UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Bought a new battery less than a month ago and it's flat, is there any common electrical faults with the polos? I notice strange noises coming from the car since I've had the car, I'm going to try my luck and ring vw in the morning see if they can check it out

An auto electrician will need to check problem, may be with alternator

Battery should be under warranty?

How long did the previous one last? Might just be a duff battery, I bought one from a local motor shop once and it was just an old one that they had recharged! Didn't last long lol.

What do you mean by strange noises?

Strange noises are common on cool down! Could be faulty alternator not charging battery properly! Need to test both output voltage and current of alternator, with no load and with a load!

Take it to your local halfords store and they shall do a free battery and alternator test.

VW phoned me and they carried out diagnostic test and they found that the radio is drawing the power, hmmmmm, he advised cost of genuine vw radio is ££££ and buy an after market one, what are your feelings guys?

i found the reciept of the battery and it was 2weeks old not a month

So I'm guessing that the car currently has an aftermarket radio fitted - and who ever fitted it messed up the interconnnections - nice. You can get VW radios on ebay but only buy one that has its security code as without that it is scrap - don't believe anyone that tells you otherwise. There used to be lots of VW service replacement ones being sold on as they became redundant stock - they are a bit of a hit or miss as they can be quite worn.

no thats the thing its the genuine VW radio,ive had the car since 2007 and had it with 3000 on the clock, i havn't touched anything on the radio, i use an Itrip for the ipod from cigarette lighter, i've had a look on EBAY RCD 200s but in the back of my mind will i pick up another fault, i know fault can be in anything,

Hmm sad to hear this. I could be tempted to sell you my RCD200 with code with I took off my GTI. Try me

lol thanks POLOZ - ill think about it,

i picked the car from VW this evening had a nice lengthy chat and stumped them a few times, basicly i walked away with the radio disconnected and didnt pay the diagnostic test sounds bad but i managed to get a ball rolloing see if a genuine VW radio can be replaced, i have asked whats stopping the battery discharging if i put a cd player from my old polo in just a normal cd player, couldnt give me an answer so i asked can you test, the car is going back in saturday bit of fuss....but im a bit in doubt as i havnt tampered with the radio in the car its standard and i only used a cd and an Itrip for IPOD which is plugged in the lighter, and stressed the point i have had the car since 2007, i said i need the car this month as exams and work bla bla i do roughly 60miles a day so the battery is getting the charge, i asked is there common faults and they said no but they slipped up about the golfs radios switching on randomly, so i what was the solution and they said upgraded,

so fingers crossed something may come out of this

update

car went back into VW this morning after checks.....they still dont know whats the problem but werent the radio

but know they've got me taking out a fuse everytime i dont drive the car so thats over night and when parked up in work, great!!!
the fuse seems to power the central locking, front wipers and interior lights,

there is something else still draining the battery with quite high ampage, they did tell me 0.1A and it should be 0.01A

i asked them how far they can go back on the history of the car and managed to find out the car had a new battery in January 2007 and also a new alternator is May 2007 and i had the car in November 2007, so the owner before must have had issues also thats why it had 3000 on the clock when i bought it, i didnt know this until today

they said further checks need to be carried out but looking at a hefty bill!!! as the dash has to be taken out

as the car is out of warranty it seems i got to pay it,

i remember seeing a thread on here a of someone who uploaded a pic of a car and someone said it was theyre car had they needed new looms or something sorry to be vague on that,

anyone got suggestions of what the problem can be?