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How long before the battery runs down and the alarm goes off?

MosGolf

New member
Location
London
Car(s)
Golf 7 Estate 1.4TSE
Hello

I need to park my car off airport for a few weeks. I will not be able to plug the battery into a trickle charger. I know the question is a 'piece of string' one (depends on the battery age etc.) but, assuming the battery is in reasonably good nick, how much does the alarm drain and therefore how long before it dies/sounds off before doing so?

Thanks
 

Escape Hatch

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
If you can't park for a few weeks and not worry about it starting then a new battery would be in order. Has the current battery been tested recently? How many miles in the current battery?
 

MosGolf

New member
Location
London
Car(s)
Golf 7 Estate 1.4TSE
I had a look and it seems like the original BEM battery. Couldn't find a manufacturing date but VW seem to say it's good for 6 years. Assuming it's the original, it has done 45k miles/ 72k km at least half on motorways at a steady 2.5-3k rpm. The battery level circle is full black (no liquid missing). I'm looking at about 3 weeks at a time with a fully charged battery.
 

Escape Hatch

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
I had a look and it seems like the original BEM battery. Couldn't find a manufacturing date but VW seem to say it's good for 6 years. Assuming it's the original, it has done 45k miles/ 72k km at least half on motorways at a steady 2.5-3k rpm. The battery level circle is full black (no liquid missing). I'm looking at about 3 weeks at a time with a fully charged battery.
I think you should be fine but if the battery fails I am not paying for the jump.
 

MosGolf

New member
Location
London
Car(s)
Golf 7 Estate 1.4TSE
All looks eminently sensible. There seems to be a macho size race in the various models. My battery is rated 320A so should a 500A jump starter suffice?
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
I had a look and it seems like the original BEM battery. Couldn't find a manufacturing date but VW seem to say it's good for 6 years. Assuming it's the original, it has done 45k miles/ 72k km at least half on motorways at a steady 2.5-3k rpm. The battery level circle is full black (no liquid missing). I'm looking at about 3 weeks at a time with a fully charged battery.
VW says its good for 6 years but 4 is optimistic. Both mine died right after hitting 4
 

Escape Hatch

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
VW says its good for 6 years but 4 is optimistic. Both mine died right after hitting 4
I'm at 62 months and 62k miles on original battery. Driving conditions and climate play a big part in battery life as well.
 

CaptainRatty

Autocross Champion
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Car(s)
MK7 GTI
Right behind you… 51 months and 59k miles. OG battery holding strong.
 

plastermaster

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Gualala
My MK7 was less than a year old when I parked for a week at off airport parking. When I got back the battery was so dead the doors had to be opened manually. I have know idea why it died and I have left it parked other times for that long with no problem. Fortunately the parking lot management had their own jump pack. I suspect it has something to do with hunting for keys or proximity of other cars signals. The other times I parked for that long there weren't other cars around.
 
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