Battery Recoding?

[koro]

Hi

 

 Ive had a search of these forums, but can't find a answer, so hoping you guys may help...

 

My son's car battery died, a mate of his replaced with a new one. He's living in Cardiff, Im not able to get down there at moment to take a look.

This Stop/Start, (son knows nothing about cars, I dont know much more) Son says the duff one was lead acid, (ie it slopped around..) So Im assuming it's original?  His mate took away old battery, and we have know details of new one he put in. What definitely wasn't done is having the battery recoded into the BCM, (google makes me sound as if I know what I'm on about)

 

New battery may or may not need to be recoded, as I understand. There have been no error messages pop up on dash, and everything works in car.

 

If a battery needed to be recoded, what signs are there to look out for? 

 

I have contacted a couple of garages, 1 in Cardiff the other Bridgend, and they are quoting £80+.... to me that seems extortionate ? to check if it needs to be recoded...

 

Appreciate anyone being able to help.

 

 Cheers

 

[varooom]

If you had a wet battery, then you shouldn't have stop/start system.

 

So I don't think you would code in that type at all, as it doesn't care about battery Ah ratings.

 

 

If he has stop/start then he probably has wrong type, as you need EFB or AGM (much more expensive)

 

£80 for a wet battery is roughly right I would guess, though maybe could've been cheaper.

[koro]

Just now, varooom said:

If you had a wet battery, then you shouldn't have stop/start system.

 

So I don't think you would code in that type at all, as it doesn't care about battery Ah ratings.

 

 

If he has stop/start then he probably has wrong type, as you need EFB or AGM (much more expensive)

 

£80 for a wet battery is roughly right I would guess, though maybe could've been cheaper.

 

Thanks for your reply, appreciated. The car does have Stop/Start, Im wondering if ex-owner/garage he bought car off, replaced old duff battery it with this lead acid battery, to sell car. The new one is EFB stop/start

 

The £80 was to just recode the new one his mate put in, new battery cost him £120.

[varooom]

Wow, then £80 notes to code is a joke.  And might not be needed (unless someone had it set to "wet")

 

Have a read, and decide if you need to adapt the battery to the car.

 

 

Locate someone here, to check/adapt the battery for a few beer tokens.

 

[koro]

Many thanks, having read your links on how to do recode, the £80... well I won't say no more...

 

So would there be anything the car would show up on dash or whatever, if there was a problem with it not being recoded. Or does new battery just go dead?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[varooom]

I understand they have a business and overheads of course, but £80 a tad rich.

 

As you say, move on from this.

 

A stop/start battery rarely tend to die without any warnings whatsoever.  So the stop/start system becomes disabled, and you might find the radio is disabled and the car will keep only the essential things like lights running.  The basic is you get a lot of early warnings from the car generally before they finally let go, you would have to ignore a lot of tell tale signs.

[koro]

Much appreciated, I can let my son know, it will reassure him... he will know what to look out for now. I will keep looking around Cardiff/Bridgend to see if I can get someone to check the recoding, at a more appropriate price.

 

 Thanks so much for your replies.

[koro]

1 hour ago, varooom said:

Wow, then £80 notes to code is a joke.  And might not be needed (unless someone had it set to "wet")

 

 

Locate someone here, to check/adapt the battery for a few beer tokens.

 

 

I messaged one of the guys local to Cardiff, from the "List of VCDS Owners", he charges £40 + vat, and is mobile. So thats an awesome result. Many thanks once again.

[varooom]

1 minute ago, koro said:

 

I messaged one of the guys local to Cardiff, from the "List of VCDS Owners", he charges £40 + vat, and is mobile. So thats an awesome result. Many thanks once again.

Not sure you need to adopt the battery though... Might be money wasted.  Still if it gives you peace of mind then go ahead.

 

Alternatively, wait to see if he has any errors seen or issues with the car first.

[nta16]

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

 

Get a photo of the new battery fitted as I would take a "wet" battery to also mean an EFB battery too (but not an AGM battery).  If it's a like for like battery change then up to you but many wouldn't bother about "coding" the new battery just taking driving the car enough will sort it.  If changing type of battery or change in Ah (amp/amperes per hour capacity) then you'd want "recoding".

 

Get a photo as £40 isn't bad if the chap is coming to you but you might get a better offer if you're able to go to him or someone else.

 

Note much of the "coding" details is VW statistics of no importance now.

 

 

Edited 17 January, 2023 by nta16
ETA: Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

[koro]

3 minutes ago, varooom said:

Not sure you need to adopt the battery though... Might be money wasted.  Still if it gives you peace of mind then go ahead.

 

Alternatively, wait to see if he has any errors seen or issues with the car first.

 

 

Yeah that may be a better idea.... Lol, I will let him make the decision

[koro]

5 minutes ago, nta16 said:

 

 

Get a photo of the new battery fitted as I would take a "wet" battery to also mean an EFB battery too (but not an AGM battery).  If it's a like for like battery change then up to you but many wouldn't bother about "coding" the new battery just driving the car enough will sort it.  If changing type of battery or change in Ah (amp/amperes per hour capacity) then you'd want "recoding".

 

Get a photo as £40 isn't bad if the chap is coming to you but you might get a better offer if you're able to go to him or someone else.

 

 

 

Yeah i will get to take a pic of battery, would seem that unless there are issues with car, then leave it be.... Cheers

[nta16]

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

 

I missed varoom's post as I was one-finger typing mine - so yes why not get your son to send you a photo for you to post up here for advice - but then sometimes it's worth £40 to save family hassles. 🙃

 

[koro]

Just now, nta16 said:

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

 

I missed varoom's post as I was one-finger typing mine - so yes why not get your son to send you a photo for you to post up here for advice - but then sometimes it's worth £40 to save family hassles. 🙃

 

Lol, now aint that the truth...... 😁

[AGFalco]

 

7 hours ago, koro said:

(ie it slopped around..)

7 hours ago, varooom said:

If you had a wet battery, then you shouldn't have stop/start system.

If you shake an EFB ( Enhanced Flooded Battery ) you WILL hear the liquid sloshing around.

 

EFB type batteries are fitted to the Fabia III's

 

AGM ( Absorbent Glass Mat ) don't slosh around. ( Haven't seen one fitted to a Fabia III )

 

Both are Stop/Start type batteries.

 

7 hours ago, koro said:

If a battery needed to be recoded, what signs are there to look out for? 

Shorter battery life. But this wont be for several years.

 

Someone with OBD11 can also recode the battery.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[varooom]

8 hours ago, koro said:

This Stop/Start, (son knows nothing about cars, I dont know much more) Son says the duff one was lead acid, (ie it slopped around..) So Im assuming it's original?

@AGFalco I am well aware of which batteries are liquid, "Wet" and "EFB" it was due the above message posted that the possible original fitted was a "Wet" type.

 

And my statement about a "Wet" battery not being stop start refers to how they are labelled in the software as seen in this image.

Unless I am mistaken, Stop/Start cars are or should only be fitted with EFB/AGM types.

[AGFalco]

11 minutes ago, varooom said:

Unless I am mistaken, Stop/Start cars are or should only be fitted with EFB/AGM types

Correct.

 

8 hours ago, koro said:

Son says the duff one was lead acid, (ie it slopped around..)

 

8 hours ago, koro said:

So Im assuming it's original?

I don't know if he was assuming if it was a normal or a Stop/Start EFB battery.

 

It was also because of the posts made by Koro ( above) just to confirm to anyone else reading this, that a wet ( sloshing ) lead acid battery can be both a normal or an EFB stop/start battery.

 

But as you say if someone is using VCDS then a Wet battery is different from an EFB battery even though they are both wet ( inside ). 😕

 

I have had people assume all Stop/Start batteries are not wet and all wet ( sloshing ) batteries are not Stop/Start.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

[nta16]

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

 

I think it possible that the battery that died (or was possibly killed) was an EFB but not necessity the factory original battery and you'd hope for £120 the new battery was an AGM but it could be an EFB - but all is assumption without more detail.