Battery replacement

[Wibbly]

Looking to replace my battery ("like for for like" MOLL 69AH EFB OEM -> 70AH EFB (possibly Varta)). Stop start raley engages now and battery went flat after a week on hol. At 7yrs old I'm thinking I should just replace it given those are both symptoms the battery is probably now struggling.

1. Given the only 1AH difference in capacity, I presume coding only needs to be a change of the battery's serial number to anything different from what it currently is), right?
2. I presume there is no 'radio code' to worry about, and removing power completely whilst changing the battery has no ill effects? I.e. no need to mess with keeping the car powered by another small battery whilst changing the battery.
3. Looking to buy from Tayna - any of the cheaper brands to avoid? Enduroline, Powerline, Varta, Exide? https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/types/096-efb/

 

[AlS3BE]

1. You should alway code new battery as that changes the characteristics of how the car charges as battery ages.
2. No worry of radio codes etc
3.I normally look at the ones with the longest warranty. Even though they are more expensive they show at least the manufacturers is standing by their product.
Another thing to think about why not replace the efb battery with an agm one. Agm is superior and have longer life span with better stop/start abilities.

 

[Wibbly]

Another thing to think about why not replace the efb battery with an agm one. Agm is superior and have longer life span with better stop/start abilities.

This article suggests that the superiority of AGM isn't so clear https://www.stryten.com/efb-vs-agm-powering-cars-in-the-future/
Suggests the only clear benefit of AGM is deep discharge cycles. I guess one application might be a dashcam in parking mode which regularly discharges the battery a lot. I don't have a dashcam.

 

[JohnM100]

7 years for a Moll is good going!

AGM is better able to cope with life partially charged whereas EFB+ prefers full charge. The BCM tends to keep battery at 80% charge to allow for recuperation on the over-run.

AGM better able to accept significant input current from the alternator but neither perform well when hot. I read the article and it’s stating pretty much the opposite of most others - curious.

Would need to be coded as ‘fleece’ in VCDS or tool of choice due to different charging characteristics.

Bosch and Varta are the same but with different stickers on them. Bosch has the longer warranty though.

 

[AlS3BE]

my previous Audis all had agm batteries and never had a problem with them. Current s3 almost 4years old on second efb battery and I think it’s on its way out so needing new one again soon.

 

[Matt Titanium]

I had to replace mine at four and a half years old. Car wouldn't start after being stood for an hour! Green flag jumped me off.
Bought one from Tayna, a Varta AGM, I remember it was a different type to the original at the time. Personally, I wouldn't buy a budget brand to save £20 and believe the brand Tayna recommend is someone else's cheap battery with their own label on it. Didn't bother coding it and have stop/start turned off by the Carista voltage frig.
No problems with the battery since.

 

[AlS3BE]

I had to replace mine at four and a half years old. Car wouldn't start after being stood for an hour! Green flag jumped me off.
Bought one from Tayna, a Varta AGM, I remember it was a different type to the original at the time. Personally, I wouldn't buy a budget brand to save £20 and believe the brand Tayna recommend is someone else's cheap battery with their own label on it. Didn't bother coding it and have stop/start turned off by the Carista voltage frig.
No problems with the battery since.

agree with this. I was told by local eurocarparts to avoid the lion batteries as they were rubbish and don’t last, they have the highest warranty claims that’s why they are cheap.

 

[Wibbly]

Meh. Decided to go with Bosch AGM . Will re-code of course for AGM

 

[Wibbly]

So I have been using Car Scanner ELM OBD2 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ovz.carscanner to do the coding. I

• incremented existing battery serial # by 1
• set the battery technology to AGM/fleece (was EFB)
• set the capacity from 69 to 70 (for the new battery's capacity)

Coding all seems to have gone in ok. Xmas tree of dash errors has cleared itself after a short drive. Stop start now working as it used to.
There is also a coding setting for battery manufacturer - does this need to be set to represent a Bosch battery instead of the original MOLL or does that setting have no effect?

 

[AlS3BE]

Manufacturer will have no effect.
key is serial number, type and capacity change.
the Xmas lights always happens when you disconnect or have low battery charge. If it clears itself there’s nothing permanent

 

[desertstorm]

3. Looking to buy from Tayna - any of the cheaper brands to avoid? Enduroline, Powerline, Varta, Exide? https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/types/096-efb/

There are probably more Varta batteries fitted to VAG cars than any other make. They are one of the best battery makes available. Fortunately you have purchased a Bosch battery which actually is made by Varta. The Bosch and Varta batteries of the same size and spec are the same batteries with different stickers on. Usually the Bosch batteries are a little more expensive than the Varta items. I bought a new 110Ah battery for my 3.0 TDI A4 this week from Tayna, ordered Saturday afternoon came on Monday morning. Fantastic service as always, Unusually the Bosch item was cheaper than the Varta so went with Bosch.
You can usually find discount codes for another few% off the price. FACEBOOK45 worked for me , only about3% off but every bit helps.

 

[Wibbly]

There are probably more Varta batteries fitted to VAG cars than any other make. They are one of the best battery makes available. Fortunately you have purchased a Bosch battery which actually is made by Varta. The Bosch and Varta batteries of the same size and spec are the same batteries with different stickers on. Usually the Bosch batteries are a little more expensive than the Varta items. I bought a new 110Ah battery for my 3.0 TDI A4 this week from Tayna, ordered Saturday afternoon came on Monday morning. Fantastic service as always, Unusually the Bosch item was cheaper than the Varta so went with Bosch.
You can usually find discount codes for another few% off the price. FACEBOOK45 worked for me , only about3% off but every bit helps.

As stated above the Bosch came with an extra year of warranty even though it's the same battery. Sadly missed that discount code.

 

[Geeba]

Morning - just about to change the battery on partners car as its getting a bit slow to start the car some mornings.... its an A3 2.0 TDI Quattro with start/stop - so I'm guessing I'll have to code the battery? - I have VCDS can I use this to do it? will batteries from Tayna come with the code details? I seem to remember its a sticker on the battery?
pointers appreciated as I've not had to code a battery before....

 

[Wibbly]

Morning - just about to change the battery on partners car as its getting a bit slow to start the car some mornings.... its an A3 2.0 TDI Quattro with start/stop - so I'm guessing I'll have to code the battery? - I have VCDS can I use this to do it? will batteries from Tayna come with the code details? I seem to remember its a sticker on the battery?
pointers appreciated as I've not had to code a battery before....

Not used it myself, but this might help https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/replacement-battery-coding-on-vcds.431793/

 

[Matt Titanium]

Wonder why Audi use the code "fleece"?
Perhaps it's because the factory fit duff batteries to their brand new cars, knowing they don't last long. With owners still on the FASH hook they take their car back to dealerships because new batteries have to be fitted properly including the "essential" coding.
Does anyone know how much a dealership charges to "diagnose" and fit a new battery?

 

[Geeba]

Ok - just ordered a Bosch battery from Tayna, gave them a quick call to confirm it was correct... apparently no batteries come with BEM codes? the Bosch will have a QR code to scan but they cant guarantee that I will be able to get a BEM code..... so how do you code it? sounds like they're trying to force you back to the dealer?

 

[AlS3BE]

Wonder why Audi use the code "fleece"?
Does anyone know how much a dealership charges to "diagnose" and fit a new battery?

One of my mates tried explaining this to me. Agm in the coding refers to something called bipolar batteries which is differently constructed to normal batteries like the efb and agm we get from the local factors/shops.
fleece was something along the lines of German translation to English meaning the agm internal construction
It’s important to get this right as it will impact how the battery is charged.
I was quoted around £250 for an efb battery replacement at the dealers.

Ok - just ordered a Bosch battery from Tayna, gave them a quick call to confirm it was correct... apparently no batteries come with BEM codes? the Bosch will have a QR code to scan but they cant guarantee that I will be able to get a BEM code..... so how do you code it? sounds like they're trying to force you back to the dealer?

Without the Bem code you have to manually set the size in ah, type fleece or efb, then serial number as that’s meant to trigger the routines for the car to deal with a new battery and change the charging profiles.

 

[Geeba]

Ah Yes - thanks, just read Wibbleys post further up about incrementing the serial number by one etc.

 

[Wibbly]

One of my mates tried explaining this to me. Agm in the coding refers to something called bipolar batteries which is differently constructed to normal batteries like the efb and agm we get from the local factors/shops.
fleece was something along the lines of German translation to English meaning the agm internal construction
It’s important to get this right as it will impact how the battery is charged.
I was quoted around £250 for an efb battery replacement at the dealers.


Without the Bem code you have to manually set the size in ah, type fleece or efb, then serial number as that’s meant to trigger the routines for the car to deal with a new battery and change the charging profiles.

The odd thing is that, according to Ctek, their charger's AGM mode charges to higher voltages than wet/flooded batteries. But not all AGM batteries are like that, and "many" are charged like normal flooded/wet batteries, so presumably charging those AGM batteries to higher voltages would not be good for battery longevity. No idea how the car's charging system works this out. And almost impossible to figure out what's correct for a specific battery brand/model. Anyway set mine to Fleece as it's an AGM battery, and just hope for the best... I have mailed Bosch (in my case) and will report back if/when I get a reply.

https://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/334727/ctek-mxs-50.html Page 4

 

[AlS3BE]

The odd thing is that, according to Ctek, their charger's AGM mode charges to higher voltages than wet/flooded batteries. But not all AGM batteries are like that, and "many" are charged like normal flooded/wet batteries, so presumably charging those AGM batteries to higher voltages would not be good for battery longevity. No idea how the car's charging system works this out. And almost impossible to figure out what's correct for a specific battery brand/model. Anyway set mine to Fleece as it's an AGM battery, and just hope for the best... I have mailed Bosch (in my case) and will report back if/when I get a reply.

https://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/334727/ctek-mxs-50.html Page 4
View attachment 255680

Ctek words it like that to stop themselves getting sued

 

[Wibbly]

Got a reply from Bosch....
-------·-------
S5A08 is an AGM type, all our AGM batteries can be charged to a maximum recommended voltage of 14.8V, as such we assume the ‘AGM program’ would be suitable however if in any doubt you should check with the supplier of the charger. If the Audi coding has an AGM option then yes this should be used as it will allow the battery management software to take advantage of the deep cycle capabilities.
---------------
So all good

 

[glospete]

I have just had my EFB Moll original battery replaced after 9 years. I decided to go with a Halfords AGM battery which was cheaper than their EFB battery (£179 versus £186). I had been quoted £251 for an EFB battery by Audi plus £200 fitting (1 hour labour!!). I would have done it myself but the different comments about recoding put me off. For £27 I thought I'd get the Halfords Mobile Technician to do it. Everything was fine (no code needed for the radio) but when I asked him about recoding the battery he told me what they do. After he fitted the new battery all manner of messages came up - ACC not available etc etc but he told me to turn the steering wheel fully left, then fully right and repeat that twice. And sure enough all the messages were gone. So if anyone wants to "recode" their battery themselves it is that easy!

 

[JohnM100]

I don’t think that would recode the battery. All it does is make the Christmas tree warning lights disappear but the same would happen if you drive it ~100 yards.

 

[glospete]

I don’t think that would recode the battery. All it does is make the Christmas tree warning lights disappear but the same would happen if you drive it ~100 yards.

Oh! So what do I need to do to recode it?

 

[JohnM100]

VCDS or some other tool.

Change serial number by 1 digit, check capacity is correct and as you have changed from EFB+ to AGM, set the battery type to Fleece (and not AGM which means something slightly different in VAG language). Fleece is their term for the type of AGM batteries we use and allows higher charging voltage that would damage EFB batteries and higher & longer lasting charging current when the car is on over-run slowing down whilst in gear.

As your car is PFL, you may see posts about a BEM code - you don’t need one, just do as above.

 

[S32B]

Audi plus £200 fitting (1 hour labour!!).

The robbing g***

 

[glospete]

VCDS or some other tool.

Change serial number by 1 digit, check capacity is correct and as you have changed from EFB+ to AGM, set the battery type to Fleece (and not AGM which means something slightly different in VAG language). Fleece is their term for the type of AGM batteries we use and allows higher charging voltage that would damage EFB batteries and higher & longer lasting charging current when the car is on over-run slowing down whilst in gear.

As your car is PFL, you may see posts about a BEM code - you don’t need one, just do as above.

So my current battery is a Moll EFB and it has a BEM code (see attached). However the new AGM from Halfords (which I've discovered is a Yuasa YBX9096) does not have one. I asked Yuasa UK and they say their batteries don't have BEMs. So do I need a vendor code for Yuasa? If so any ideas? Your instructions for adding one to the serial number is fine, as is the great tip about Fleece rather than AGM (how crazy are Audi?). Can I safely do this recoding a week or so after the new battery was fitted? I have VCDS so once I get your answers above I should be good to go. I really appreciate your help - I am of an age where if you needed a new battery you bought one and did up the terminals and that was that!

 

[JohnM100]

Per above you don’t need a BEM code - changing the serial number is enough to tell the car it’s a new battery (as well as changing to fleece in this case).

You can leave the VCDS change for a week but the car won’t charge your battery very much.

 

[glospete]

Per above you don’t need a BEM code - changing the serial number is enough to tell the car it’s a new battery (as well as changing to fleece in this case).

You can leave the VCDS change for a week but the car won’t charge your battery very much.

Perfect - I'll report how I get on. Many thanks John.

 

[glospete]

I've been looking at YouTube videos for battery replacement (I haven't connected VCDS to my car yet). But which is the screen where I input Fleece as the type of battery - the only entries shown on the videos are Battery Adaptation - Size, Battery Adaptation - Manufacturer and Battery Adaptation - Serial Number. Where do I find where to input Fleece?

 

[glospete]

Per above you don’t need a BEM code - changing the serial number is enough to tell the car it’s a new battery (as well as changing to fleece in this case).

You can leave the VCDS change for a week but the car won’t charge your battery very much.

OK contrary to my post above when I connected the VCDS cable to my car it was very simple - interesting that with the new AGM battery installed the car must have recognised the battery technology as FLEECE was already in that box. There was nothing in the manufacturer box so I put in UNK for unknown and put 1111111112 in the serial number box. 10 minutes and all complete! Thank you so much for your invaluable help John.

 

[ggeo25]

Good morning guys.I hope doing well !I own an audi s3 2013 8v sportback and recently i replace the battery and i put bosch AGM 70AH.I use vcds to recode the battery but start stop does not work and in the system fault write that the problem is the control module.I do something wrong?

 

[glospete]

As per my posts above I fitted a new AGM battery and have no issues with StopStart. You did recode the battery technology to FLEECE and not AGM didn't you? I HATE StopStart and have subsequently deactivated it!

 

[ggeo25]

As per my posts above I fitted a new AGM battery and have no issues with StopStart. You did recode the battery technology to FLEECE and not AGM didn't you? I HATE StopStart and have subsequently deactivated it!

i try it yes but the same problem