Is it a mistake to DIY a battery replacement?
05-20-2019, 04:48 PM
#1
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Is it a mistake to DIY a battery replacement?
My Q5 is a TDI. I went for a 45k service a little early - right before 40k. The dealer told me the cause of a couple of random error codes is a battery on the way out. They quoted me $350 to replace it. I am quite a do-it-yourselfer and have never been one to shy away from changing a battery even given it's location. They do have me a bit concerned based on having to 'program' the car to recognize the capacity of the new battery, etc due to the energy management system. IS this for real or a crock? I certainly don't want to do anything that would be harmful to the car but this really is a new one on me. I am all ears from anyone that can share some wisdom and knowledge. I don't want to do anything stupid in an effort to save a buck but I don't like giving away money for nothing and l like to tinker when/if I have the time. Thanks in advance.
05-20-2019, 06:08 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Well the guy in the video never coded the new battery!!!! The power management system will remember the old battery remaining capacity and at some point in the near future will determine that the new battery with the old battery stored conditions can no longer power all the electrical subsystems and will shut them down one by one.
You definitely need to recode a new battery and usually need a VCDS to do so. So to the OP if you don't have a VCDS (approximately $300 cost), and buying a 3rd party battery (approximately $150), it just may be worth it to have the dealer install it for $350..
You definitely need to recode a new battery and usually need a VCDS to do so. So to the OP if you don't have a VCDS (approximately $300 cost), and buying a 3rd party battery (approximately $150), it just may be worth it to have the dealer install it for $350..
Last edited by Bob Petruska; 05-20-2019 at 06:10 PM.
05-21-2019, 10:20 AM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
As Bob said.
$200 or less will buy you a battery (higher capacity, too) made by JCI, the same folks who make the Varta-labelled batteries in the US. And $200 more buys you the Ross-Tech software. From what any of us has been able to figure out, the coding and all the fancy numbers seems to do nothing except tell the car when to demand a new battery, and to embed the battery change date and serial number for warranty purposes.
My battery was a 12.2 volts resting voltage when they said the same things to me...apparently Audi's are queer about requiring more battery voltage than ordinary cars. 12.2 would keep any Detroit product happy for a long time, it is still 60% of a new battery.
Hardest parts of the change are:
1-Finding to what you need to do (now documented in the other thread)
2-Digging down into the battery compartment
Might want to put some plastic or cardboard in the compartment near the positive post, so you can't have a short to the compartment walls. And you'll need to really squint to see where the breather tube plugs into the battery, it vents the battery outside of the car. Easy to miss. And, you'll need to use something (not a lithium start-jump box) on the battery posts under the hood, to keep power to the computer while you do this. Otherwise, stray things need to be reprogrammed.
PITA, but not rocket science.
$200 or less will buy you a battery (higher capacity, too) made by JCI, the same folks who make the Varta-labelled batteries in the US. And $200 more buys you the Ross-Tech software. From what any of us has been able to figure out, the coding and all the fancy numbers seems to do nothing except tell the car when to demand a new battery, and to embed the battery change date and serial number for warranty purposes.
My battery was a 12.2 volts resting voltage when they said the same things to me...apparently Audi's are queer about requiring more battery voltage than ordinary cars. 12.2 would keep any Detroit product happy for a long time, it is still 60% of a new battery.
Hardest parts of the change are:
1-Finding to what you need to do (now documented in the other thread)
2-Digging down into the battery compartment
Might want to put some plastic or cardboard in the compartment near the positive post, so you can't have a short to the compartment walls. And you'll need to really squint to see where the breather tube plugs into the battery, it vents the battery outside of the car. Easy to miss. And, you'll need to use something (not a lithium start-jump box) on the battery posts under the hood, to keep power to the computer while you do this. Otherwise, stray things need to be reprogrammed.
PITA, but not rocket science.
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