Will my car die if I replace the battery??

[Q102]

Battery is playing up, it did last year as well as the nights get darker and my trips are too short to charge it vey well.

I get a Stop start error and EPC light when I start the engine, clears if I switch the engine off & on again.

 

Is it possible in the days of modern ECUs etc for me to disconnect it to replace the battery? I may be able to knock up a few cables to piggy back the new one in during the swap over?

[Kenny R]

Easy enough to change battery with no apparent faults, but new battery really  does need to be coded to car using VCDS or similar after fitting.

[Danoid]

I believe I read it on here that when you change the battery you need to start the car and do full steering lock left and right a few times, and yes get it coded in, as long as the battery size is the same you’re good the other code can literally be any value, just something different to the previous value as I believe not all batteries have the correct stickers

 

https://youtu.be/IJAScg6JrYI 

[Gammyleg]

I changed mine a few weeks ago. Tried to piggy back off another battery but gave up as space was a bit tight & +ve cable clamp was hard to secure firmly enough.

 

The alarm went off during the change over. Switched ignition on & off a couple of times which seemed to fix it but not really sure what I did that caused it to stop.

 

Was able to partially code-in the new battery but could only to change the Ah setting from 65ah to 68ah and the manufacturer to Varta ( no serial no. on the new battery ). Noted at this point that the old battery hadn't been coded at all!

 

Had a load of error codes pop up once finished but these disappeared after a run out. 

 

99% of memory settings seemed to remain intact with the exception of the dipping passenger mirror when selecting reverse. All infotainment settings survived.

Edited 24 October, 2022 by Gammyleg
extra item added.

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

Just follow the instructions in your Owner's Manual (other than perhaps it's insistence that it's a Dealership/garage job).  Look up what needs resetting on your vehicle, often it's not as much as listed in the Owner's Manual.

 

You don't say what year your car is so just general advice -

. recoding the new battery will speed up the car 'learning' the battery is now better

. disconnect the vehicle battery with the the ignition turned off

. before disconnecting the battery, close the electric windows, sunroof stuff, boot tailgate and all the windows

. you might have to reset the time of day clock (that's all I really needed to do on my wife's 2015 Fabia but I check the other stuff it mentioned for that model just in case as VW computers are nasty bits of work and you don't want to upset them.

 

ETA: Link to download PDF version of Owner's Manual. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

 

 

Edited 24 October, 2022 by nta16
ETA

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

38 minutes ago, Gammyleg said:

Was able to partially code-in the new battery but could only to change the Ah setting from 65ah to 68ah and the manufacturer to Varta ( no serial no. on the new battery ). Noted at this point that the old battery hadn't been coded at all!

I was was changing the battery, having learnt from someone else doing the coding last time, I'd not bother changing the manufacturer of the battery as on my wife's 2015 Fabia it was a three character code (JBC) that wasn't shown on the new battery and the new battery was a Bosch which I'm told is just a label as the battery is actually made by Varta.

 

The serial number from the factory for the battery was 1111111111 (same as for other Fabias) this was altered to 1111111112.

 

In my case the battery type was change from EFB.

 

The vehicle's computer program only seemed to really need to know the type of battery it was and its Ah and to perhaps recognise that the battery was new as it was change and not the old worn battery that was there before.

 

 

55 minutes ago, Gammyleg said:

The alarm went off during the change over. Switched ignition on & off a couple of times which seemed to fix it but not really sure what I did that caused it to stop.

55 minutes ago, Gammyleg said:

Had a load of error codes pop up once finished but these disappeared after a run out. 

 I could be wrong but this suggests to me that you might not have read, or fully read, the relevant Owner's Manual or not fully followed its advice/instructions.  PDF copies of the Owner's Manuals can be downloaded from the following link if required. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

 

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

To finish, despite what some think or say the car battery can be recharged using a suitable battery recharger if the battery has been depleted too much for the normally driving to get the alternator to do the job.  Also of course if the battery is old and had too much use (and/or abuse) it may be difficult to fully revive it for many reasons.

 

The following is from the 05.2016 Superb Owner's Manual. -

Edited 25 October, 2022 by nta16

[Q102]

16 hours ago, nta16 said:

 

You don't say what year your car is so just general advice -

 

 

 

My car is a 2019 1.5TSi dsg

[j caff]

Could you use a cigarette lighter type memory retaining device in the boot, hooked up to a small motorbike battery during the changeover. The socket in the boot is permanently live. 

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

29 minutes ago, Q102 said:

My car is a 2019 1.5TSi dsg

You've got those, to me not so convenient at times, digital type of Owner's Manual.  The 8.7.2019 version has basically the same as the earlier versions, except as Gammyleg seemed to get with his earlier model, a few warning lights come on for "a short distance".

 

It may be that with other marques disconnecting the car battery has a load more hassle but not the Skoda models according to the few Owner's Manuals I've looked at on the subject.

 

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

30 minutes ago, j caff said:

Could you use a cigarette lighter type memory retaining device in the boot, hooked up to a small motorbike battery during the changeover. The socket in the boot is permanently live. 

It's different strokes for different folks, each to their own and people can do as they please but according to what's in the Owner's Manuals you don't need to use any sort of memory saver, plus I think the effect of disconnecting the battery (computer "turning it off 'n' on agen") can be a useful reset to help some programs from not getting their knickers in a twist as we all know and have experienced they sometimes can, just my not technical experience tho'.

 

I was surprised to find with my wife's 2015 Fabia that only the time of day clock needing resetting despite the list for resetting having a few more items on it.

 

I'd be more wary with the likes of BMW and Merc car battery or batteries as they seem to like even more complex computer programs and more computers and sensors than even VW.

 

Edited 25 October, 2022 by nta16

[Q102]

Update. New battery fitted by Halfords mobile today - easier for them to come to me.

£187 fitted, he said the car only needs coding if battery was completely flat.

Fitted in less than 10 mins, dash lit up like a Christmas tree at first startup.... TPS, start stop and ESC errors. Turned steering to full lock eacy way, errors gone and didn't re-appear.

 

As we are driving to the Alps in a few weeks time and car will be parked in very cold temps for a week, didn't fancy trying to get a push start😂

Old battery wasn't holding charge, STOP START hardly ever worked.

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

Thanks for reporting back.

 

Do bear in mind your new battery is still just a store (or like a bank account) you can still empty or over deplete it so if you still do short journeys you might want to consider buying an appropriate battery charger and maintainer and not to let the battery get so low for so long, £187 should jog your memory.  Try not to let the battery get as low as the start/stop won't operate because that has already worn the battery more than you want, recharge the battery before this and definitely as soon as this happens,  You could use an appropriate battery charge and maintainer to fully recharge the battery at the time you might fit and remove winter tyres and after very hot (or extreme) summer weather, so three times a year plus at any other times if required.   

 

If the battery hasn't been 'recoded' I'd suggest you get in as many reasonable length journeys as you can before driving to the Alps so that the car's computer(s) know there a different state of battery health and charge.

 

Personally even though the battery is new I'd still charge it on an appropriate charger and maintainer just before starting my journey to the Alps to be sure I have the battery ready as it can be for any unexpected use or over-use and for the cold weather.  Not only does the cold weather normally cause greater use of the battery even a new battery doesn't do as well in cold temperatures and the cold put more strain on starting the car.

 

Good luck, see if you can get 5, 6 or 7+ years out of your new battery and no more concerns about start/stop being active (and the possibility of lots of other unexpected issues from having the car battery in too low state of charge even if the car still starts and the lights seem bright enough).

 

[Kenny R]

1 hour ago, Q102 said:

Update. New battery fitted by Halfords mobile today - easier for them to come to me.

£187 fitted, he said the car only needs coding if battery was completely flat.

 

Typical bull droppings from Halfrauds. Any new/ replacement battery requires  to be coded/adapted .

[Q102]

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

Thanks for reporting back.

 

Do bear in mind your new battery is still just a store (or like a bank account) you can still empty or over deplete it so if you still do short journeys you might want to consider buying an appropriate battery charger and maintainer and not to let the battery get so low for so long, £187 should jog your memory.  Try not to let the battery get as low as the start/stop won't operate because that has already worn the battery more than you want, recharge the battery before this and definitely as soon as this happens,  You could use an appropriate battery charge and maintainer to fully recharge the battery at the time you might fit and remove winter tyres and after very hot (or extreme) summer weather, so three times a year plus at any other times if required.   

 

If the battery hasn't been 'recoded' I'd suggest you get in as many reasonable length journeys as you can before driving to the Alps so that the car's computer(s) know there a different state of battery health and charge.

 

Personally even though the battery is new I'd still charge it on an appropriate charger and maintainer just before starting my journey to the Alps to be sure I have the battery ready as it can be for any unexpected use or over-use and for the cold weather.  Not only does the cold weather normally cause greater use of the battery even a new battery doesn't do as well in cold temperatures and the cold put more strain on starting the car.

 

Good luck, see if you can get 5, 6 or 7+ years out of your new battery and no more concerns about start/stop being active (and the possibility of lots of other unexpected issues from having the car battery in too low state of charge even if the car still starts and the lights seem bright enough).

 

I'd been using a CTEK charger over the last few months, I had to do the same last winter as well.

The car was sitting on a dealer forcourt over covid before I got it, so had been unused for many months. The stop/start hardly ever kicks in over the time I've had it, where as my girlfriends Golf R will always switch the engine off even if it's not been used for over a week.

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

38 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Any new/ replacement battery requires  to be coded/adapted .

I can't say for certain if that is wrong but other than for the benefit of VW's statistics I've not seen evidence that 'coding' is absolutely required if the replacement battery is the same type and ah but there seems to be a lot of people who say the computer programs will catch up with the change of battery requirements just by the car being driven.

 

It may be in these circumstances that 'coding' will speed up any 'learning' or change for the computer programs to grasp and if you have the facilities, which the mobile fitted should have, then you might as well 'code' in the new battery - more than the factory fully bothered with on my wife's 2015 Fabia as it serial number was the same as many others have quoted of all 1s.

 

 

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

29 minutes ago, Q102 said:

The car was sitting on a dealer forcourt over covid before I got it, so had been unused for many months. The stop/start hardly ever kicks in over the time I've had it, where as my girlfriends Golf R will always switch the engine off even if it's not been used for over a week.

Yes the damage was done before you got the car, once the battery has gone too far down it's life and performance is limited, the Dealer should have tested the battery's state of charge and state of health before handing the car over to - but the motor trade doesn't always have the most honest and moral people owning and running Dealerships and garages even if most of the staff want to be.

 

Again the start/stop not being active is a sign that the battery possibly isn't at it's best but by the time it's got to that stage it also is a bit later than is best to recharge the battery so the recharging should be done ASAP then,

 

For an old fella like me it's hard to fully understand how some car owners put that the car's not been starting as it should for a couple of weeks and then they have other problems and at no point has the battery been checked.  Modern cars are still basically very ancient technologies so the basic checks are the same as they've been since almost their origin and before you had to fight with their computer systems - difference is now with the computers and their programs the 12v car battery is even more important and it was always very important (much more so than most owners/drivers realize hence being the number one cause of breakdown callouts).

 

Edited 13 January, 2023 by nta16
ETA: Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.