I doubt they'll put it in writing, so I'd ask them to prove it's normal behavior with tregs. Obviously most of us don't have this issue. I do NOT lock my cars in my garage(that would be dumb). I have left my reg for 5+ days with no ill effects. If they can't show it to be normal behavior, then they need to fix it. And, if it is normal, then it's just WRONG. You should not HAVE to lock your car to keep it from killing the battery. There is NO excuse for this, and at a minimum if this ONE car needs this special care there should have been mention of it in some document.

What was the value when you turned the key to ACC [engine not started]?
What was/is the value when you have driven the car 10+ minutes?

And last ....

Have you ever received the message "Electric Consumers Off" in your MFI?

You definately need to see the voltage after you switch the vehicle to ACC mode, again before starting. That test should be done 10 minutes after you have driven the car for more than 15 minutes, as well as in the morning, after the car has sat overnight. That will give you a baseline as to the batteries condition after sitting.

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12+ volts after sitting 10 minutes 'may' mean a good battery
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< 12 volts after sitting 10 minutes 'may' mean a bad battery, dead/shorted cell etc.
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< 8volts, the MFI issues a 'Priority-One' error message, 'Electric Consumers Off', and shuts down high-amperage devices like the seat heaters etc.
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< 12 volts in the morning probably means you have something drawing current and not shutting down, or you have some dark currents if you passed the 10 min. test.
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Touareg batteries are only 650 CCA, and are in stock at VW dealers.

You just might have an electrical accessory that does not go to sleep, and does draw current draining the battery.

What these dealers need is a DC Inductive Amp Meter, they can clamp around the 'elusive'' positive battery cable, assuming they can find the bless-ed battery under the seat.

If they see some currents [someone says 6 amps?], they could then go the the fuse box, and test every circuit for current draw. If the NAV/RADIO fuse/circuit breaker, when the car is off, says its drawing some current, they found the cullprit. Now fixing it would be a different matter.

I belief is that Touareg's have ground problems, and are suffering from inadequete ground, or ground loops, which in turn effect accessories, or the 'many' logic ECU's on the CAN-BUS.

- SlotCAR

1st: Attach their diagnostic device to the OBDII port [by the brake, like you said] and dump any diagnostic codes.

2nd: Pull the battery, and do a load test - My info above is a 'poor-mans' load test, not even close to what the dealer can do for you. It's just a self-help process to get an idea of what is going on.

PLEASE - Keep us informed on what happens.

The BEST of luck with the Dealer ....

- SlotCAR

I bought a smart battery charger from www. batterymart.com called the BatteryMinder. It's a smart charger that plugs into your ciggarette lighter. It can charge then switch to trickle and even pulse to prevent sulfation. It won't overcharge your battery. It works great!

2004 T-reg V8 offroad gray, air,nav,xenons, convenience
2002 Porsche 911 targa
2004 RX330

Of course, if that is defective you could be correct ...

- SlotCAR

My service dept. suggested I leave the car UNLOCKED (ie, without the alarm on) while in my garage and ever since I started doing that I have had no problems with the battery not reporting full charge and then the alternator workshop kicking on and then pulling the battery up to full charge (my previous problem).

Doesn't make much sense to me, but it has worked fine with ZERO alternator/battery problems since then.

It just goes to show you 'we' dont' have the answers to this type of problem, and either do the Dealers. Alot of mis-information out there, and alot of fixes by 'trial and error' methods, in my opinion.

Thanks for your input, it makes more sense to me then the "locking and arming the car" statements to make it sleep.

I believe the T does draw alot of power, and these batteries need a full charge when delivered from the dealer to get the batteries topped-off and off to a good start.

- SlotCAR

I have heard by my dealer that it draws 6 amps unless locked but I don't believe this. There is no reason for this.

I think we should all test our touaregs by letting it sit for 2-3 days straight and try to start it. Unfortunately it may take numbers for VWoA to realize this is a serious issue.

I expect to hear back from the dealer tommorrow about what they found. I too will try and post what was found.

This problem may take care of itself with the passage of time. In many states, after some time period, the car becomes a defined lemon and you give it back to VW and retrieve the full purchase price. Check your state Lemon Law Statutes here:

http://www.lemonlawamerica.com...a.htm

VW & VWOA would be doing you and themselves a favor to become more responsive especially with a $35,000+ vehicle.

I hope this is useful to you. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

ctdw

I ordered the BatterMinder for $39.95 and added the cigg adaptor for $6. It works great in my Touareg and yes the cig ligter socket is live when the car is off. I hook it overnight once a week and it's amazing that even with a 14amp alternator the battery does drain and require charging. The BatteryMinder is relatively inexpensive and is a smart charger so you can't dry out your batteries. It will also pulse to prevent sulfation which is the #1 killer of battery life. As you know, heat kills batteries also. In Houston, Texas batteries don't last more than 3 years. I do alot of short drives and with all the electronics I highly recommend a charger to everyone. I first learned about using a battery maintainer when my Porsche 2002 Targa died on me at work. I had it towed to a Porsche dealer (major f-ing ordeal) and he said with all the electronics even when the car is off there is a constant battery drain. Lucky for me Porsche warranty picked up the tab for a new battery but the dealer said it only covers one battery replacement. He recommended a battery maintainer and ever since I have had no problems ever.

There is a post regarding a second battery but I that is only for the v10 diesel in Europe. The plugs in diesels require more juice hence the 2nd batttery. Not an issue for us in the US.

Merry Xmas everyone

PS Buy a battery maintainer...It beats buying a new battery or worse the hassle of getting a jump or having your vehicle towed. I also have the Battery Tender another nice unit for my motorcylce ( Sold it with the new family addition)

Received the car yesterday, after two weeks. Replaced the battery with a larger battery and the compess control unit. I really believe they do not know the problem. They recommended I leave the car armed at all times, eventhought the test run do not indicated a drain when it unarmed. When the car is armed if a interior light or something is left on ( any ecu) it will force them to sleep after twnety minutes. When I get a few minutes I would post the exact specifications of the new battery.

Personally, I'd leave the alarm off in my garage, and let it die, if it will. VW needs to fix the problem or replace the car. There is no excuse for a car killing its battery in just a few days.(except for user error such as headlights left on).

ctdw

If my dealer had told me I had to LOCK my truck in my garage to keep the battery from dieing, I would NOT have purchased it. This would be a deal-breaker for me. Especially if it was a $75k automobile.