Volkswagen Batteries near Cypress, TX

The Ins and Outs of Volkswagen Battery Replacement

Volkswagen battery replacement is no different than replacing the battery in any other make of vehicle. In the simplest sense, it requires finding a battery that physically fits in the area designed to hold the battery, and finding the battery which provides the output voltage required to turn the starter motor with enough force to get the main engine pistons firing. At that point, the engine turns the alternator, which recharges the voltage stored in the battery for the next time it is needed and runs the car's electric systems. After a while, depending on how many times the vehicle is started every day, the battery will lose its capability to maintain that charge and needs replacement. That involves testing the alternator and surrounding electric systems to make sure they are functioning as intended without putting excess stress on the battery, and assuming everything is okay, pulling out the old battery, replacing it with a new one, and resetting the vehicle computer and radio.

How and Why a Battery Goes Dead

The most important “rule” about a battery is that it will generally last until it goes completely dead, then it will never properly recharge. Such a statement isn't completely accurate, if you only use the battery to start the car it will eventually reach its recharge capability limits. The “rule” is true, however, in that if you leave the lights on, play the radio without the engine running, or don't realize the alarm system was triggered until it has worn the battery down, it will never again recharge properly as intended. At this point, the battery will hold enough charge to work, but strange things will start happening.

The Strange Symptoms of a Failing Battery

Electricity is weird, we define it mathematically yet we still don't know exactly what it is or how it always works. A failing battery will likely start the car, but then the radio won't work or perhaps your favorite radio channels will be reset. Maybe the power door lock or window will only work on one door but not the others. All of the various “service engine” lights might come on, which is easy to explain because the systems aren't getting enough electricity to tell the computer they're working correctly. The car might not start, then will start ten minutes later. There's simply no way to predict exactly what might happen when the battery isn't fully functional.