MK5 Golf GTI
All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: ROH ECHT on January 28, 2016, 02:25:40 am
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My oem battery lasted 6yrs and 3 months....my Optima red lasted 2yrs 11 months and 27ish days. It has a 3yr warranty that expires Feb 1...just four days away. One other thing...the oem battery replacement will cost $110, so I do not know why I would again go with an Optima at its cost of $172. :confused:
The signs it is nearing the end are my window's auto up-n-down keep having to be reset, the clock also, and the mechanical/electrical power steering icon on the cluster keeps appearing and then disappears when I begin driving.
Rather than address the steering motor...my Tech suggested I deal with the battery first and see if all symptoms disappear. I will report what a new battery does for the three reoccurring issues after it is dealt with. :drinking:
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After thinking on it, after my initial post, I went out to check the standing and alternator volts. The standing volts are 12.35v and running is 13.85v. So the alternator is good and the standing volts is a bit low. Then I noticed the positive connecting clamp was very loose. The last time the battery was disconnected was done at the shop when my motor was rebuilt. So I tightened it and plan a good drive tomorrow. I just need to see if the issues are resolved now...keeping an eye on it over the next few days and weeks. I believe the problem is solved though and I should exceed the warranty period...I may owe a public apology to Optima here shortly.
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12.35V isn't particularly bad to be honest, i'd say it's about right for a three year old battery. Anything closer to 12v exactly would be questionable. 12.35V is approximately 75% of a full charge. How cold is it where you are?
Have somebody start the car from cold while you check what the volatge drops down to during cranking. If it gets well below 10v then i would suggest it's not great and will likely cause you all sorts of electrical errors/warnings due to the voltage drop
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The temp is hovering about 40F ±5 deg. Since tightening up the clamp...there have been no issues.