[Cgorney44]

Wondering if anyone has had battery issues and if there has been any news on when new batteries will be available. I'm on my third battery in less than two years. I live in MN and the cold has killed my battery twice. The first time the dealer lied to me and said VW had fixed the issue with a new battery design. Then it happened again. This time I demanded the truth and the dealer told me no new issue had been released but one was on the way. Not holding my breath.

 

[Kamron]

Have you tried hooking up your battery to a tender on those colder evenings? Sometimes is just the contacts that will prevent the car from turning over during extreme temps. There have been plenty of reports of battery issues on the Atlas, with no official solution or fix from VW. https://ca.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t73111_ds837472

 

[Cgorney44]

The first time it happened we were winter camping. Temps around -10. Usually I keep it garaged but the second time the temp wasn’t even below zero. I shouldn’t have to deal with a tender unless it’s -20. I’ve lived in MN FOR 20+ years and the only time I had an issue on a vehicle it was -30.

 

[hfqkhal]

Have you tried hooking up your battery to a tender on those colder evenings? Sometimes is just the contacts that will prevent the car from turning over during extreme temps. There have been plenty of reports of battery issues on the Atlas, with no official solution or fix from VW. https://ca.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t73111_ds837472

people who are having battery issues are getting replacements ones which are made by a different manufacturer. The first ones were having cell issues and the new ones have resolved the issues.

 

[erickandgen]

We also had to change our battery at about 7 months. The remote start feature of our 2018 Atlas SEL R line stopped working and the dealer told us that the battery’s charge was very low so they replaced it. Remote start worked for about a week then failed again. Long story short, it turned out that it was somehow related to the catalytic converter which was replaced as well (plus fuel injector before that). Going back to the battery issue, we haven’t had to replace it after the replacement was installed.

 

[Vwgrog]

In January 2019, my car was struggling to start. My VW dealership said to bring it in ASAP. Battery test didn't pass and I was given new battery. A week later I had to bring it back for them to do some type of software update related to the battery. Two months later, my car was struggling to start again. Took it in but they said it passed the battery test. Maybe related to weather they said, but I doubt it...

 

[northstar]

It might be a good idea to ask for the battery information. Even if it means asking the parts desk guy. Good information to know if you want to be proactive at keeping issues like this at bay. From my experience, having that sort of knowledge goes a long way.

 

[irhutch]

How long is the original battery warrantied for ?

 

[Davep]

I had minor starting issues in -30C weather a month ago, so when I went in for my first major service I asked them to look into it a bit. I also wanted to know if a block heater retrofit was possible; answer, not really since the block heater is installed in the water pump. Anyway, after a very long wait to recharge the battery they declared it a pass; 12.44 V and 383 Amps compared to a normal battery voltage of 12.8, and rated 420 Amps. I was startled to learn the battery was down so much. A week prior I had spent 20 hours (in 2 days) on the road, so it had ample time to fully charge the battery.
I have determined that my Atlas has the EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery). I believe the alternative battery is the AGM. From what I have read, the battery type needs to be entered into the car computer so that the charging system knows the correct charging voltage to apply. I checked out the battery again a couple of days ago, and before starting it was down to about 12.1V, and upon starting was getting 15.0V at idle. Since normal battery voltage is about 12.8V when fully charged, in good condition and with the surface charge drained off I believe the battery to be in marginal condition at best. Also, the charging voltage seems to be a little high since a max of 14.8 at mid RPMs is typical. But I understand that the AGM needs a higher voltage; perhaps 15.6V.
So, it does seem important to correctly identify the battery in the car's computer. But if the information is not correct then I can foresee problems; overcharging a EFB on AGM setting and undercharging an AGM at EFB setting. I had get the correct info on the battery to set the correct mode on my new battery charger NOCO G7200. I think that makes six so far, but the only one that can safely be used on some of the new batteries.