I bought a new Varta battery in July 2019 and paid 366 AUD ( 246 USD)

A couple of weeks ago it failed just out of warranty.

The guy who sold it to me (Battery World) came to my house and tested it

then said it was ok so I set up my multimeter to measure the key off parasitic drain

and found 8 Milli amps! up to 50 Milli amps is ok so I was stumped.

Then I started charging it and watching the voltage when leaving doors open etc (Door lights on)

and I decided that the battery was dodgy and had a second opinion who said the battery was U/S (unservicable)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great! I had found the problem but Battery World would not replace it so I bought another battery elsewhere.

My last Varta lasted 14 years I kid you not.

Told this story to a mech and he said "The don't make them like they used to."

 

Isn't that just true of almost everything these days.
Build to the minimum standard, using the least amount of materials, backed by a warranty that has so many exclusions that unless it is proven to be faulty before you paid for it you likely will get screwed!

At least we have the Consumers Guarantee Act here that puts some power back in the consumer's hands if the product or service has failed to deliver to a satisfactory level. Battery World would have to address it for you up front as the retailer, and then sort it out with their supplier.
Do you not have something similar in place in Aus?

 

The original X350 Varta batteries used silver-calcium technology that required higher-than-normal charging voltages. They typically lasted 8 years or more before they began to lose their capacity.

Johnson Controls acquired Varta and, unfortunately, silver calcium batteries seem to no longer be offered.

One thing to be aware of is that not all batteries can tolerate the higher charging voltages in the X350. AGM batteries in particular often do not respond well to high charging voltage, so many of us have used non-AGM batteries in our X350s.

Cheers,

Don

 

Hi Mark and Don and thank you for your replies.

We do have a small claims tribunal in Victoria and I think it may be possible to make a claim

because I consider that the battery was "not fit for purpose. "Thanks for your suggestions and comments

 

Don, what battery would you recommend now, please?

 

I'm not unsympathetic here....but don't get your hopes up. The battery operated as intended for 4 years, the length of the warranty period. "It didn't last as long as I think it should have" isn't quite the same as "unfit".

Poor/lower quality of replacement parts is becoming the bane of car repair, and the car hobby, across the board.

Cheers
DD

 

I have not researched current battery availability, so I can't give you an informed reply at this time.

When the Varta-made Bosch batteries were discontinued in the U.S., Box, one of our members, found that the Exide NASCAR Global Extreme batteries available at Home Depot stores could tolerate the X350's higher charging voltages, so I used those in several X50s. I don't know if they are still available.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Cheers,

Don

 

Don, at the risk of sounding 'buttery', you are always helpfull!

Just out of interest, here is what 'Copilot' (Windows 11 Artificial Intelligence) has to say to my question posed at the top:

'Do varta batteries still use calcium technology in 2023?Searching the web for: Generating answers for you…

According to the web search results, Varta batteries still use calcium technology in 2023, but they also offer other types of batteries with different chemistries. For example, Varta produces premium batteries for vehicles with non-start-stop technology, such as the Varta Silver Dynamic range, which use calcium/calcium technology12. Calcium/calcium batteries are known for their higher starting power and longer shelf life than conventional lead-acid batteries3.

However, Varta also provides batteries for vehicles with start-stop technology, such as the Varta Start-Stop Plus range, which use absorbent glass mat (AGM) technology1. AGM batteries are more durable and efficient than calcium/calcium batteries, and can handle frequent engine restarts and high electrical demands1.

In addition, Varta is also developing new battery technologies for the future, such as solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries3. Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte in conventional batteries with solid materials, which can improve the energy density, charging speed, and safety of the batteries3. Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and grid storage, and Varta is working on improving their performance and reducing their costs3.

I hope this information is helpful to you. 😊

 

Thank you for your kind words, EsRay!

My recollectoin is that the OE Varta batteries used "Silver/Calcium" technology. The actual amount of silver in the batteries was very low, but for some reason those batteries were very long-lasting. They remained available in Europe, and possibly other parts of the world, for some years after they could no longer be purchased in the U.S. The closest alternative I found at that time were the high-end Bosch batteries, which were made by Varta. I wish we could still get those in the U.S.

Cheers,

Don

 

Deka in Pa makes a great many different brands of batterys.
Believe i read that they were the largest battery mfg in this country.
All i know, is that they have always performed well, for a long while
The shortest lifespan of a motorcycle A G M battery was seven years.
Had another one that still tested as good, after ten years in the bike