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Varta battery issues

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:20 am
by Squashy2
Hi guy's,
As the tittle suggests I'm having issues with the battery. Since purchasing the car in March of this year have had intermittent electrical issues, stalling/cutting out, headlights dimming then returning to normal in a constant rhythm and the same with the climate control fan speed, a rhythmic up and down pulsing. Since 14th March the car has been back and forth to various Nissan Dealerships and no faults found and given the green light. I have had the feeling that it was a battery problem since having the car but as 95% of the time it drives fine.
Yesterday however after using the car during the day which went without issue, later in the evening I needed to nip out to the local shop, jumped in, turned the key and all hell let loose. Dash board lit up like a Christmas tree, several faults came up, car wouldn't crank, indicators went crazy, climate control wouldn't work to demist the screen, alarm went off etc, etc.
Called the RAC who Nissan use for their roadside assistance. Told that we/the car was not on their system? Luckily our car insurance also uses RAC for breakdown cover and had to go down this route and told that they should be with us in around three hours which tbh wasn't a problem at this time of night.
The Mrs phoned our Dealership to ask why we aren't covered under the Nissan assist, luckily for us we managed to catch someone before they left for home (17.30)
After a while she managed to work out why we aren't on the system, it appears that the supplying dealership (who no longer exist) had failed to put us on the said system and she kindly updated the information so that we are now fully covered. I'm glad it happened on our drive way and not a breakdown on the motorway coming back from Glasgow late at night and the Dealership was closed, especially if we didn't already have the free cover on the insurance then we would have been stuck.
Anyhow, RAC came out at 20.00 and after a lengthy and thorough investigation I was told that the battery was knackered, extremely low voltage and definitely not holding enough charge to start the engine. Then told that it would need to go to the dealership for a replacement battery, it is a Varta and the guy did say that they are usually pretty bomb proof and reliable, however this one wasn't!
He couldn't fit a new battery under warranty as this has now stopped and the dealership will have to do this.
He kindly forwarded the Customer Service Report and this along with a requested email by the dealership after the RAC visit was sent later last night, still awaiting a phone call from the service department to clarify what happens next?
I'm now stuck with a car on the drive that I cannot start and use.
I almost forgot, around 03.00am the alarm sounded, car wouldn't crank and I put the battery on a trickle charger until later this morning, charger was showing one bar on the display and earlier this morning it was only up to two bars, and still wouldn't turn over!
I'm hoping that we can get the car to the dealership in Stirling without a further break down en route.
Fingers crossed that I can get the car in today and hopefully if it cannot be fixed today a courtesy car can be supplied.

Re: Varta battery issues

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:48 am
by calnorth
Interesting you should experience your headlamps and other devices partially operating on Battery droop. These cars are controlled by the Intelligent Power Distribution Module (IPDM). That provides electronic control of the electrical supplies to much of the car. Protection if you like.

Meaning that as the battery fails there is a threshold in which headlamps etc won't be powered. IPDM should disable power distribution.

Point that at your dealer because your experience doesn't appear to have been "Intelligently Controlled"?

Re: Varta battery issues

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:53 pm
by phatboy
I had exactly the same situation about 3 months back, same symptoms, and a Varta battery.

Our dealer immediately diagnosed a low voltage issue though, and the battery was replaced and everything has been fine since.

The battery replacement was for pre-2018 models I think, which had a known load of bad non-Varta batteries.

I note, the replacement battery installed for me is not a Varta, seems to be a no-name black lump.

Re: Varta battery issues

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:31 pm
by Exskoda
My neighbor j12 had a low battery issue two weeks after collection. So I do wonder on those cars that are part built awaiting chips just in storage for however long how their battery will be.

Re: Varta battery issues

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:24 pm
by Squashy2
phatboy wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:53 pm I had exactly the same situation about 3 months back, same symptoms, and a Varta battery.

Our dealer immediately diagnosed a low voltage issue though, and the battery was replaced and everything has been fine since.

The battery replacement was for pre-2018 models I think, which had a known load of bad non-Varta batteries.

I note, the replacement battery installed for me is not a Varta, seems to be a no-name black lump.
New battery fitted today and under warranty so no charge 👍
Same as Phatboy, just a no brand lump of black plastic. Hopefully it will last until we chop the QQ in for a new car in a few years time.

Re: Varta battery issues

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 6:23 pm
by david sunderland
When I got my reno. I checked the battery to see what type it was and your right a no brand lump of black plastic with Renault and the qq been the all the same parts get people on our estate looking at my kadjar and say do you know its the same as the QQ .... I only moved to a reno because living so close to the Sunderland factory every body has a QQ and I opened a QQ in a ALDI store thinking it was mine