How does the regenerative/recuperative alternator work?
How does the regenerative/recuperative alternator work?
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Yertis

Original Poster:

19,728 posts

296 months

Monday 19th November 2018
quotequote all
B9 A4. Does the alternator only charge the battery on the over-run, throttle closed condition etc, or does it charge all the time like on older cars, but using regenerative methods when appropriate.

(Reason for asking is that I had a dead battery on 24 month old car yesterday, which I frankly wouldn't expect, and wondered weather my 'driving style' was a factor.)

gregpot2000

313 posts

174 months

Monday 19th November 2018
quotequote all
Something definitely wrong here....the last few A4s I have had...including the B9 I now have, have had something called intelligent battery management. This means the car constantly monitors battery level and does all it can to ensure starting is always possible. Even turning off features after a while to ensure charge remains.

In my experience it has always worked very well, to have a sudden flat battery on such a new car shows there's definitely something wrong, I'd get in booked in under warranty.

Have a read of the manual, there's loads of detail about it in there

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

200 months

Monday 19th November 2018
quotequote all
I was told that 2 years is the average lifespan of battery these days, due to the demands put on them.

Yertis

Original Poster:

19,728 posts

296 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
gregpot2000 said:
Something definitely wrong here....the last few A4s I have had...including the B9 I now have, have had something called intelligent battery management. This means the car constantly monitors battery level and does all it can to ensure starting is always possible. Even turning off features after a while to ensure charge remains.

In my experience it has always worked very well, to have a sudden flat battery on such a new car shows there's definitely something wrong, I'd get in booked in under warranty.

Have a read of the manual, there's loads of detail about it in there
Thanks for that useful info. I must admit I'd bothered with that part of the manual up to now.

catso

16,502 posts

297 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
I was told that 2 years is the average lifespan of battery these days, due to the demands put on them.
In some cars it seems about right, my Wife's 2016 Qashqai battery failed a couple of weeks ago and the AA man who attended told us that he had changed loads of Nissan and particularly Qashqai batteries, in fact he had a duff Nissan branded one identical to ours in his van that he had changed that morning.

Makes you think they're just sourcing the cheapest battery possible?

That said my 2014 S4 is on it's original battery with no problems (yet).


gregpot2000

313 posts

174 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
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Here you go!

Yertis

Original Poster:

19,728 posts

296 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Hmmmm... thanks for that. I think a trip to Audi is in order. Even if I end up being charged for a new battery.

cuprabob

19,758 posts

244 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
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Yertis said:
Hmmmm... thanks for that. I think a trip to Audi is in order. Even if I end up being charged for a new battery.
I see what you did there hehe

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

200 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
If the car is only 24 months old, it should be replaced under warranty, although you might have to dig your heels in a bit.

catso

16,502 posts

297 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
If the car is only 24 months old, it should be replaced under warranty, although you might have to dig your heels in a bit.
You may find that the battery only has 1 year warranty? as has happened to me in the past a couple of times.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

200 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
Yes you are probably right as they are a consumable item i think?

Anyhoo, just express your immense displeasure at having to fork out for a new battery on a two year old car and it is not what your expected from Audi.

Worth a go, especially if you at the dealers saying it.

Firm but fair.

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blank

3,765 posts

218 months

Tuesday 20th November 2018
quotequote all
catso said:
Alucidnation said:
I was told that 2 years is the average lifespan of battery these days, due to the demands put on them.
In some cars it seems about right, my Wife's 2016 Qashqai battery failed a couple of weeks ago and the AA man who attended told us that he had changed loads of Nissan and particularly Qashqai batteries, in fact he had a duff Nissan branded one identical to ours in his van that he had changed that morning.

Makes you think they're just sourcing the cheapest battery possible?

That said my 2014 S4 is on it's original battery with no problems (yet).
If I remember rightly, the Qashqai (and probably other Nissans) doesn't have an AGM battery. Not too surprising they're failing if so, as AGM is normally required for stop start and other "smart" features.

catso

16,502 posts

297 months

Wednesday 21st November 2018
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blank said:
If I remember rightly, the Qashqai (and probably other Nissans) doesn't have an AGM battery. Not too surprising they're failing if so, as AGM is normally required for stop start and other "smart" features.
Think you maybe right, at least the AA man said something similar.

Best one was a Galaxy that we had, on which the battery failed a week or so after a year and the Ford garage denying a warranty claim as the battery was only covered for 12 months.

Salesman then offered to sell me a new battery, his USP was that it was 'exactly' the same model and with a 3 year warranty, although the asking price was around double the price of Halfords etc. - I had to admire his shameless lack of any guilt/goodwill when he tried it on.

Yertis

Original Poster:

19,728 posts

296 months

Friday 23rd November 2018
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cuprabob said:
I see what you did there hehe
bowtie

It's going in on Monday so we'll see what happens.

Yertis

Original Poster:

19,728 posts

296 months

Monday 26th November 2018
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To conclude, "Defective battery, replaced FoC".

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