Battery replacement options

[Stubod]

Hi all, may need to get a new battery when lockdown ends.

 

Car is a 2015 1.4tsi (AWD / Stop Start). Halfords are advertising an AGM replacement for around £160?....

 

Is it easy to DIY.....or would anything need "re-programming" when fitted. I have replaced "simple" batteries before, but this battery seems a little more complicated. (NB Halfords offer to fit for £25).

 

Just wondering what others recommend?

 

 Many thanks for any replies...

[Urrell]

15 minutes ago, Stubod said:

NB Halfords offer to fit for £25).

 I doubt if fitting includes BEM coding car to battery if needed, but I think if same power battery used it should be OK if new battery is fully charged when fitted.
Have a look on Tayna batteries site, quality makes and very competitive prices.
https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/

[Stubod]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

 

Just contacted one local tyre/battery indy and they can't do it if Stop/Start, but another local indy has said no problems as they maintain a charge to the system while they change it (?)...more or less same price as Halfords for the battery but the indy price includes fitting. (Both quoting AGM batteries).

 

I am not sure whether my battery is OK or not, it has always read "low", around 11.7 volts but always starts up ok? (Stop Start hardly ever worked from original purchase when the caar was 2 years old).

 

Put it on charge today and after 1.5 hrs "green light" on smart charger says it's full. Measured on voltmeter at 12.5 vols, but seems to start dropping straight away. Left it for a couple of hours and re-checked and it had dropped to 12.05v, but no sign of any further short term drop.

 

I normally put back on charge every 10 days or so at which point it still seems to show around 11.7v before I connect the charger?

 

Regardless i will be waiting until after lockdown before any new purchase...

[Urrell]

1 hour ago, Stubod said:

Just contacted one local tyre/battery indy and they can't do it if Stop/Start, but another local indy has said no problems as they maintain a charge to the system while they change it

That has nothing to do with coding the battery, if doing it without maintaining a charge the only things lost will be trip mileages and time, just needs time to be entered, there will be a few fault lights but they will clear within a couple of hundred yards.
Has your battery got a BEM (Battery Energy Management) code on it?

[Stubod]

ta for the info..I will check the battery tomoz!!!

[Austin 7]

Hi Subod

 

Just wondering if it's your voltmeter you need to replace rather than your battery !  Can you borrow another voltmeter for comparison ?

[Urrell]

Another thing is I only learnt recently is that cars like my Greenline II run the battery at a lower voltage to leave room for topping up with energy from braking regeneration.

 

[Stubod]

...I think my voltmeter is OK....I also checked our other car which is fairly new (thankfully not a stop start model), and that normally shows around 13.2 volts when fully charged.

 

I also have a couple of those digital readouts plugs that you put into your cigarette socket and both of them show a similar reading (+/- 0.1v).

 

Not sure mine has any brake regeneration system?!

 

Not had chance to check the BME code as it's rather cold and snowing outside at the mo!!

 

..and thanks for the feedback..

 

It's a shame that manufacturers make something as simple as changing a battery into something so complex!!