How can I confirm car battery type and spec on my Skoda Fabia Mk3 TSI 90 CJZC.

No labels other than Pb. However there are some etchings on the battery. VW VAG with 01171 below at the - terminal and DD52 at the + terminal. Google AI suggests it may be a Varta D52 (AGM027) made in 2017. However when I check the parts catalog using my Cars VIN on 7zap most of the batteries listed are EFB batteries with no mention of AGM.

I know one option would be to buy OBD11 tool with subscription which would also enable me to register a new battery but I believe that would be a waste of money considering I am not a car mechanic so tool would be very rarely used. Looking for advice on what other options may be available.? I have uploaded a couple of pictures in case someone can identify the battery make and type.

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/298-skoda-fabia-mk3-2014-2021/

Hi, welcome.

(I will 'Report' your post to a Moderator to suggest moving it to the Fabia Mk3 section).

2017 Fabia owners will know more than me, my wife's 1.2 TSI 90 is from 2015.

If it's a factory original battery then AFAIK it'll be a EFB type battery, if the battery has been replaced then who knows.

I don't think you can remove the battery insulation wrap cover unless you disconnect the battery terminals to look at the side of the battery for any label, which I guess you'd not want to do (altho' instructions for disconnecting and reconnect the battery are in the car's 'Owner's Manual' or we could advise on how to do this.)

Using a scan tool would only tell you what was last programmed in as the battery which may or may not be accurate to what is actually fitted.

Do you have any paperwork with the car to suggest the battery has been changed?

Why is it you want to know this information?

As already suggested there is lots and lots of information in the Fabia Mk3 section about the 12v battery, many posts and a couple threads from me too.

Let us know if you need more help, HTH.

I bought the car for my wife in 2020. There was only 16000 miles in it. It came with full service history . Battery has not been changed so it is the factory original battery. The VW VAG etching with 01171 also confirms this as I believe 17 means 2017 which is the year the car registered. I have been able to get a full view of all 4 sides of the battery and confirmed no labels. The parts catalog for my cars VIN listed several engines some with EFB in the description others with nothing. Battery is 9 years old and had a recent issue with battery 12v low message in the end had to push the car to get it to start. I then drove the car for 20 mins before going home. Checked it again 12v low message still there but car started immediately . Switched engine off then checked battery with digital meter it was reading 12.57v and with engine running it was 14.62v. So alternating appears to be ok and battery in ok range. Went back out to the car 20mins later and no longer any error messages. No reoccurrence of issue in last couple of days and have not done much mileage so a bit strange. Prefer to know the full spec of the battery if I decide to replace it.

Want to make sure like for like battery replacement. Don’t trust the garages.

@Abk does your Fabia have start/stop i.e. does it turn off at traffic lights or in a queue for example?

If you have a look at battery threads here you will see I recommend first try fully (slow) charging the battery with an appropriate battery charger following the instructions in the car's 'Owner's Manual' and instructions for charger. This may take many hours (10, 20, 30+ hours) so time and patience are required. If it can't be fully charged in one go then do it in two or three but get the battery to fully charged as the car aims for about 80% charge not 100%).

The engine start is about the last thing to go the battery has to be really low but the computers will complain and throw up all sorts of warning messages and light, unseen error codes and unexpected issues and problems - even if the headlights seem bright enough.

With any electrical, or other, problems you want the battery to be in as good state of charge (and health) as it can be to help with diagnostic and not hinder diagnostics by a low state of charger (and/or health).

The 12.5v might have been a surface charge reading from the alternator running, best to take such a reading as many hours after the engine hasn't been run and allow a drop of 0.2v-0.3v from all the computer systems doing their job even when the ignition isn't on.

Sounds like, all being well, that you have a standard battery (I forget what make) so if you look here for what battery is in other 2019 TSI Fabias yours will probably have the same battery, or just look it up on battery/parts suppliers, again plenty of threads and posts on battery replacements.

HTH.

Yes start/stop that’s why battery type most be EFB or AGM. I am now disabling start/stop at the moment when driving so as to ensure less strain on the battery and getting more efficient charging from the alternator. I don’t do too many miles these days.

Put your reg into Tayna batteries and choose start/stop option. From memory its an 027 battery AGM and EFB are both start stop with EFB being more expensive and I think fitted to high spec cars. My sons fabia 1.2 mk1 battery read 12.5v but on random ocations especially on coldmornings car wouldn't start so I assumed a cell was failing or actual capacity was poor. It eventually gave up completely. At 9 years old the original battery isnt owing you anything. I would change it for peace of mind.

Alasdair

I'm not convinced that is the original battery.

I'll start a private chat with you to request VIN.

Cheers.

24 minutes ago, Alasdair1 said:

EFB being more expensive and I think fitted to high spec cars

Whoops, you mean AGM rather than EFB (type of typo I'd make).

Yes that is what I thought for peace of mind I was going to change the battery but not knowing the spec has made it difficult. I had actually put my reg in on several sites including Tanya and gave me options EFB or AGM battery but I believe it is advisable to change like for like. ie AGM for AGM. Only option to confirm details I have found so far is to buy OBD11 with subscription which would enable me to confirm details of battery and also register replacement battery so I can do it myself. There is a video on YouTube showing you how to do it. I could always sell the OBD11 after use.

You say with engine running it's charging at 14.62V, are you able to check that while on the move?

If you really do have a start/stop battery in, and tge car coded correctly for it, that voltage should fluctuate, a lot, while driving.

1 hour ago, Abk said:

I don’t do too many miles these days.

That's why the battery and alternator are having to work more and wearing more and even more reason to do slow preventative slow charges to full. You would still need to do this with a battery replacement at some point too. Then perhaps keeping the battery on a maintenance charge at some periods at least perhaps.

Changing the battery it's possibly/probably best to get the new battery 'coded-in' with a scan tool, more so if going from EFB to AGM battery.

4 minutes ago, Abk said:

Only option to confirm details I have found so far is to buy OBD11 with subscription which would enable me to confirm details of battery and also register replacement battery so I can do it myself.

Or some battery suppliers 'code-in' the battery for you, possibly/probably at extra charge.

Or ask a Briskoda member with a suitable scan tool (fully charged and fully updated before use) to 'code' the new battery for you for a beer token. See map here. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/262215-list-of-vcds-owners-previously-known-as-vag-com-vcp-owners/#comment-3091029

If the battery has only failed to start the car once I would do the charging as I've previously outlined but if you would feel better fitting a new battery that's understandable.

Good luck.

Thanks guys for all your help. No issue with the car today. If I do decide to replace the battery I may just buy OBD11 with enough credits to be a be able to check spec of my battery and code replacement battery . I forgot that my son has a Skoda Octavia so may at some stage be useful for him.

1 hour ago, Alasdair1 said:

Put your reg into Tayna batteries and choose start/stop option. From memory its an 027 battery AGM and EFB are both start stop with EFB being more expensive and I think fitted to high spec cars. My sons fabia 1.2 mk1 battery read 12.5v but on random ocations especially on coldmornings car wouldn't start so I assumed a cell was failing or actual capacity was poor. It eventually gave up completely. At 9 years old the original battery isnt owing you anything. I would change it for peace of mind.

Alasdair

Pricing is other way round - AGM is more expensive than EFB - AGM should have superior performance and life.

I'd suggest having the battery tested after being charged - failing batteries can have a nasty habit of suddenly letting you down - the law of Sod will often dictate that failure to be in the most inconvenient place!

Sorry for getting it wrong way round been a hectic week and its not over yet.

Alasdair

I think I believe I have found the root cause of my problem. I had been in the car around 10 mins waiting on my wife with engine switched off and phone charging listening to the radio. When I got the low 12v voltage message after starting the car and then shugging and then had to push the car to start it. I recall I got the same message around a year ago although car started ok when similar scenario occurred. Just after talking to my son who told me that sometimes when he stops for lunch after driving and keeps the radio on his car will start shugging on restarting sometimes. My son does very high mileage but has an ageing battery. Based on that I don’t think I need to replace my battery I just need to take more care of it as it doesn’t have the same capacity as it used to have That’s similar to life in general..lol.

I'd still strongly suggest getting it properly load tested - unless you really want to try the 'waiting for breakdown van' experience.

It is an 027 EFB battery.

Thanks. AG Falco

4 hours ago, Abk said:

I had been in the car around 10 mins waiting on my wife with engine switched off and phone charging listening to the radio.

If you've been doing that often then you will be flattening the battery. I try to tell my wife off for having any (other than safety) electrics running with the engine off, or turning any electrics on for starting the engine, not just for the sake of the battery either.

Load testing the battery after recharging it as I've described earlier is a good idea.

I'd not buy a scan tool just to 'code-in' a battery and for some having a scan tool gives them too much information to worry about, they don't allow enough for the computer system brain-farts and just jump on the error code result rather than proper checking and cross-referencing the scan tool result, shooting the messenger sometimes by replacing the part giving the report rather than what's causing the issue. But your son might be different and realise a scan tool is just one diagnostic tool and not to be used in isolation.

Warrior193 has a good point, don't ignore Sod's Law and let it bite you on the bottom. Don't become part of the number one causes of breakdown call outs and possibly block and hold up a lot of traffic like many cars now seem to do (large tanks with eclectic (or IC) motors, my wife was held up this evening by one, never popular on Friday POETS, sunny weekend, afternoon.

Edited 24 April24 Apr by nta16

When my sons battery failed he was with the AA and only place open was either halfords or Eurocarparts for a new battery. His wouldnt even take a boost to get car started. The price was mad so he phoned me and I took a spare one from home and got him going with it. The guy from AA was really decent and even fitted the spare battery for him. Even he said the price was way high. Got the same one from Tayna battery for less than half the price.

Alasdair

Thanks for the information.