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Audi A5 Battery DIY Replacement
10-08-2016, 11:02 AM
#1
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Audi A5 Battery DIY Replacement
The Audi dealer wanted $440 to replace the 5 year old battery in my 2010 Audi A5 Premium Plus Cabriolet, scaring me with the complexity. But I bought it from the Audi parts department for $160 + $18 core deposit and it was worth the effort to DIY. Take the old battery back to the dealer when you are done to recycle the old battery and get back your $18 "core" deposit.
Reminder, the battery is in the trunk under the spare tire, but battery jumper cables to charge the battery are connected to lugs in the front engine compartment. Read your manual for the location.So I connected my idling truck to the jumper lugs under the front hood to keep the electrical systems alive while i removed the Audi battery. This keeps your satellite radio and other car systems from losing their codes while you change the Audi's battery.
While removing the battery in the trunk, remember the car's electrical is kept alive by the truck. So when I removed the positive wire to the battery, I wrapped it in a cloth towel to keep it from contacting the metal of the car. Then I removed the old battery and installed the new battery. Then I started the Audi and disconnected the truck jumpers.
I checked the new battery for the BEM code before installing it. The new battery was a generic VW/Audi battery and it had no BEM code. The new BEM code needs to be entered into the MMI system so that it knows there is a new battery installed or the MMI manages it like an old battery and shortens the life. So I used the old code and incremented one digit. The MMI was happy with this revised code.
To enter the battery code in MMI, you need an OBD2 adapter to put in your data port under the dash on the left side. Audi is special, the OBDeleven adapter allows you read engine codes AND write/change the codes such as the BEM code for the battery. Search for OBDeleven on Amazon for about $65. It is so convenient* to check performance or viw/clear error codes with the adapter. It communicates to your smartphone via Bluetooth with an* OBDeleven Pro app on Playstore.
Insert your OBDeleven adapter, startup up the app on your phone, then follow these* instructions to enter your new battery BEM code. The instructions below worked for me.
1. View the state of the battery in MMI with OBDEleven app under 19-CAN gateway > Measuring Blocks > Groups 18,19 and 20
2. View the current BEM code in OBDEleven app under 19-CAN Gateway _> Long Adaptation -> Channel 4 -> Battery identification).
3. Apply the BEM code in the following manner - Keep the part number the same as before, then enter the new information as follows. Look at the old battery number in the system, giving specific attention to where the number of spaces.
- (N) Part number - (11 digits) - kept this the same as the previous battery.
- (V) Vendor code - (3 digits) - in my case VA0 for Varta
- (S) Serial number (10 digits, but leaving out the starting 3 digits of manufacturer)
NNNNNNNNNNN VVV SSSSSSSSSS
Note: Check the BEM code in MMI. I had 2 spaces between N and V and 1 space between V and S.
4. Restart the car and the MMI battery state should be100%. Success.
This DIY process worked for me, but check the internet for other approaches. I saved money and gained the OBDeleven diagnostic tool.
One last cool thing to note, you can change how many features work in your Audi with the OBDEleven, but some of the coolest features can only be configured if your car has a keyless system that unlocks the car door when you touch the door handle to unlock it. I don't have that option. But it worked well for my task to update the BEM code.
Reminder, the battery is in the trunk under the spare tire, but battery jumper cables to charge the battery are connected to lugs in the front engine compartment. Read your manual for the location.So I connected my idling truck to the jumper lugs under the front hood to keep the electrical systems alive while i removed the Audi battery. This keeps your satellite radio and other car systems from losing their codes while you change the Audi's battery.
While removing the battery in the trunk, remember the car's electrical is kept alive by the truck. So when I removed the positive wire to the battery, I wrapped it in a cloth towel to keep it from contacting the metal of the car. Then I removed the old battery and installed the new battery. Then I started the Audi and disconnected the truck jumpers.
I checked the new battery for the BEM code before installing it. The new battery was a generic VW/Audi battery and it had no BEM code. The new BEM code needs to be entered into the MMI system so that it knows there is a new battery installed or the MMI manages it like an old battery and shortens the life. So I used the old code and incremented one digit. The MMI was happy with this revised code.
To enter the battery code in MMI, you need an OBD2 adapter to put in your data port under the dash on the left side. Audi is special, the OBDeleven adapter allows you read engine codes AND write/change the codes such as the BEM code for the battery. Search for OBDeleven on Amazon for about $65. It is so convenient* to check performance or viw/clear error codes with the adapter. It communicates to your smartphone via Bluetooth with an* OBDeleven Pro app on Playstore.
Insert your OBDeleven adapter, startup up the app on your phone, then follow these* instructions to enter your new battery BEM code. The instructions below worked for me.
1. View the state of the battery in MMI with OBDEleven app under 19-CAN gateway > Measuring Blocks > Groups 18,19 and 20
2. View the current BEM code in OBDEleven app under 19-CAN Gateway _> Long Adaptation -> Channel 4 -> Battery identification).
3. Apply the BEM code in the following manner - Keep the part number the same as before, then enter the new information as follows. Look at the old battery number in the system, giving specific attention to where the number of spaces.
- (N) Part number - (11 digits) - kept this the same as the previous battery.
- (V) Vendor code - (3 digits) - in my case VA0 for Varta
- (S) Serial number (10 digits, but leaving out the starting 3 digits of manufacturer)
NNNNNNNNNNN VVV SSSSSSSSSS
Note: Check the BEM code in MMI. I had 2 spaces between N and V and 1 space between V and S.
4. Restart the car and the MMI battery state should be100%. Success.
This DIY process worked for me, but check the internet for other approaches. I saved money and gained the OBDeleven diagnostic tool.
One last cool thing to note, you can change how many features work in your Audi with the OBDEleven, but some of the coolest features can only be configured if your car has a keyless system that unlocks the car door when you touch the door handle to unlock it. I don't have that option. But it worked well for my task to update the BEM code.
10-17-2016, 01:36 PM
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Other Than OEM Battery
Your post got my attention because my 2012 A5 is five years old, and although I have no issue with the original battery, I'm starting to think about it. Will the recoding work with other batteries, i.e., Interstate, AutoZone, Costco? And is the existing serial number incremented by one? Do you know the size of the battery? Is it an AGM, vented to the outside?
And just to verify the computer really doesn't care what the brand and serial number is as long as the serial number is different.
And just to verify the computer really doesn't care what the brand and serial number is as long as the serial number is different.
10-17-2016, 05:08 PM
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Your post got my attention because my 2012 A5 is five years old, and although I have no issue with the original battery, I'm starting to think about it. Will the recoding work with other batteries, i.e., Interstate, AutoZone, Costco? And is the existing serial number incremented by one? Do you know the size of the battery? Is it an AGM, vented to the outside?
And just to verify the computer really doesn't care what the brand and serial number is as long as the serial number is different.
And just to verify the computer really doesn't care what the brand and serial number is as long as the serial number is different.
03-30-2018, 04:38 AM
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Your post got my attention because my 2012 A5 is five years old, and although I have no issue with the original battery, I'm starting to think about it. Will the recoding work with other batteries, i.e., Interstate, AutoZone, Costco? And is the existing serial number incremented by one? Do you know the size of the battery? Is it an AGM, vented to the outside?.
04-06-2018, 12:26 PM
#5
AudiWorld Super User
Stonebreaker-
I'm chasing the same snarks for my Q5 right now. Which VCDS interface and procedure you have varies by model and year, I odn't know your. Ross-Tech has a youtube video about that, and the replacement process in general.
But what I can tell you for a certainty, is that it is critical for battery life that the newer smart charging systems know what type (wet lead, agm, "extended" for the autostart/stop) of battery the car has and what the exact capacity is, in Ah. All of that apparently is encoded in the BEM, so it is rather important to get the right one. If you are buying a non-Varta battery, the specs probably will be different. But if your battery is made by someone who makes Varta batteries (JCI/JCB in the US right now) and the Ah capacity and type are the same, then the corresponding Varta BEM should work. Catch-22, you can't get that unless someone has the same battery to READ it from. Very few seem to be posted anywhere online.
The programming charge is an insult, way beyond reasonable. As is the secrecy of BEM codes.
I'm chasing the same snarks for my Q5 right now. Which VCDS interface and procedure you have varies by model and year, I odn't know your. Ross-Tech has a youtube video about that, and the replacement process in general.
But what I can tell you for a certainty, is that it is critical for battery life that the newer smart charging systems know what type (wet lead, agm, "extended" for the autostart/stop) of battery the car has and what the exact capacity is, in Ah. All of that apparently is encoded in the BEM, so it is rather important to get the right one. If you are buying a non-Varta battery, the specs probably will be different. But if your battery is made by someone who makes Varta batteries (JCI/JCB in the US right now) and the Ah capacity and type are the same, then the corresponding Varta BEM should work. Catch-22, you can't get that unless someone has the same battery to READ it from. Very few seem to be posted anywhere online.
The programming charge is an insult, way beyond reasonable. As is the secrecy of BEM codes.
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Apotack (01-01-2023)
04-08-2018, 07:09 PM
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Amen, brother. I finally gave up on proactively replacing the battery and instead traded in the 48 frame size for a size 35 for my little toyota work car, since it was ailing as well. I'm probably going to order that OBD eleven software and use it to change the battery. Although, good news, I found an independent mechanic here in Weatherford, TX who owns an S5, and he has all the required software to do maintenance on the car.
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04-10-2018, 05:35 AM
#9
AudiWorld Member
OBDeleven will do probably do about 95% of what a real Ross-Tech will do. It's owner/user designed and has a one-click feature for many option changes rather then having to do the long coding process. Changing the battery code is also part of it's function when installing a new battery.
04-10-2018, 07:32 PM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
It would be nice to know what it can and can't do, aside from needing to pull coding numbers out of the air, or off web searches. Even nicer if it had a 'demo" mode or a trial period. But since I already have VCDS...it had better make a good cup of coffee, too.