[V8] OEM batteries are good?

[quattro + 5 or 8 = fun]

FYI-

FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN Told, by several sources that I considered reliable,
Douglas Battery makes the replacements in the USA.  I have purchased several
Douglas Batteries and have had very good luck with them.  I have one that is
6 years old and still going strong.  They are even white!


Shayne


Bay Area, CA
Eastern WA State


PARTING:  1972 Mercedes Benz 280 SE 4.5
PARTING:  1986 Audi 4000 CS quattro


> From: Daniel Hussey <danh at s-cars.org>
> Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 21:59:11 -0700
> To: <dsaad at icehouse.net>, <v8 at audifans.com>
> Subject: Re: [V8] OEM batteries are good?
> 
> 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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> contributions welcome!