Replaced battery in 2019 Jetta.

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Apr 13, 2013
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Location
FL, USA
My mother in law sent me a text this evening saying her CEL was on in her 2019 Jetta SE (21,000 miles). I told her I’d come scan the codes after work. It came back with a P0071. I googled it and couldn’t find anything rock solid as to what the problem could be.

During diagnostics I tried to start the car….click, click, click. No juice.

The car is 3 years old with 21k miles which seems a bit premature for an OEM battery. Our 2014 Jettas factory battery made it a bit over 3 years, but with around 40K miles before it needed a replacement.

At any rate, I told her if it was one of my cars I’d go ahead and replace. I offered a jump but we both agreed it would likely be a matter of time before it died again, and next time it may not be as convenient as in her garage.

The factory battery did not have any markings showing what size / group it was. Naturally I Googled but had quite a difficult time finding a definitive answer. Possible options were H5, H6 and H7. I took the old battery with me to Walmart hoping someone could confirm size. Unfortunate their database only listed VW’s through 2017! The end result was me buying the H5 as visibly it was a match.

I installed the battery after some fussing with the battery cover, pressed the start button and it started up as strong as ever….with about every dash light and warning message illuminated and flashing!

I cleared the CEL, and upon driving off all the other lights and messages went away. I did 4 drive cycles and no more CEL!

Hopefully this story is closed. She made a dealer appointment for the CEL before I came over but they were booked out for 2 more weeks. She will keep the appt for a few days to make sure the CEL stays off

The odd thing is there were no issues prior to the no start.

Anyway, that’s all.
 
Batteries are a roll of the dice...they can last 2 years or 10.
That seems very true. She mentioned that she never recalled having to replace a battery on any of her cars except her Elantra back in the early 2000’s, but she owned that car for a while so that was expected.
 
I took the old battery with me to Walmart hoping someone could confirm size. Unfortunate their database only listed VW’s through 2017! The end result was me buying the H5 as visibly it was a match.
Why didn't you just go to the VW dealer and get it replaced for free under the 6 year 72,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty?
 
Why didn't you just go to the VW dealer and get it replaced for free under the 6 year 72,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty?
I highly doubt batteries are covered. I think I asked about that when our last one died.
 
My 04' Beetle TDI ate a battery every 18-24 months for it's entire life. VW had a 3 year free replacement warranty, and the replacement batteries for some reason got a brand new warranty so the car always got free batteries. It was crammed under the hood and they'd install it too.

Aunt's 13' Beetle TDI had the OE battery die at ~20 months. Extended warranty covered the replacement.

They might be a little tough on batteries, and with such low miles it may be sitting at 90% charge all the time.
 
Not sure. Why?
I would think that is in reference to the temperature inside of a closed outdoor garage in Florida in the summer being akin to being in a solar oven.

One of the best Electonics Engineers I ever worked with one day told me that most chemical reactions happen twice as fast for every increase of 10 degree C ( 18 degree F ) . And while chemistry was not what his doctorate was in, he was unbelievably right about almost anything he did or said. I do not know the exact relation to speeds of chemical processes and suspect that it might be more tied to the distance that the temperatures are from absolute zero. But any way you look at it, the average ambient temperature that the battery is exposed to has a huge effect on how fast the chemistry of it ( think acid ) causes things to wear out.

Take that same battery and put it in an identical vehicle and park it in an underground garage ( something almost unheard of in Florida ), and with only a change in average ambient temperature of being 18 F lower the battery may very well last twice as long.

As another example, batteries in Arizona do not last long.

So, the question about if it was parked in a closed garage is a good one, especially considering that the OP is in Florida.

And if it is kept in an outdoor garage, it might be a good idea to look at how hot it gets in that garage on summer day, and means of reducing that temperature such as ventilations methods.

Also, hot ambient temperature storage of vehicles can degrade the life of tires, rubber seals, hoses, belts, interiors, and probably several other items.
 
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I highly doubt batteries are covered. I think I asked about that when our last one died.

Most 2018 and 2019 models are covered by what Volkswagen called The People First Warranty, or a New Vehicle Limited Warranty. This bumper-to-bumper, transferable warranty lasts six years or 72,000 miles, whichever comes first.

This warranty provides limited coverage of your powertrain, battery, brake pads and shoes, wheel alignment, paint, wiper blades, and mechanical adjustments (parts must be supplied by Volkswagen).
 
Not sure. Why?

Owners Manual > Charging, replacing, disconnecting, and connecting the vehicle battery > What drains the vehicle battery?

  • Long periods when the engine is not running, especially when the ignition is on.
  • Using electrical systems or devices when the engine is switched off.
  • Leaving the vehicle unlocked for several days when not in use.
  • Leaving the selector lever for a long period of time in any position other than Park (P) when the ignition is switched off.
 
Owners Manual > Charging, replacing, disconnecting, and connecting the vehicle battery > What drains the vehicle battery?

  • Long periods when the engine is not running, especially when the ignition is on.
  • Using electrical systems or devices when the engine is switched off.
  • Leaving the vehicle unlocked for several days when not in use.
  • Leaving the selector lever for a long period of time in any position other than Park (P) when the ignition is switched off.
It’s driven almost daily. So I’m this case that isn’t the issue. Good info though.
 
Exactly.
While it's true that batteries age more quickly in hotter environments
'a bit over 3 years' is still a short life. Perhaps leaving the car unlocked
or something similar added to the heat. I'd still try to get it covered
over warranty. Hope you still have the old one.
 
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