[V8] OEM batteries are good?

[dsaad at icehouse.net]

That makes more sense - this was probably the second battery for this car.
I ended up getting a NAPA battery which is built be Excide. It looks exactly the
same right down to the vent connection and it has an amazing 1000 cold cranking
amps. It cost $100 vs $175 for a new AutoBahn from the dealer.
Hopefully it will last a long time.

I wonder if the long life has something to do with the charging voltage?
Most newer cars I am aware of run the charging system at 14.2 volts but the Audi
runs at 13.8 volts. That has to help with the battery life.


Dave


Quoting Daniel Hussey <danh at s-cars.org>:

> AutoBahn tells me it was a direct dealer replacement, but not the original
> factory battery.  AutoBahn is how the dealer used to badge factory
> replacement parts and accessories.  They've since scraped the name.
>
> The factory Audi battery is a VARTA and IMHO is the best battery you can
> buy!  They last WAY longer than any other battery that I've found, other
> than possibly an Optima.  I highly reccomend replacing it with another OEM
> battery.  I had a second VARTA in my '94 S4 and it never gave me an ounce of
> problems in sub-zero weather in Wisconsin.  I even left my radar detector on
> while I was away on vacation.  I killed the battery, but an overnight charge
> brought it right back to life and just kept ticking.
>
> My father works for Rayovac Corporation, who bought VARTA's consumer battery
> division a few years back to fuel expansion by tapping into the european
> market.  Johnson Controls bought VARTA's automotive and commercial battery
> division at the same time.  As I understand it the production facilities in
> Germany pretty much remain and still produce the same high quality
> automotive batteries.
>
> I bought my last VARTA battery from the dealer (that was a few years ago),
> but I have no idea if the dealer still uses the same manufacturer or if they
> are available aftermarket.
>
> Later,
> Dan
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <dsaad at icehouse.net>
> To: <v8 at audifans.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 8:35 PM
> Subject: [V8] OEM batteries are good?
>
>
> >
> >
> > My battery finally started to act up a little. It did not totally fail but
> > cranking sounded odd so I checked battery voltage with a meter - and I
> have no
> > idea how a battery as dead as mine seems to be could have been working so
> well.
> >
> > No load voltage with a good meter was 12.0 volts (engine off) - after
> driving
> > for 30 minutes.
> > A lead acid battery is considered "dead" at 12.2 volts.
> > The CC readout voltage was 13.6 volts while driving.
> > The new battery reads 13.8 volts while driving - as it should.
> >
> > Even more strange is that this battery seems to be the original OEM unit.
> It
> > still has the Audi 441-xxx-xxx part number on it.
> > Is it possible for a battery to last this long? It was an "Auto Bahn" 60
> month.
> >
> >
> > Dave
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>