Q7 Battery Replacement-Programming needed?

trae

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3 prior TDIs - '97 B4 Passat Sedan, '96 Passat B4 Wagon, 2001 NB; Current - 2013 Audi Q7 TDI Pearl White Metallic - 2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 Touring - 1995 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport Carb
Audi dealer who performed warranty work on our Q7 indicated battery while still good will need replacement before long. Naturally not wanting to be stranded at some point in the next couple of months, I looked into prices of batteries and watched a YouTube video on how to replace it, so as not to have to pay the dealer $600 to replace it.

Removal/installation appears reasonable and the YouTube video on replacing the Q7/Touareg/Cayenne battery mentioned nothing about programming - however, several sites indicate the new battery needs to be programmed in with VAG in order to charge properly and perhaps other issues - noted many questions as to does this need to be done, on Audi forums, with varying responses.

So the question is pretty basic - can you just unbolt the seat and battery carrier, put a new one in, bolt your seat back down, and be ready to drive, or does it in fact need to be programmed in to ensure that all the settings are proper? While I wouldn't pay the Audi dealer to replace it, whether reprogramming is needed will determine whether I'll head into the garage and do it myself, or pay my mechanic to do it, thanks.
 

Jetta_Pilot

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trae, while I have no idea about what size battery you require all I can tell you about is the Autozone Duralast H8 AGM battery I bought for $ 189.99 to replace a H6 battery.

You will have to do your own size comparison for your fitment.

This H8 battery is longer but same width and heights as the OEM was and has much better CCA at 1,000, starting amps 950 vs 650 and reserve 95 Ah vs 72. I had to do some modifications to fit the longer battery into the tray, in my car under the hood.

I was also told the AGM battery will not need setting with a VCDS, but reading on the web I found that an AGM battery likes a lower charging rate compared to a flooded battery.
That can be adjusted in battery settings via a VCDS and is simply unchecking the flooded battery and checking off the AGM battery.

My opinion is that yes you can just pop an AGM in and drive, but not changing the settings may shorten the battery life.

Good luck
 
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Mythdoc

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Agree. It will work but not as well as if you do the reprogramming.
 

trae

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3 prior TDIs - '97 B4 Passat Sedan, '96 Passat B4 Wagon, 2001 NB; Current - 2013 Audi Q7 TDI Pearl White Metallic - 2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 Touring - 1995 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport Carb
Agree. It will work but not as well as if you do the reprogramming.
*Sigh* I don't have a Vag-Com. Can't believe as a grown man I'm actually considering paying someone else to change out a battery....
 

oilhammer

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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
VCDS is a good investment for all sorts of things. Given the expense the Q7 will almost certainly give you, it will seem like a small price to pay.

Yes, many newer vehicles, not just VAG, have a battery control module setting for various types of batteries as well as battery age, and if the setting is not adjusted it can significantly shorten battery life as well as tax the charging system beyond what it would otherwise have to deal with.

I also always try and avoid dropping a static charge on the vehicle when swapping batteries. Which is especially easy on vehicles like the Q7 that have easily accessible jump start spots under the hood. However, this does mean extra caution needs to be taken when dealing with the battery cables, as the positive will continue to be "hot" during the process.

Anything that has a battery placed somewhere other than under the hood usually enjoys a longer battery life due to less temp extremes, FWIW.

Also, some cars' battery control module can display the "life" of the battery in its data, similar to tire pressure sensors, that is extrapolated from how well the battery is holding its state of charge as well as how it takes a charge. The dealer may have simply been accessing this valuable data to help keep you from being left stranded with a dead battery at some point in the near future. They can also sometimes show the replacement date of the battery, as it was reset when it was installed (or when the car was built), which is also nice since it is MUCH easier to plug in the DLC and do a couple mouse clicks rather than dig a buried battery out from under a seat or under a floor liner.
 

trae

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VCDS is a good investment for all sorts of things. Given the expense the Q7 will almost certainly give you, it will seem like a small price to pay.
Yes, many newer vehicles, not just VAG, have a battery control module setting for various types of batteries as well as battery age, and if the setting is not adjusted it can significantly shorten battery life as well as tax the charging system beyond what it would otherwise have to deal with.
I also always try and avoid dropping a static charge on the vehicle when swapping batteries. Which is especially easy on vehicles like the Q7 that have easily accessible jump start spots under the hood. However, this does mean extra caution needs to be taken when dealing with the battery cables, as the positive will continue to be "hot" during the process.
Anything that has a battery placed somewhere other than under the hood usually enjoys a longer battery life due to less temp extremes, FWIW.
Also, some cars' battery control module can display the "life" of the battery in its data, similar to tire pressure sensors, that is extrapolated from how well the battery is holding its state of charge as well as how it takes a charge. The dealer may have simply been accessing this valuable data to help keep you from being left stranded with a dead battery at some point in the near future. They can also sometimes show the replacement date of the battery, as it was reset when it was installed (or when the car was built), which is also nice since it is MUCH easier to plug in the DLC and do a couple mouse clicks rather than dig a buried battery out from under a seat or under a floor liner.
OH I have a sinking feeling that, having just purchased a highly computerized car that ran over $60k new, I either need to transform myself from the analog to the digital age, or resign ourselves to paying someone to perform digital diagnostics, repairs and programming over the next several years.
I don't even know what a VCDS is or what it looks like. Any idea where I can purchase it and approx. how much it costs? I am guessing from your response, that it will readily pay for itself. Also I know absolutely zilch about computers other than how to clear the internet history. Is VCDS user friendly, or is there a "VCDS for Dummies" guide out there for dudes like myself, who know which direction to turn a wrench and little else?
 

pdq import repair

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idaho
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On the later German cars that all require battery replacement, we use ONLY factory batteries that are an exact fit and number as the original. I have heard from people that know the BMW's especially that < yeah you can encode a different battery than the car came with but..... They say, "save yourself a lot of grief and do it the factory way."


We had a customer put a genuine Factory battery in his car himself and did not have it "registered" to the car. We saw the car a year later for the first time and the alternator was smoked, as was his one year old battery. The dealer would warranty the battery if he could have provided proof that he had the battery registered, which he could not.


The alternator thought it had an old battery to charge and proceeded to overcharge the new one cooking both components.


Do yourself a favor and do it right and have the expensive shock only once.
 

trae

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3 prior TDIs - '97 B4 Passat Sedan, '96 Passat B4 Wagon, 2001 NB; Current - 2013 Audi Q7 TDI Pearl White Metallic - 2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 Touring - 1995 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport Carb
On the later German cars that all require battery replacement, we use ONLY factory batteries that are an exact fit and number as the original. I have heard from people that know the BMW's especially that < yeah you can encode a different battery than the car came with but..... They say, "save yourself a lot of grief and do it the factory way."


We had a customer put a genuine Factory battery in his car himself and did not have it "registered" to the car. We saw the car a year later for the first time and the alternator was smoked, as was his one year old battery. The dealer would warranty the battery if he could have provided proof that he had the battery registered, which he could not.


The alternator thought it had an old battery to charge and proceeded to overcharge the new one cooking both components.


Do yourself a favor and do it right and have the expensive shock only once.
Any recommendations as to the brand of battery, or was it the failure to program it that smoked the battery and alternator? Have already come to the decision that if I decide to do it myself, I will get the VCDS program; already found a website that walks you through how to program it. If I do it myself, how do I "register" the battery?

I am gathering that replacing the Q7 alternator will greatly exceed the $100 I paid for a new OEM alternator for my '96 B4 Passat and that it will likely take a lot more than a big-ass screwdriver, a crescent wrench, and twenty minutes to replace it......
 

Jetta_Pilot

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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Someone can always paint a dark picture of any situation, there are hundreds of batteries changed by owners and often gone to a more powerful battery for starting. Lets face it any manufacturer will put in the minimum that will work.


As for "registering" a battery that's fancy way or scare tactic way of saying to change the settings from flooded to AGM. If you stay with a flooded battery then there is nothing to change whatsoever. Having said that, an AGM battery in some ways has similar characteristics to a DEEP CYCLE battery and is completely sealed..
 
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pdq import repair

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idaho
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Registering the battery not only tells the car what battery it has, but also that the battery is new. The battery management programming then alters the charging characteristics to match a new fresh battery rather than an old worn out one.


You might get by just popping in a battery and running with it, or smoke your overworked alternator.



There is a reason they want it registered, and I have personally seen one alternator battery failure because of lack of it, and have heard of others through our subscribed diagnostic sites. Same sites also recommend only factory batteries for best reliability and longevity, quoting issues like the one we witnessed.



Just saying, it is easy enough to do it exactly as the manufacturer requires though maybe a dollar or two more cost wise, but it is very expensive to replace an alternator in a modern car, both part cost and labor too. Some vehicles have a 10 hour flat rate to put in an alternator, like the Tourag where you have to drop the engine and transmission and subframe to put one in. Same goes for the starter on that vehicle too.
 

trae

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Registering the battery not only tells the car what battery it has, but also that the battery is new. The battery management programming then alters the charging characteristics to match a new fresh battery rather than an old worn out one.


You might get by just popping in a battery and running with it, or smoke your overworked alternator.



There is a reason they want it registered, and I have personally seen one alternator battery failure because of lack of it, and have heard of others through our subscribed diagnostic sites. Same sites also recommend only factory batteries for best reliability and longevity, quoting issues like the one we witnessed.



Just saying, it is easy enough to do it exactly as the manufacturer requires though maybe a dollar or two more cost wise, but it is very expensive to replace an alternator in a modern car, both part cost and labor too. Some vehicles have a 10 hour flat rate to put in an alternator, like the Tourag where you have to drop the engine and transmission and subframe to put one in. Same goes for the starter on that vehicle too.
Going to pick up the Q7 from my local independent mechanic today with new tires installed - Tire Rack plus $80 mounting/balancing with Tire Rack rebate debit card ran me a total of approx. $800 for new tires as opposed to $1,500 quoted from Chicago Audi dealer. Same independent states battery probably has a year left - agrees replace it next fall to be safe for cold weather. If I don't get the software and decide to do it myself, they quote me $382 for an OEM battery, installation, and reprogramming, as opposed to $600 from the dealer
 

RexNICO

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South West OH
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2011 Tiguan, 2011 Q7
Heading down this rabbit hole myself and just came to realize my older VCDS does not work on the newer Q7.

Anyone near Atlanta with a (unlimited VIN) VCDS that will support the Q7?
 

ksa63

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Orillia, Ontario
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I recently replaced my own battery in our '14 Q5. I purchased it from the VW dealer for $372.84 CAN. This was a brand new 105Ah Varta (JCB) battery, that is used in the VW Treg too. That $373 was after tax dollars and if you were to get it in USA then the price will likely be sub $300 USD.
Replacement was straight forward and then I needed to input the new serial number, manufacturer code (JCB) and BEM Code. Done.
Look here VCDS Software for the VCDS software, its free. You will need to purchase the cable and there are several options for that. Here is the one I own... HEX-V2 I purchased mine before Ross Tech started selling licenses with the cable so mine is unlimited vins.
There is a bit of a learning curve with VCDS but in most instances there are appropriate You Tube videos to guide you through. I found just the right one for the battery recoding.
 

RexNICO

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For anyone with more/better knowledge

Have you seen some Varta batteries now using VAO (non-slashed upper case o) insetad of the VA0 (slashed zero)?
 

TurboABA

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If you're reading the code on the BEM sticker, it has a slash through it.
If you're reading the code in VCDS, it does not..... you can still tell it's a ZERO and not an O due to the character width..... O is fat, Zero is narrow 0

Like this
O vs 0
 

RexNICO

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2011 Tiguan, 2011 Q7
Thanks for the reply.
The BEM sticker contains an upper case letter o (non slashed).

I found a reference on Ross Tech that says
“ have seen some cases where (contrary to established norms) some Varta batteries have VAO (letter O) instead of VA0 (number 0). If you encounter a problem with Coding one of these, please try substituting the letter for the number or vice versa.”

 

DivineChaos

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mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
In my eyes the easiest thing to do to buy an oem battery from the dealership. And change it yourself. If you're capable of changing the battery and just buy the right one from the dealership and do it.
 

RexNICO

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This is a purchased from dealer OEM battery.

It “appears” Varta has changed their standard for MFG code.

 
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