Battery Power and Condition

[Hyper10]

My Audi has a system which tells me the % of battery charge/power left. At present it shows between 50 and 60%, no matter how much I drive it never goes beyond that.
Today a warning symbol came up telling me the battery had only emergency charge left. This disappeard quickly .
Is the charge level now likely to be the maximum or is there a way of getting it back to a 100% or do I need to worry, the car is 4 yrs old and I assume it is the original battery as I have no record of dealer ever changing it. The car is an A8 4.2TDI
Thanks

[ColinM50]

At 4 years old in a power hungry car like the A8, I'd say you're coming to new battery time. Get a new one now before it gets really cold. Old batteries hate the cold and that's the time you come out in the morning to a flat battery. Buy a properly shaped one now.

Halfords have got 'em for around £100-130

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

[Hyper10]

Thanks, the links appreciated

[Pumaracing]

I find it hard to believe a 4 year old OE battery is already kaput. The one in my Focus is still going strong at over 9 years old despite the car not being used for months at a time.

I suggest you test the actual battery voltage with a digital multimeter and if you don't have one then buy one. Under a tenner from most places for a basic volts, amps, ohms device. A good battery should have 12.6 or more volts with the engine off and 14v or more when the engine's running and the alternator's charging it.

A quick Google reveals that underneath the battery in the A8 is a bunch of electronics that can go haywire if water gets in. Maybe the battery's fine but the warning system or charging system isn't.

[snowmuncher]

Give it a decent charge !

Plug it into a CTEK charger, like a XS800

I've reliably recovered two 'dead' 8+ year old batteries.

[Hyper10]

Thanks for replies, I will let AUDI look at it but at least i've a few thoughts to cover the inevitable story they come up with