Anyone replaced the battery yet on a 2007 Ibiza TDi FR?

[Yella Beeza]

I've decided to replace the battery because I think it's goosed due to the car being underused. The battery probably has by now duff cell(s) due to the car being left garaged for long periods, and when it's charged up it isn't holding it's charge for longer than a few days. I've considered current drain but this doesn't seem to be the cause.

Gone are the days when you undid the bolt on the negative then the positive terminal, undo the battery clamp and lift the battery out. How do you get the other wires which sit on battery top off (guess these are fuses, relays, etc)? I guess it all clips on somehow, and the whole lot just lifts off, but there's nothing obvious.

 

[chris4500uk]

You still have a positive and negitive on the battery only.

I think the possitive is connected to the others wires with relays and fuses etc, it should come away with the + wire.

Even on a car that isn't used much I don't think the battery should be goosed that quick

Are you measuring this with a meter accross the + and - ?

 

[Yella Beeza]

If the battery is charged to 12.6V it has dropped to 12.0V after a week. It gets checked with a multimeter across the two terminals. I work away from home during the week so it only gets used at weekends.

Becoming a bit of a pain charging the battery every weekend. It's only the last few weeks it's started happening. Car registered March 2007 and no problems for the first 18 months. It quite happily stood for 2-3 weeks at a time without needing a charge. It's only done 800 miles in nearly 2 years though!

Of course if there's something more sinister then another battery will go the same way. There's only one way to find out though - disconnect the battery first, charge it up and see how long it takes the voltage to drop.

 

[chris4500uk]

800 miles in 2 years !

I think you need to take it on a nice run once in a while

I'm guessing its a maintaince free battery, doesn't need 'topping' up?

 

[Yella Beeza]

Maintenance free.

Does make me wonder why I need the car, but bought it because the garage looked empty when I sold my last car

I've always trickle-charged it still connected. Didn't want to lose any settings if I disconnected it. I've read strange things happening to the electrics on cars when batteries are connected up again (Seats anyway). I've lost the use of the audio now anyway because it asks for the code when I switch it on and I never got it when new. That's from the one time I tried to start it and the engine wouldn't even turn over the battery was so flat.

 

[ciano125]

You'll be able to get your code from your local SEAT garage for the radio I think. Its still under warranty too so that might help!

 

[Yella Beeza]

Yes, I think if I'm lucky they can plug the car into their computer and get it from there.

I prefer not to leave it with the one dealership in Edinburgh if they have to remove the unit, where their mechanics have been known to use the service area as a football pitch before. I'll get the tools and remove it myself if that's the case.

 

[immersion]

Would this be covered by your warranty as its a 07?

 

[Nath.]

Should be, I had a mk3 ibiza and they replaced the battery under warrenty. After further investigation it was a fault with the radio not switching off and like the OP I leave my car for weeks on end in the garage too.

 

[RichieRich]

they might also be able to get the code with your vin number mate they managed before on one of my last cars lol

 

[Yella Beeza]

I'll phone the garage and see what they say.

That said, I got a completely blank handbook as well so had to fill my own details in when I got it new No VIN details etc next to the spare wheel either, so I had to complete the book as best I could. Never mind the radio code.

Think the battery might be treated as a consumable item though, but it's worth a try. It's just had a 6 hour charge so it's up to 12.6V. This time next week it'll need a charge again though it I don't use it. Not keen on driving it around salty roads and leaving it parked in the garage for the next few weeks.

 

[Yella Beeza]

I know you can get a 4 year guarantee on some of the better quality batteries, like Varta. Not sure how good the Seat one is.

 

[Nath.]

I know you can get a 4 year guarantee on some of the better quality batteries, like Varta. Not sure how good the Seat one is.

When they replaced mine under warrenty the new one was a Varta one