DeerHunter

My dealer "included" a tender (well, they charged 3X the retail price, as part of a prep package) and hooked it directly to the battery in the trunk. The tender fits nicely next to the spare tire.

fEArmE

Interesting. But how do you keep the trunk close while in use?

DeerHunter

Never used it yet. I would think that the trunk would have to remain open, though, depending upon the thickness of your power cord.

JRomulus

Interesting topic.
Not to wander too far away, but has anyone ever had to buy a new battery for a C7 model? And if so, how much? I cannot seem to find an OEM price online.
Also looking for how many years people get from their batteries on an A6, under "normal" conditions, whatever that is. Minimum of 4, maximum of 6??

Thanks.

dicktahoe

A well-cared-for battery (one that has not suffered a total discharge) should last at least 5-years, probably 6 but don't push it past 7. It's a good idea to have a battery maintainer for modern cars that use a keep-alive for various options.

I think the best maintainer is made in Sweden. CTEK (56-864) MUS 4.3 12-VoltBattery Charger (available on Amazon). It comes with an easy-connect eyelet connector and cable that you can install under the hood on the connectors that are there.

uberwgn

One can use their VCDS cable to go in and review the condition and aging of the battery:

kaorisdad

I have used the Battery Tender 'Junior' for several years on my 1981 911SC. Inexpensive and they work great. No problems now. Previously, my battery would constantly drain after about 7-8 days of non-use, and there are a lot less current draws on my 911 compared to all the electronics on my A6. I bought some Battery Tender extension cables that attach to the battery that snakes out my frunk.

I assume these are ok for our A6s, but my A6 is my DD.

subterFUSE

I use this one:



I just connect it to the positive and ground terminals under the front hood.
This model has enough juice to actually power the car while I am tuning the car stereo. It will power all of the high-current amplifier and the rest of the car's electronics without the need to run the engine.