I had my battery replaced last week at 59,000 miles and 5 years old so I think I got some good life out of it. However, I am curious to know from this forum if I paid far too much for labor.

I was charged 1.5 hours of labor for a total of $190. They failed to bill me for the battery at $135. There was a bunch of other CPO work done on the car so I didn't see this and assumed the $190 included the battery because why would it take 90 minutes to remove a battery and put a new one in.

My service advisor left me a message saying "well we have to reconnect the memory manager and reset all the codes etc... please call the cashier and pay for the battery...." that sounds like BS to me.

What say you? Thanks in advance.

 

I thihk an Interstate battery is ~$190.
It's hard to imagine that it could take a mechanic more than a half hour to replace the battery and reset the codes.

 

Sound like a lotta bull$hit to me. I bought a Dekka Group 49 for a screaming deal of $95 (The cheaper brand is less at Sam's Club). Took me 20 minutes to install. No codes or any "resetting" required.

 

yup, 1.5hrs is a lot to re&re a battery. too much if you ask me

For some reason the 2007 model year Audi A8 uses the same type 95R battery vs. 49 as the the a8 W12's - 850CCA. My dealer was asking $235CAN for it. *** that, I got the exact same thing from the VW dealer for 1/2 the price.
I did mine in less than 10 minutes, taking my time as well given the eplosiveness of the situation. -rimshot please

There is some minor coding necessary for the ECU but I've been told its only to re-calibrate the control module -> quiescent amperage staging for the energy management system.

looks like 95R is the biggest Automotive boat anchor out there for cars
L=16"
W=7"
H=7.5"

heh that's one big bich;


I understand the W12 needing more power but weird the '07 A8 is singled out...

 

I wanted a Deka (to help keep the economy in Lyon Station Pennsylvania moving. Their application guide (as well as others) indicated a Group 49 so that's what i bought.

When I pulled the OEM Varta out, it was just like yours; A group 95. Same listed CCA'a and reserve capacity though on the Deka as well as the Varta I removed.

 

there is a pyrotechnic device, but it's all no big deal.

The codes say how much and how deep the power management system/software was tripped. They don't activate any warning lights. Any time I scan my car, there are almost always some power management related codes in there. If the battery went out it will be the full level 5. Doesn't mean much other than a way to confirm that along the way things like your keyless entry (if you had it) would not have functioned, remote opening would have faded, rear fridge in a W12 would have shut down, MMI screen wouldn't come up, blah blah, blah. All part of the power mngt software. No user intervention or resetting is required is about all you need to (not) know.

The pyro charge is in that black plastic case in front of the battery. Just big enough basically to blow out a giant fuse. Again, not unusual in a car at all, going back a good number of years now.

From owning the W12, I would say the big battery is something they figured out for all D3's. I have walked into the dealer many a time and found a charger permanently hooked up to an S8 or a 4.2 displayed on the showroom floor. Big power sucks include the whole MMI system, and the HVAC any time the ignition key is on. Heated seats is another obvious one if on; less obvious are things like all the lighting that goes and stays on every time door is opened, the electrical heating elements buried in the underfloor ducting to the rear of the car if the ignition is on, etc.

Net, it's not hard to drain the battery a fair amount, hence noving to the bigger reserve capacity size to mitigate it. Does make for quite a boat anchor though.

Oh yeah, and in favor of the "Audi's are finnicky and Toyota's and Lexus' are great" occasional crowd, I have drained (and replaced) the battery on my vaunted Toyota Sienna materially more. Same basic problem where a gazillion lights go on and power doors get used, like repeatedly unloading the vehicle and seaching for things during a trip. Flat battery several times. The down side of all the modern convenience stuff.

 

So, if the 95 and the 49 have the same CCA and reserve, what is the purpose of the aditional volume of the 95 ? I just had to replace the original battery (95) in my 04 today and I used a 49 ($82 at Sam's) because no one had a 95. At Advanced the 49 they had was $134 and the warranty and CCA were the same as the Energizer at Sam's!

 

I actually just got my battery replaced today. They said the battery just passed the normal test they performed and will be in need of replacement in the near future. So I had it replaced now instead of worrying about it later. Interstate battery $190, and $39 for the installation and coding while being hooked up to constant voltage.

 

From a friend and former co-worker who was the NAPA Battery division manager that was GB (Gould/General Battery/Deka were the private label suppliers):

You always want the biggest battery that will fit in the box, terminals are in correct position, and meets CCA spec. This allows for more "acid bath" (electrolyte). The more the plates have to "bathe" in, the longer they will withstand heat and have more life. We call the smaller, high crank batteries "acid starved". Too many plates and not enough juice.

So that means a Group 95 would be better than a Group 49. I didn't see a Group 95 in any Deka lists. Their cross references all seemed to point to Group 49 so that's what I bought. I agree that Sam's offers the lowest price. But the Deka I bought for only $10 more was worth it to me. Keeping the economy moving in Lyon Station, PA.