# 3.2 - which battery?



## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Hi all

Fitted a new battery in my 2003 3.2 in 2009 and today it won't start - I don't use it much and I'm guessing that after some 8 years it is time for a new battery. The one in there at the moment is a BOSCH S6 001 but I can't seem to find one online. Even Eurocarparts only seem to stock up to the S5?

Just wondering what you guys and using? Could do without a really expensive battery right now but want one which is up to the task of course.

Thanks.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

As it is inside the car, it should be an AGM, but mine isn't and I suspect a lot more aren't too.
But make sure the vent pipe is still there and attached. Mine was missing, so had to make one up to stop the battery venting inside.

So a normal high capacity 096 battery would be ok, saying that, mine is actually a "100" size (175mm high instead of 190mm high) but I'm not going to replace it early just for that!


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> The one in there at the moment is a BOSCH S6 001 but I can't seem to find one online. Even Eurocarparts only seem to stock up to the S5?


and it look like the S6 range has been absorbed into the S5 range.
ie there is the S5008 (5-year std battery for £186) and the S5A08 (3-year AGM for £310).


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks David. Over £300?! I "only" paid £137 fitted for the S6 that's in there now. I know some time has passed but that's a crazy price! Eurocarparts have the BOSCH S5 096 for £186 but they have 35% off this weekend - do you think that would suit? I can't tell whether it has a vent pipe but it is 190mm high which you say is correct?

I take it they're easy enough to fit?!


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

What's this one? Seems a lot cheaper for an AGM?

https://www.tayna.co.uk/S5-A08-Bosch-AG ... P9809.html


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## Hooligan (Aug 16, 2016)

Hi RobLE, I recently fitted one of these to my 3.2 and works a treat and fits nicely in the boot area.

Type 096 Bosch S4008 Car Battery 12V 74Ah and paid £95.00 from my local garage.

Cheers Hooligan


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> What's this one? Seems a lot cheaper for an AGM?
> 
> https://www.tayna.co.uk/S5-A08-Bosch-AG ... P9809.html


That's the one ECP have for £310...! That is a much nicer price. 



RobLE said:


> I take it they're easy enough to fit?!


Very easy.
Think it is a 10mm spanner for the terminals (the std spanner in the boot fits anyway) and a deep 13mm socket on an extension for the clamp in the corner.

All batteries have vents on each end, they come with little plastic bungs to block of the unused one.
In the boot battery box there should be a pipe going through a rubber grommet in the floor with a 90deg connection into the vent hole on the end of the battery. Mine was missing and a guy in Halfords gave me one for free when I was buying some tubing to make a new one.


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## Hooligan (Aug 16, 2016)

Try the batterymegastore.co.uk - they have them for £88.00 vat inc - :lol:


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks - if the vent pipe is a narrow black tube it doesn't look like mine is connected anyway!

What is an AGM battery anyway? That one from the link I sent, of correct, seems much better value - are the terminals in the right place?

I looked at the S4 on Eurocarparts but it's nearly as expensive as the S5 on there.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

Hooligan said:


> Try the batterymegastore.co.uk - they have them for £88.00 vat inc - :lol:


Which one for £88...?
The Varta 096 AGM is £133 on that site.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> Thanks - if the vent pipe is a narrow black tube it doesn't look like mine is connected anyway!
> 
> What is an AGM battery anyway? That one from the link I sent, of correct, seems much better value - are the terminals in the right place?
> 
> I looked at the S4 on Eurocarparts but it's nearly as expensive as the S5 on there.


AGM means it doesn't have liquid acid sloshing around inside it, so much safer when it is inside the car. They are also used on modern stop-start cars now.
The Bosch S5A08 in your link is the 096 size, so terminals all in the correct place.


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## Hooligan (Aug 16, 2016)

I fitted this one - Type 096 Bosch S4008 Car Battery 12V 74Ah now selling at £88.00 on the batterymegastore
It fits a really nicely and terminals correct size and location - hope this helps 

Also the link below orignally supplied by Hoggy when I was researching which battery to use on my 3.2 but slightly higher in price!

https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/b ... 3-present/


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks all - I'm guessing the AGM one on Tanya batteries for £139.95 might be worth it then as it's over £300 on ECP and it is the correct one - it's either that or the standard Bosch S5 for £101.40 on ECP incl. the discount.

The AGM with delivery is around £48 more - so you think it's worth that? Is the only difference the AGM and is the TT meant to have that as standard?

Just looked again - ECP have two S5 batteries listed - one for £155.99 and one for £185.99 (before the 35% discount). Does anyone know the difference and why one is dearer?! EDIT - just noticed the cheaper one is 027 so the 096 is actually £120.90.

Cheers.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> Just looked again - ECP have two S5 batteries listed - one for £155.99 and one for £185.99 (before the 35% discount). Does anyone know the difference and why one is dearer?!


The £155.99 is an 027 size. Only 242mm long. That is the size used in the front of 1.8T TT.
The V6 battery in the back is the 278mm long 096 size.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> The AGM with delivery is around £48 more - so you think it's worth that? Is the only difference the AGM and is the TT meant to have that as standard?
> 
> Just looked again - ECP have two S5 batteries listed - one for £155.99 and one for £185.99 (before the 35% discount). Does anyone know the difference and why one is dearer?! EDIT - just noticed the cheaper one is 027 so the 096 is actually £120.90.


To be honest, I prefer the idea of being able to pick up the battery locally, so much easier for an exchange if it fails during the 5-year warranty, so I'd probably go for the S5008 from ECP.

But yes the TT V6 is supposed to have an AGM (due to being inside the car), but when the time comes, unless there is an AGM locally for a good price, I probably would stick with a normal battery.


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks for all the help. It's a good point David (didn't think of that!) but too late now as I've ordered the AGM one from Tanya, delivery tomorrow so I can hopefully fit it over the weekend.

If it fails during the 5 years I'll have to deal with it then! The current BOSCH one has lasted over 8 years so not bad - one of the reasons I wanted one with a 5 year warranty.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> ..I've ordered the AGM one from Tanya, delivery tomorrow.


What did that come to inc delivery?


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

David C said:


> RobLE said:
> 
> 
> > ..I've ordered the AGM one from Tanya, delivery tomorrow.
> ...


£148 - but typically they've just phoned to say they can't get it to me by tomorrow now which doesn't help as the whole point was to fit it over the weekend! Looks like I'll be back to Eurocarparts after all now then for an S5 096 at £120!

As you said I suppose - at least if there is an issue it can be sorted locally!


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## black9146 (Jul 3, 2014)

Think AGM batteries have gel inside them as the electrolyte rather than liquid acid. Its in case you roll the car - you wouldn't want battery acid leaking in to the interior of the car. Motorhomes have AGM batteries fitted if the battery is fitted inside the motorhome for the above reason.


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

i use an agm battery made by 'kinetic' they do a huge range, but i really really want a lithium battery, when i can afford one.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7342_Kinetik-HC1800-KHC1800.html


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> David C said:
> 
> 
> > RobLE said:
> ...


That is what I hate most about the bargain mail-order companies (and a lot of eBay sellers too), that everything is "in stock for next day delivery"...... until you actually order it, then its out of stock as it is actually coming direct from the distributor and they are out of stock... :roll: 
At least they told you... a couple of years ago I ordered a rad fan, usual next day delivery.... but nothing arrived.... I emailed and eventually got the reply that the UK distributor was out of stock, so would come from their main warehouse in Germany, except they didn't have any either... :evil: 
It eventually turned up, but meant my TT was off the road for a couple of weeks.


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## desertstorm (Apr 25, 2017)

David C said:


> As it is inside the car, it should be an AGM, but mine isn't and I suspect a lot more aren't too.
> But make sure the vent pipe is still there and attached. Mine was missing, so had to make one up to stop the battery venting inside.
> 
> So a normal high capacity 096 battery would be ok, saying that, mine is actually a "100" size (175mm high instead of 190mm high) but I'm not going to replace it early just for that!


You don't need to have an AGM battery if it's mounted in the car. There are millions of cars with normal lead acid batteries. They should have a vent tube connected if they are a wet cell battery.
My A4 B8 3.0TDI has a 110AH wet cell battery in the boot as standard.


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## infidel.uk (Feb 21, 2015)

i suspect some cars that have the battery in the boot use non agm because the battery is not sharing the same cabin space, the tt is wide open bar a flimsy parcel shelf.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, The majority of lead/acid batteries are of the sealed variety so venting of gases is not something to worry about.
Hoggy.


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

Hoggy said:


> The majority of lead/acid batteries are of the sealed variety so venting of gases is not something to worry about.


They're still vented.
One vent hole in each end and a blanking plug to fill the unused one.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

David C said:


> Hoggy said:
> 
> 
> > The majority of lead/acid batteries are of the sealed variety so venting of gases is not something to worry about.
> ...


Hi, The "sealed" lead/acid has pressure regulated valve & will only vent when this pressure is exceed & in theory will never vent under normal condition. A normal lead/acid battery is venting to atmosphere all the time & in theory 60 times more than a sealed one.
Hoggy.


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Ordered from Eurocarparts online at 1445 and delivered by 1700, without delivery charge (nearest store is 15 miles away). Now that's service!

So do I need to connect the vent pipe when I fit the battery over the weekend?


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## David C (Apr 15, 2013)

RobLE said:


> So do I need to connect the vent pipe when I fit the battery over the weekend?


Yes.
It just plugs in the end, and put the blank on the other side.

Audi felt the need for a vent pipe, so why not plug it in.


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## RobLE (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks for all your help - I've changed the battery - and as a bonus the engine management light won't need resetting anymore, either, as that's now unlit!


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## espressomac (May 17, 2015)

Recently went through the process of replacing the battery in my 3.2 V6. There was a lot of good information on TTforum but I learned that a lot of the products and brands available in the UK are somewhat different than the options and model names available stateside.

Anyway, I decided against an AGM for a number of reasons, and opted to get a Bosch S5. (Over here, Bosch AGM's are all S6's-don't know if that change has been made on the other side of the pond.)

*Bang for the Buck:*
Of the options I considered, the Bosch H6-760B from Pep Boys offered the best bang for the buck. I calculated 'bang for the buck' by multiplying the CCA of the battery by its warranty in years and then dividing by the price. The H6-760B-a battery that after looking at product photos was clear that it very closely resembles the Bosch S5532B-gave me a CCA-years per dollar of 17.14. Another good bang for the buck came from the Sears DieHard with a value of 16.50. I recently had a bad customer service experience at my local Sears so I chose not to consider it. YMMV.

*Size:*
The battery I was replacing, an ACDelco 48PS, is a Group Size 48 so that's the size I figured would fit right in. With the measurements of the 48PS I was able to predetermine if the batteries I was considering would fit, and the H6-760B did. No mods on the clamp. BTW, the ACDelco came with the TT when I bought it and I noticed it had a build year of 2012, so it certainly lasted a good while.










View attachment Audi TT Battery comparison.pdf


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