Or simply relocate battery
>to the trunk, but this would be a real pain in the neck job. 

>BTW on all the
>new A4's VW has relocated the battery into a tray area behind the firewall
>as on all the Audi's, gets it away from the heat and batteries should last
>longer. 
>
>Dr Bob

Not on the A4 Golf I have. The battery sits right up front in the usual 
location,
in a plastic battery box. There is a new distribution block atop the 
battery, but
not much else new about it.

Mike