Hi Guys,

 

My MY16 Scout is about 4.5 years old and I think the battery may be about due replacement.

 

It’s resting charge under minor load is about 12.2v soon after it’s been topped up with a smart-oxford-motorbike trickle charger via the boot 12v socket.

 

The dealers want the best part of £200 for EFB and £300 for AGM battery, installation and coding, which feels bonkers.

 

I’m not in a massive hurry, but am planning ahead.

 

Can anyone suggest a battery place in or near Nottingham that might be able to re-code the car for a new battery, or is there anyone local who is experienced with VCDS (or OBDEleven???) that might be able to do it for a sensible payment?

 

I’m tempted to buy this : https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/varta/e39/

 

It looks like coding it myself via OBDeleven is in the region of £50+ and the cost of buying VCDS is simply out of scope for this.

Having said that, I’m not sure if OBDeleven might be a good buy for doing other stuff too and I’d welcome your thoughts.

 

 

My alternative is to replace like-for-like for the same spec EFB battery as fitted and call-bull**** on the idea that an identical battery needs re-coding…

 

Cheers!

You don't need to recode anything, just go to a decent tyre fitters and they will use a jump battery connected to the live and earth terminals,  undone them both and replace the battery and then put the terminals back on 

4 hours ago, Jono said:

My alternative is to replace like-for-like for the same spec EFB battery as fitted and call-bull**** on the idea that an identical battery needs re-coding…

 

I'd be tempted by that strategy in your position, but keep tabs on the off load voltage for a few weeks to check that it is, and remains significantly better.   Only if it declines need you consider any further action.

Smart thinking, keeps an open mind on the recieved wisdom but also a watching brief to not waste the new investment.

If the car has stop-start you can fit an exactly the same battery & just run the car ok..however it will take it a while to learn that its got a new battery..telling it it has a new battery even if the same, the ECU "zeros" all the old learnt values which are "bad"...

 

If you change the AH or the type of battery you need to change other parameters...

 

loads of high end tech from top end cars is now in the lower mass produced...

 

I did a how to guide 5yrs ago on this on the MK7 Golf forum.....

 

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-retro-fit-a-bigger-capacity-battery-to-a-mk7-golf.320084/

 

6 hours ago, Jono said:

Hi Guys,

 

My MY16 Scout is about 4.5 years old and I think the battery may be about due replacement.

 

It’s resting charge under minor load is about 12.2v soon after it’s been topped up with a smart-oxford-motorbike trickle charger via the boot 12v socket.

 

The dealers want the best part of £200 for EFB and £300 for AGM battery, installation and coding, which feels bonkers.

 

I’m not in a massive hurry, but am planning ahead.

 

Can anyone suggest a battery place in or near Nottingham that might be able to re-code the car for a new battery, or is there anyone local who is experienced with VCDS (or OBDEleven???) that might be able to do it for a sensible payment?

 

I’m tempted to buy this : https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/varta/e39/

 

It looks like coding it myself via OBDeleven is in the region of £50+ and the cost of buying VCDS is simply out of scope for this.

Having said that, I’m not sure if OBDeleven might be a good buy for doing other stuff too and I’d welcome your thoughts.

 

 

My alternative is to replace like-for-like for the same spec EFB battery as fitted and call-bull**** on the idea that an identical battery needs re-coding…

 

Cheers!

 

If you can get over to Derby, Sunset VW are a brilliant independent specialist who I'm sure will help you out.

I replaced my AGM stop start with a battery from halfords at £125 with trade card and fitted myself.  I never got round to 'recoding' it but in the 1.5 years I had it there were no issues.

I fitted an AGM battery to replace the OEM EFB one (both Varta). I bought the battery myself and had ABTECH, a VAG specialist in Hounsdown near Southampton fit and code it for me. So far so good...

I thought the car had to be told so it could reset it's stop/start cycles and know it had a new battery fitted?

8 minutes ago, NikTheGeek said:

I thought the car had to be told so it could reset it's stop/start cycles and know it had a new battery fitted?

 

That's certainly the claim and it certainly of benefit to the dealer network and battery fitting industry. How necessary it actually is in the real world, as long as the battery-type remains the same? Thats the question...

1 hour ago, Lingnoi said:

I fitted an AGM battery to replace the OEM EFB one (both Varta). I bought the battery myself and had ABTECH, a VAG specialist in Hounsdown near Southampton fit and code it for me. So far so good...

I ALWAYS used Abtech when I lived in Southampton - they were just as competent working on my AUdi RS4 as on SWMBOs Fabia - thoroughly recommended to always do a good job and NEVER do unnecessary work.

40 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

I ALWAYS used Abtech when I lived in Southampton - they were just as competent working on my AUdi RS4 as on SWMBOs Fabia - thoroughly recommended to always do a good job and NEVER do unnecessary work.

 

Good to hear. I've heard good things about them, I'm planning to use them from now on as I've had poor service from the Skoda dealership where I bought the car.

26 minutes ago, Lingnoi said:

Good to hear. I've heard good things about them, I'm planning to use them from now on as I've had poor service from the Skoda dealership where I bought the car.

Not the dreaded Sparshatts? They have to rank amongst the worst dealers IMHO.

On 13/01/2020 at 21:58, fabdavrav said:

If the car has stop-start you can fit an exactly the same battery & just run the car ok..however it will take it a while to learn that its got a new battery..telling it it has a new battery even if the same, the ECU "zeros" all the old learnt values which are "bad"...

 

If you change the AH or the type of battery you need to change other parameters...

 

loads of high end tech from top end cars is now in the lower mass produced...

 

I did a how to guide 5yrs ago on this on the MK7 Golf forum.....

 

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-retro-fit-a-bigger-capacity-battery-to-a-mk7-golf.320084/

 

 

Hi, can you remember which "battery technology" option you selected in the CAN - Gateway when you changed to AGM, I'm asking as I've looked at the options in a 2015 VW Polo 6C and there are a lot of options, the ones that seem close to what I should select are "Fleece" , "GEL" and "binary AGM".  Thanks.

 

Edit:- I'll remove GEL from that option list, so is it "Fleece" or "binary AGM".

Edited 16 February, 20206 yr by rum4mo

18 hours ago, rum4mo said:

 

Hi, can you remember which "battery technology" option you selected in the CAN - Gateway when you changed to AGM, I'm asking as I've looked at the options in a 2015 VW Polo 6C and there are a lot of options, the ones that seem close to what I should select are "Fleece" , "GEL" and "binary AGM".  Thanks.

 

Edit:- I'll remove GEL from that option list, so is it "Fleece" or "binary AGM".

 

Binary AGM for AGM...that's what I've used...

1 hour ago, fabdavrav said:

 

Binary AGM for AGM...that's what I've used...

 

Thanks for that, I should check what the used setting is on my 2011 Audi S4 as it has an AGM from factory, but I suspect that its battery charge management system will be the older BEM or just post BEM set up which uses VW Group part numbers and not a simple set on settings like the newer cars.

 

Fleece gets mentioned a lot as the correct setting and in German battery pages they tend to write AGM as Fleece/AGM - I'm just trying to drill down and end up using the setting that VW Group would use at factory as I can't find anything about the term "binary GM" - I'm not trying to be insulting by asking a question and then not fully accepting the answer, maybe I'm over thinking this charging issue, but as I'm changing I want o make the best correct changes, that is all.

I did a re-code on a Golf Bluemotion a few weeks ago takes 5 mins with VCDS 

There is (at least was, as was ages ago I used them) a VAG electrical specialist at the back of Showcase in Nottingham. Turn right onto Harrimans lane, and it's (was) on the right a few hundred yards down. I think they will still be there but cannot remember the name either.

Maybe worth bearing in mind if you fit your own battery and need it coding or whatever, or go find them and ask their advice and price up coding just in case.

They sorted the gremlins out on my Audi and were reasonable on price too.

 

Sounds crazy to me that you have to get a battery coded tho..........if you do?

@Jono on your Tayna link they have a 'questions and answers' link, and it states that they fit batteries (or at least arrange fitting).......

 

Be worth asking them the question re coding.... 

2 hours ago, Tilt said:

@Jono on your Tayna link they have a 'questions and answers' link, and it states that they fit batteries (or at least arrange fitting).......

 

Be worth asking them the question re coding.... 

 

Yeah, I tried this. The fitter they suggested is actually the Indy garage I use for my wife's car and MOTs, 

 

I asked them to check they could do the coding, and they responded to say they couldn't 😞

On 17/02/2020 at 10:32, nige8021 said:

I did a re-code on a Golf Bluemotion a few weeks ago takes 5 mins with VCDS 

 

I went to recode a friend's 2017 Audi A6 TDI Exec today after it had its battery replaced, previous battery was an EFB, new one is a similar but AGM Yuasa battery - there was no option for "battery technology" - just capacity, manufacturer and serial number, which seemed strange, more investigation required - or did Audi intend to only ever spec an AGM battery for these cars - and somehow it ended up getting an EFB battery fitted prior to being sold as an Approved Used Audi by Audi in Warrington?

I don't recall seeing any option for EFB/AGM or any other type, I can only assume it knows from the manufacturer and the battery part number that it knows what technology the battery is ??

2 hours ago, nige8021 said:

I don't recall seeing any option for EFB/AGM or any other type, I can only assume it knows from the manufacturer and the battery part number that it knows what technology the battery is ??

 

That was how it worked with the original BEM system, but I think car makers might have been told to open things up for the aftermarket and normal garages, and now the only things that get requested are Capacity in AH, battery maker including "not known" and serial number, and on some models "battery technology" so unless the serial numbers are self explanatory then I don't know how it works, and most people say "only need to change a single digit of the serial number to prompt the charging system to know its got a new battery.

 

Depending on the age/VW Group marque the list of battery technology can be quite extensive!

Edited 19 February, 20206 yr by rum4mo

These videos show battery coding with a Ancel VD700 (looks like a Autophix 5600).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP3ycFvtwL4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBo5hrtfpaE

 

The halfords AGMs are rebadged Yuasa and are good quality.