Shark_V8

Geez I went into the Audi dealer to get a battery and almost came out with an A7. Maserati-ish styling has me hooked. Tempting, but I didn't want to get anyone jealous. OK enough of that & onto the main ship:.

1. I had to drive ~4 hours >to Audi Dealer & make the eye doc@2pm. So for this Capt Pike to not scrub the launch of the A8L Enterprise, I smoked up the Energie Genie by putting a HEATER in the trunk and the 'ol batt on the Bosch charger. (you know a 15A fan driven heater). Baby! Dang I'm good! (^^^^^This is on the OLD battery^^^^^^^)

2. However you can't fool the Energie Genie, she's pretty smart. There is some serious Fuzzy logic going on there maybe using dynamic current response/transient tests, temperature, and God knows what other algos. Because the Energie module was still killing off systems Apollo 11 style, but I had lots of juice for starts etc. Pretty cool.

3. At Audi: Parts guy hauls out the battery from the holding area - IT'S A VARTA!! How do 2x Audi parts guys not know what batteries they are dealing?? Complete with little Audi booklet and BEM Code ready to go. I checked voltage on the counter and it's 12.6

4. No time for a swap (I brought tools) go to my appmt, all good, hit the hiway again before rush hour, tough driving with one eye dilated.

5. Back at the ranch, got the swap done, disconnected the trunk soft close motor, cleared codes, went for a drive. Do you guys monitor the Energie module #61 and see the data?? It's pretty cool:
Old battery displayed 12.4 volts and dropping (12.4, 12.3, yellow caution box etc.)
New battery is listing at 12.75 Volts & steady, even though my Fluke says 12.5 give or take, for both!I think there is a virtual voltage calc going on there.

Also Amps draw, pre-sleep with HEXNET plugged in of course, is 6.x Amps. W/ interior lights ON that goes to 7 or 8 amps.
Insert the key and in prime-up mode, the current jumps to 16 amps as the systems prep up for starting.
I guess sleep mode amperage draw is stored somewhere??? I'll look again. It would have to drop to something like 1A or less for the battery to be at 50% after a couple of weeks by my calcs.


PS: Would a dealer use red assembly paint on the +VE battery terminal? If not I was the first to break that :P.

PSS: Codes now:


Chassis Type: 4E (4E0)
Scan: 01 02 03 05 06 07 08 09 15 16 17 19 1E 25 34 36 37 38 42 46
47 4F 52 53 55 56 61 62 65 72 75 76

VIN: WAUML44E44N000708 Mileage: 167850km-104297miles

MSG: Time to trade your A8 for a new A7.See your Audi dealer now.

00-Steering Angle Sensor -- Status: OK 0000
01-Engine -- Status: Malfunction 0010
02-Auto Trans -- Status: OK 0000
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
05-Acc/Start Auth. -- Status: OK 0000
06-Seat Mem. Pass -- Status: OK 0000
07-Control Head -- Status: OK 0000
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: OK 0000
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: OK 0000
1E-Media Player 2 -- Status: OK 0000
25-Immobilizer -- Status: OK 0000
34-Level Control -- Status: OK 0000
36-Seat Mem. Drvr -- Status: OK 0000
37-Navigation -- Status: OK 0000
38-Roof Electronics -- Status: OK 0000
42-Door Elect, Driver -- Status: OK 0000
46-Central Conv. -- Status: OK 0000
47-Sound System -- Status: OK 0000
4F-Centr. Electr. II -- Status: OK 0000
52-Door Elect, Pass. -- Status: OK 0000
53-Parking Brake -- Status: OK 0000
55-Headlight Range -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000
61-Battery Regul. -- Status: OK 0000
62-Door, Rear Left -- Status: OK 0000
65-Tire Pressure -- Status: OK 0000
72-Door, Rear Right -- Status: OK 0000
75-Telematics -- Status: Malfunction 0010
76-Park Assist -- Status: OK 0000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine Labels: 077-910-560-BFM.lbl
Part No SW: 4E0 910 560 A HW: 4E0 907 560
Component: 4.2L V8/5V G 0050
Revision: 00000000 Serial number: AUX3Z0C1510933
Coding: 0007773
Shop #: WSC 98765 666 36094
VCID: 1F0E28AFCE2526C644-804A

1 Fault Found:
17983 - Right Engine Mount Solenoid Valve (N145)
P1575 - 001 - Short to Plus
Readiness: 0010 1101
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 61: Battery Regul. Labels: 4E0-910-181.lbl
Part No SW: 4E0 910 181 HW: 4E0 915 181
Component: ENERGIEGENIE H02 0160
Revision: 00000000 Serial number: 00000000002043
Shop #: WSC 00000 000 00000
VCID: 5DF252A784A974D616-8008

Subsystem 1 - Part No: 000 915 105 DL
Component: von VA0 3501100880
Coding: 303030393135313035444C56413033353031313030383830
Shop #: WSC 00000 128 00289

No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 65: Tire Pressure Labels: 4E0-910-273.lbl
Part No SW: 4E0 910 273 HW: 4E0 907 273
Component: Reifendruck 2 H01 0210
Coding: 0212127
Shop #: WSC 02353 785 00200
VCID: 5F8E68AF8EA566C604-800A

1 Fault Found:
01477 - System Switched Off
000 - -
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01100000
Fault Priority: 4
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 81
Mileage: 167859 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2003.10.08
Time: 00:34:24

Freeze Frame:
Speed: 0.0 km/h
Temperature: 5.0°C
Error Code: 0
Not Recogn.
Not Recogn.
Not Recogn.
Not Recogn.

Address 75: Telematics Labels: None
Part No SW: 4E0 910 616 HW: 4E0 035 616
Component: Telematik USA1 0050
Revision: 00000002 Serial number: 0000ATD3000595
Coding: 0000005
Shop #: WSC 91445 999 00979
VCID: 608C6B53B2DB593E3D-5184

1 Fault Found:
01531 - Emergency Battery
002 - Lower Limit Exceeded - MIL ON


End-------------------------(Elapsed Time: 02:38)--------------------------

Jack88

I see what you did there.

I like the look of the new A7's, I did sit in a couple of them and 6 series gran coupes, but after driving the larger cars, I couldn't pass up that extra comfort. I've been told the A7 drives more like an A6, which really can't compare.

mwalshe2000

Hi All,

looks like I need to replace my battery. Is there any special procedure / coding required, if I replace with the same Varta battery?


Thanks and a happy thanksgiving to all.

Michael.

TSHong

The proper procedure is to code the new battery with VCDS. Now, will it damage your car if you don't, no. If your battery was really low and the management turned off some features, it would take some time for the features to come back unless coded.

I've always wondered if Audi program is similar to BMW. I think BMW tells the alternator charge a more as the battery ages.

Hannibalacp82

When was the last time the Fluke was calibrated?

Redd

Varta has no US manufacturing plant, so the Varta battery came from Germany, with or for AoA or the VW group.

They happen to be a leading battery maker, even their competition admits so.

But these are AGM (absorbed glass matt) batteries, which are good because they don't leak and don't emit gasses (which rot out trunks, which is why other trunk batteries often use an external vent hose). The nominal voltage for a brand new battery is 12.6-12.7 volts, varying by brand and chemistry. Every 1/10th of a volt less, in a battery that has been charged and allowed to sit overnight to equalize out the surface charge, represents a loss of 10% of the effective power. So from 12.6 volts (most common) to 12.1 volts, you are down to half a battery. And after 4 years in automotive use--that's also normal.
AGM batteries are a little peculiar in that they last longer if they are always TOTALLY recharged, not just 90% 0r 95% but totally. Adding a solar panel, which can be connected via the OBD port (the one Audi sells is really too tiny) can do that, and extend the battety life by 1/4 or more. But the Audi charge control system is also more oddball Audi technology. Take your Fluke meter and hook it up on your daily drive. You'll see voltage floating from 12.4 to 14.2 with no apparent reason. City, highway, headlights and AC on or off...they are doing something to try tickling more life out of the battery. Or perhaps, not doing something right. It is baffling. (And I've worked enough commercial UPS supplies and marine 12V systems to know that no one else on the planet can explain what Audi are doing with their charging.)

But the battery code? My original went dead after a protracted parking lot stay, was replaced "as a courtesy" (nice dealer) when it was 14 months old. The new battery from dealer stock had been made FOUR MONTHS before it was put in the car. There was a little "xx/15" sticker on the top of it. The brand new ones in the cars might not have that sticker--but the date code is usually embossed into the plastic, often an inch down from the top edge and hidden under a label. In the US, almost all battery makers do this so the customer won't know where to find it or read it.

Four years? That's half of what these batteries CAN do, but without special care for recharging, that's also all that they should be expected to do. You can buy them online for less than dealer prices, but then of course, you have to program the car with the new battery type and size (several capacities may fit, the more amp-hours they are rated for, the longer they will last) but then you've either got to use the VAGCOM or pay the dealer again anyway.

And there are some oddities in the connections, like the "explosive bolt" aka pyrotechnic charge that blows out to disconnect the starter after an air-bag deployment....

By the way, Fluke meters are tops, but their calibration really needs to be redone annually, and even a Fluke will have 1-2 digits of "float" error in the rightmost digit if it hasn't been calibrated in years. So 12.5 or 12.7 may actually be the same voltage--just seen on two different meters.

MP4.2+6.0

Simply, not true on sourcing. Read the post in full. Varta is a hollow brand name here. "Their" manufacturing plant is a plastic sticky label machine. Batteries are made by Johnson Controls. Can get 'em at WallyWorld and 20 other places with their stickers instead if you want. See my reply 13 and then the underlying link to the true supplier table for better info. Secondarily, since a Varta presumably wants to sell to VW's plant here in USA, Audi's Q5 plant to come in Mexico's. Merc's and BMW's SUV plant, etc, figure unless the product managers are really out to lunch they long since figured out how to get them sold onto the manufacturing line here. Different industry dynamic than 20 years ago. Shipping lead across the sea is not the typical recipe to get the biz.

OE D3 A8 (this forum) is not AGM. It is for some Audis, not this one. IIRC D4 may be. Choosing to use one is of course possible and at least some do.

Batteries rarely bought/sold online AFAIK. Heavy to ship one off, hazardous materials, etc. Again, back to big picture. Big three manufacturers here: Johnson Controls, Exide, East Penn. Whether dealer, Wally World, Sears, Interstate, NAPA, Costco, Target, Home Depot even, it's most likely coming from one of the three. I happened to get my last one from dealer, but the coupon I had in hand coupled w/ my changing and coding it in the parking lot pretty much leveled the price playing field.

Explosive disconnect is overrated. Just looks like a big fuse well inside a well enclosed sturdy case. All you do on a D3 is unbolt the plastic box from the trunk floor that also holds the battery down, take off the terminal covers, and undo the terminals. Instead, the two most common mistakes D3 owners seem to make is overlooking or breaking the tiny wire to the positive terminal that is important for the battery monitoring and charging function, and not reading manual or following instructions near battery to jump or charge the car only from the car's hex shaped around terminal, not at the battery's negative post.

Hannibalacp82

That's why I asked when his was last calibrated. We use Flukes almost exclusively for the I&C work I do and Nuke plants. Top of the line but they go out every year for cal.

Redd

Well, gee, thanks for the extensive quote, MP, just in case a forum member can't read more than one message on their screen at any one time. (Why do people re-post what is obvious and visible that way?)

"Simply, not true. Read the post in full. Varta is a hollow brand name here. "
That's what I said, effectively. VARTA HAS NO US PLANT FOR THESE. What you call a hollow brand name is in fact normal for all imported cars. My local Interstate dealer has a huge "literature rack" with labels for Honda and a dozen other brands in the rack, he simply takes off the matching label and makes an Interstate battery into a dealer "OEM" for all sorts of imports.
So you may get a VARTA branded battery, but it is NOT a VARTA OEM battery. The technology and capacity, etc. will be very similar--but rarely identical. Every battery maker has different alloys, different specs, different qc in the process. Some use virgin lead, most use at least partly recycled lead with different additives in the plates.
Johnson Controls (JCI) are great, they are one of the top three battery makers in the US, but they also make the Optima (spiral plate) line AND a line of flat plate AGM batteries, one of which will be your "Varta" labeled one. The battery my dealer dropped in was 100% Varta, made in Germany, not a JCI. Maybe they pulled it from another car, I don't know. And because the Varta battery sizes do not conform to typical US/Japanese sizes, they may be harder to substitute.

Last I heard, WallyWorld and Sam's Club (who contract for the same batteries, but Sam's sells them for less, and WallyWorld offers a 3-year "no questions" no-pro-rating full warranty with them as well) have been contracted from other makers, among them two of the other top three--but not JCI. That contract also gets re-bid every year or two, and is subject to change.

The batteries are all similar--but not the same. To say one or the other is "better" is like saying apples are better than oranges. Well, maybe they are, if you plan to make apple cider. Not so much if you wanted to squeeze orange juice.(G)

Redd

Hannibul-
Agreed 100%. Some years ago I was testing a charging system which used a new charging controller (not the 2-3-4 stage designs) and the damned thing was driving me crazy by constantly leading the battery voltage by only a small amount, which changed every 15 minutes. So I grabbed a second meter and...that eventually led me to build a small calibration source (10.00 volts, exactly and only, and any variation would be in the invisible fifth decimal place) which I use now. It ain't NIS standards, but it IS awfully handy to have around. My meters no longer are allowed to disagree.
So far the best one was a freebie from Horror Freight, which was more than 3/4 volt off at "12" volts. How many poor folks have been crazy by that, one can only wonder.