How To Replace and ADAPT a VW or Audi Battery

You might think is DUMB you have to program a car when installing a new battery. This video will show you how to Adapt or Code a VW/Audi battery I will also show you how to replace a vehicle battery. I will also show you step by step how to adapt a new vehicle battery using a MK7.5 Golf R, AND a MK8 Golf R. This process will be very similar on most all newer VW and Audi cars.
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VCDS ~ bit.ly/36nAvou
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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 Intro to battery replacement
0:29 Battery replacement tools
0:47 Tips before replacing battery
1:07 How to replace vehicle battery
4:54 How to Code/Adapt VW Battery
5:37 Code battery with OBDeleven
7:56 How to fix warning lights on dash
8:35 Reset window pinch protection
9:14 Code battery with VCDS
10:29 If you dont adapt the battery
10:58 How long will VW battery last
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disclaimer:
The content of this video is available for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the professional advice of a mechanic who has personally inspected your vehicle, nor does it create a relationship of any kind between the Humble Mechanic and you. Every situation may be different, and the Humble Mechanic does not make any warranties, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy, fitness, or applicability of the information or automotive parts portrayed in this video to any project and makes no guarantee of results. The Humble Mechanic and any sponsors of this video will not be liable for any damages related to personal injury, property damage or loss of any kind that may result from the use or reliance on this video and/or any automotive parts represented in this video. You are using the information and automotive parts portrayed in this video solely at your own risk.

[@kaurvali]

Few important notes on battery type in coding!! There are two options for AGM - Fleece and Binary AGM. Optima or 'performance' batteries are Binary AGM which means AGM spiral wound (usually indicated by the round cells. OE replacements are Fleece aka AGM Flat.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

I've still got a blue top that's kicking from 2007 ,it's in my mk4 project car and it's "good enough" for the shop stuff I'm doing but I'll need a new one when the cars roadworthy. A load test said it's only got like 60% capacity. I'd say that was/is a good run. I put a yellow top in the wife's 2014 Jetta recently, fingers crossed it lasts 10+yrs.(I've heard they ain't what they used to be)

[@deadduck8307]

I've never understood why performance cars use AGM in the engine bay. AGM is just a way of suspending the electrolyte (sulfuric acid + distilled water) in a gel so it stays in contact with the cell plates regardless of how the battery is oriented (flat, on its side, at an angle, etc). But this comes at a performance cost since it's sealed, you should limit how fast it's charged so as to limit hydrolysis (hydrogen gas formation from the splitting of the H20 into Hydrogen and Oxygen). Some of the gas is re-absorbed just like how a shaken Coke bottle won't go flat if you don't open it. But it's in the engine bay which is well ventilated and it stays mounted relatively flat. You'll get better charge performance from a regular non-sealed, non-AGM battery at the cost of topping it off w/ distilled water every couple years and making sure it stays upright. This is just not the right application for AGM from what I can tell....

[@RC-ic1co]

Thanks, that sounds very helpful.

[@deadduck8307]

@Floyd. B I can't comment about the open/wet batteries as I don't know if I've ever seen one in real life... but that sort of lends credence to your claim that they're rare... That said, I've never had a lead acid battery (AGM or not) that I couldn't refill with distilled water w/o using a syringe but I don't mess w/ the cylindrical style AGM -- they seem like a gimmick to me. The non-AGM, regular ol' car batteries have those two plastic caps that plug 3 holes each. Take a flat blade screw driver, pry 'em off, pour distilled water into each of the 6 cells, put plugs back, hit plugs w/ hammer to seal, profit... It's easy enough for me to do a couple times a year. EDIT: In my truck, I have a standard battery from Walmart, just google "EverStart Maxx Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 24F" ... I also have a small 10w solar panel on the hood of my truck (it looks like a hood-scoop until you get closer and see it's a solar cell). The cell provides 22v open circuit @ 330mA in bright summers day which keeps the battery charged when parked for extended periods. But, 22v will cause gassing (anything over about 14v will), so I add water every now and again. So far, my battery is 5 years old and still going strong.

[@deadduck8307]

@Floyd. B It has a small 100w or so solar charge controller, but lately I've bypassed that in favor of just a diode. The charge controller has 2 LEDs that are always on, and the 40mA parasitic power draw can somewhat defeat the purpose in some situations. Since it's only 10w rated, 6w installed w/ perfect conditions, it should be fine to go w/o the controller, though the controller is there if I wanted to wire it back in. It's interesting to hear that European batteries are sealed to such a degree. If you can't add water, I can't see the batteries there lasting more that 2-3 years especially in a hot engine bay... with proper maintenance, I've seen them go 10+ years.

[@JesseKrauss]

Anyone installing a Non cylindrical , Lead Acid AGM battery should set the Battery charging technology to "Fleece", "Binary-AGM" is for use with those Cylindrical AGM batteries such as Optima Yellow and Red tops. Did a ton of research on this.

[@RawDawgr]

VW tech here. I really feel like you taught me a lot before I began my career in this industry, however, I do feel the need to correct you on one thing; You do not need to lock the vehicle to allow the bus and sub-bus systems to fall asleep in the battery adaptation process. That is a common misconception among a lot of forum users with battery-monitoring vehicles, and while maybe a good thing to do in practice, is not necessary. Very informative to anybody without the knowledge prior, but it is just an extra step that can be avoided. Still thankful you put this video out, though, because I am getting sick of customers coming in with brand new batteries that died after 6 months due to improper adaptation. Hopefully people begin to learn that battery adaptation is a very real and legitimate part of most vehicles from now until forever, probably.

[@rgolab3174]

So if locking the vehicle to allow the bus and sub-bus systems to fall asleep is not necessary then why it may be a good thing to do in practice?

[@theking965x]

I have a question I replaced my battery like 3 months ago and when I turn the battery on only in the car my obd11 says the battery is discharging would you think it’s too late to do the adaptation or doing it will still prolong the life of the battery?

[@rgolab3174]

@@theking965x I never did adaptations and the car worked fine. I say the whole adaptation thing is a bunch of b.s. I did have a problem once after a new battery install after 6 months but it was a battery problem. It turned out one of the cells died. I exchanged it under a store warranty and the replacement is working fine after 4 years and I didn't adapt it either. I'd thoroughly test the battery and if it's fine then test for parasitic draw. Search youtube if you need to find out how to do that.

[@3rdClaude]

@@rgolab3174 It would be good to lock the car so no one goes into the car and prolongs the "waiting to sleep" timing

[@HumbleMechanic]

Here is the battery code list for different vendors. Im not sure it REALLY matters, but might as well do it as right as possible LOL Battery Vendor List: Varta - VAO Exide - TU3 JCI - JCB JFF Boading - 5D0 Banner - BA2 Sebang - GBC Exide Technologies SA - TU1 JCI Mexico - EMC Unknown - UNK

[@pfcottone2621]

Would a stock battery from Audi Dealer be VAG?? I believe that's what i put in the OBD 11...for my 2018 S3

[@pabski92]

Yuasa YUA - Thanks for the info, all those pings were making my wallet wince

[@zounds13]

Does JCI mean Johnson Controls?

[@lxrdtyrant2326]

This is hands down the best and most informative channel I've ever came across 🙏🏽 Keep grinding King. Looking forward to more videos.

[@HumbleMechanic]

THANK YOU

[@pavelppp888]

Hello, Charles, As an automotive engineer, I can give some details on the “unknown why’s” in the process: - the prerequisite for opening the hood is to ensure that the vehicle is stationary before performing diagnosing procedures like adaptations, which lead to reset of important modules (the gateway is pretty important module and is not supposed to reset while vehicle is in motion) - the waiting for some minutes with vehicle locked is to ensure that all the car’a busses are put to sleep by the gateway. Once they are not active, the gateway goes to sleep as well. Then, on wake up, some of the errors are removed by the gateway. - the rotating of the steering wheel from end to end is also to clean some under voltage errors in the esp/abs modules. - the disable of DoIP communication will be more and more required for various procedures in the newer VW platforms when working with VCDS, at least before RossTech update their products. P.S. The SFD will really hit all of us - the car enthusiasts…

[@pepeshopping]

My kind of guy! An engineer that actually knows how stuff works! (Instead of these mechanics with best guesses!).

[@pavelppp888]

@@pepeshopping Charles is a brilliant mechanic. He knows far more than me and I really admire him for his skills. I only know some stuff about the electronics 😅

[@HumbleMechanic]

I WANT TO PIN THIS COMMENT!!!!

[@pavelppp888]

@@HumbleMechanic my pleasure! And once again, thank you for the awesome videos!

[@kain0m]

Actually, rotating the steering wheel gives the zero position reading. The encoder is absolute, but only for one rotation - by going lock to lock, it knows which rotation is center. The fault that is causing all those messages is "steering angle offset not learned".

[@johnathansmith1003]

I just did the same thing for our 2018 VW Tiguan. New battery cost= $220 at VW it was $490 installed and "PROGRAMMED", it would also take up to 12 hours to learn.... Bought scan tool for $200 and did it myself in 10 minutes.

[@fredrz5505]

I have OBDeleven arriving tomorrow to do exactly this on my Tiguan. Dealer quoted me 475 plus tax installed. No thanks!

[@slavko321]

Be careful, this is how you become the local mechanic with pro tools.

[@johnathansmith1003]

All of a sudden random friends show up to borrow tools 😞@@slavko321

[@Bekssss]

In San Francisco Bay Area $675+ tax From 2024 labor rate $295/h !

[@garyallman3039]

@@Bekssss And dealers charging 25% above MSRP for parts, but some can still be found with a discount off of retail price.

[@LUNArXpedition]

Current VW tech here, battery adaptations are needed on vehicles of 2018 and new (at time of writing) or any vehicle that has a negative peg on the firewall right above the battery (best seen at 3:52 with the yellow nut holding it down) Super annoying that I can go from a 2017 Jetta just dropping a new battery in, to a 2023 Jetta needing an extra 30 minutes to connect to our ODIS diagnostics system, sign in to DSS, scan the battery and submit the GFF log.

[@georgecummings7559]

2017 GTI here with manual transmission. It is my understanding that if you don't have the plug in module that is attached to the negative terminal, then there is no need to do battery adaptation. I also thought that another indicator of needing to do adaptation is whether your car has the stop-start function, which is not present in a manual transmission car.

[@cherieloy9339]

2019 jetta , went through the steps and still wont start….any advice???

[@HighHeelDiva]

I have a 2016 Passat and I’m getting mine adapted now 😌

[@MrNeilg71]

Thank you. You saved me time and money by not having to go to my local VW dealer to clear all those codes. Without your guidance, I would never have navigated my OBDII menus successfully. Thank you Humble mechanic!

[@aznerol0770]

I haven't run into this issue with my MK5 Rabbit, but I appreciate the information immensely as it applies to the BMW that I just bought. I love your content. Thank you.

[@Nvp8985]

This question gets asked so much that it’s nice to have a detailed answer by a professional. Thank you.

[@outlaw8158]

As a new technician to VW, your videos are packed with information for what I do. Thank you for everything you do! I noticed that you partnered with VW for the training program. Keep up the great work!

[@stephenprice7502]

Madness to have to code in a new battery but that's the way modern tech is. Long gone are the days of bolting in a part and job done. Another very informative video Charles.

[@EudesRJ]

Madness needing a scanner for that, should be available on the multimedia painel of the car. Just a pop up saying “you replaced the car battery, please enter detail here”

[@Steve-qd5tk]

You don’t have to code in the battery. It’s a good idea but 100% not required on this or the mk8 cars.

[@simul8guy75]

I just replaced the battery on my uncle's 2018 Lexus ES350 and didn't have to go through any of this adaptation BS. He just had to go into the dash menu to set up the displays he normally has up when he drives. All of his navigation and radio station info were all still there...

[@azhule4041]

I want to say thank you Charles, you have helped me get into a mechanic job and develop my skills through out the years.

[@HumbleMechanic]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@timbo7457]

Just had to change a battery on my 2014 Tiguan, the guys at the auto parts store totally freaked out saying you need to go to the dealership etc, did a little reasearch and picked up a VW specific ODB reader, and followed the steps, walk in the park. Thanks Charles I appreciate the great info, thanks for taking the scary out of simple fixes.

[@rebeccajohnson869]

Which obd did you get

[@djsassafrass9126]

I would also like to know which obd?@@rebeccajohnson869

[@gmans7859]

Thank You Charles. This step through was most excellent. I too like to put those Terminal Covers back on whenever possible. Trim them etc. I like to put them back on after the removing cable(s). No boo boo's allowed. Also, I have a Label Maker and got into the habit of putting the 'In Service' date on our batteries so no guessing how old they are.

[@oz5wob3]

Incredible information, never would have known that all that needed to be done. Really awesome that you provide this great, helpful information.

[@MegaHollywood1971]

Paul from DAP covered this many moons ago as well; but, Charles covered is more thoroughly 👍

[@marceli27011993]

Great video! I actually have to replace a battery in my Seat Leon MK3 and I was aware that i have to do this procedure but i did not know how to do that. Now it's clear! Thanks!

[@gregdavis5196]

Thanks for the detailed video, last time I changed a car battery they had carburettors. It would have been a much longer, head scratching job without your advice, even the dashboard is fault free.

[@BrettBaker]

Followed everything you said to install that same battery in my '21 GLI. Went smooth as silk. Thanks for the assist!

[@clementadams2055]

Thanks for this video! I just bought a model year 2017 Audi A4. After seeing this I checked the battery and saw that it was original, put in service in 2016 so I knew that battery had to go. After digging it out of the trunk, replacement was easy, and no coding was necessary. I tried putting the positive and negative cables together for 45 seconds to zero out the capacitors? But the car computer memory remained and everything was normal when I restarted the car. You save me a bunch of money! Thanks for the confidence you gave me to do the job!

[@Dave-in-MD]

Just a note. Advance Auto Parts is able to the battery reset. They started getting the extra module they needed about 6 months ago. So if you are buying a battery from them they can do the proper install. And another note, Die Hard batteries are made by Clarios as well. There are only about three major manufacturers in the US, Clarios who used to be Johnson Controls, East Penn and Excide.

[@zackdawley]

I almost took a job at Clarios, funny seeing all the different brands they make, with only the outer shell being different.

[@robertcox24]

Thanks for making this video Charles! Also some models can be re-set by holding the window switch up for 3 sec once the window is all the way up

[@filmnerd65]

This is so helpful! Thanks for making such valuable information available to us do-it-yourselfers!

[@VortexianMSU]

Wow, a lot has changed since 2010. In my Golf VI all I have to do after a battery reconnection is setting the clock, keeping the power window control levers up for a couple of seconds to make the controller learn the "windows up" position and spin the steering wheel limit-to-limit to calibrate the power steering controller. Optionally, I also clear the plethora of errors using the VCDS, however this doesn't affect the drivability in any way.

[@FynexFox]

I've been gearing up to replace the original battery in my 2016 S4. You touched on every question I've had. Thanks!

[@paull3179]

Audi batteries last a very long time and I have never replaced once since owning many over the past 30 years. My current 2010 S4 has the original as well as on another S5 2018. Sold a 12 year old A6 v8 before that had the original one.

[@oc0dyc]

I just replaced the battery in my 2016 SQ5. The original one is from week 31 2015 and was still working, but I saw the voltage was pretty low and wanted to change it when it was convenient for me and not be auss I had to, and get stuck. I wouldn't be surprised if this battery would have lasted me another year, very impressed with it.

[@radtech1976]

Thanks for the video. I swapped the battery in my 2018 R and this made coding so easy. Appreciate you my friend.

[@jedi_duck5170]

I’m sure this will be useful one day considering I want to get a gti one day. On another note it’s really cool to watch your videos, I’m a Nissan apprentice but some of the good practices you do much like my mentor helps me out loads so thank you.

[@ashleysham5933]

I did the same on my 2019 Skoda Octavia 2.0 VRS (it is using VW EA888 Gen3 engine and DQ381 gearbox). All is good and well after the battery adaptation. Thank you very much. Hope to see more tips from you such as engine (ecu) reset and gearbox (tcm) reset via OBDELEVEN. 👍

[@bosoares]

Great video. I thought we were supposed to select Fleece when installing an AGM battery.. that’s what I saw in other tutorials. Mine is approaching 6 years now and still in factory battery, so I’ll be following your procedure soon.

[@HumbleMechanic]

I got a lot of missed messages on it. trying to see if there IS clarity

[@amhr58]

+1

[@steveJ9908]

Fleece is the German terminology for what we otherwise call AGM. No idea what Binary-AGM is.

[@ericksaldana3163]

+1

[@cengeb]

@@steveJ9908 Battery doesn't know if it's Plus or Minus....?

[@andrewadams5044]

I can't quite believe it but I am just passing 10 years on the factory battery on my A6 TDI. This is even dealing with severely cold winters. I am glad the VCDS will do this battery adaptation because the dealer charges an astronomical amount to do this. Thank you so much for the great information. This isn't such a worry anymore.

[@bongofury3176]

excellent information - accurate, detailed and clear. great work Charles

[@rabbitenjoyer6320]

Once again, you've helped me out with my GTI!! I just replaced my battery, completely unplanned, in an AutoZone parking lot under 20 minutes. Thanks a ton, and I'm sorry to hear about your beautiful Spektrum R 😢

[@Gem1n1Speaks]

I just did this same thing at Autozone. But did u adapt your new battery?

[@nlz242]

My 8V S3 is about 7 years and a half now, still on the original battery (in canada, with the cold!) so I was starting to think about replacing it... timing on the release of this video is great! Thanks again Charles for your videos, i follow you here and on Tiktok and I love your content and personality.

[@SI0AX]

Be careful with that. My friend has a 2003 BMW M3 that fried a gauge cluster due to low voltage from worn out battery. Dealer quoted him $3,000, the used clusters were around $1,000 . He just removed it and send it to another state to have a circuit board repair work for like $250.

[@nlz242]

@@SI0AX Oh wow... yeah, i'm def. planning on changing the battery this winter. To be fair, battery doesn't show signs of aging right now, it still cranks super perfectly, even at -25c (-13f) and voltage is still good, but i just think 7 and a half year is a pretty good run and it has to be changed now

[@frostysnowdog]

I’d replace it soon. I go 6 years and as soon as it slow cranks that’s it. I too live in a cold area. I went 7 once and the battery froze one very cold night and was cooked.

[@aldoa337]

I'd replace it asap. My 2016 R it's on its fourth battery, the first one replaced under warranty, which were the small size. Upgraded to H6 afterwards but still California's desert implies A/C on most of the time which kills them fast.

[@nlz242]

@@aldoa337 wow! Today was -22f (-30c) and car started like a champ... Still gonna replace the battery soon but it's crazy you are on your fourth, wow

[@vrios4297]

Thank you for this ! The guy at auto zone sold me a battery but wouldn’t help me install it and said the reason was because of this . I thought it was BS because it was too hot outside . I have a 2014 Tiguan . Didn’t know if mine applied to this situation. Love your videos

[@roadfordays]

Thanks for this video. Helped me swap the 12v on my eGolf after reading all kinds of conflicting info on forums.

[@mwmm]

Might be worth adding a note about the "battery technology", apparently the "Binary - AGM" option isn't correct for standard AGM batteries and the correct method is "Fleece". The rosstech (VCDS) wiki mentions that AGM batteries are often Fleece, not sure of the importance, I've always been paranoid whenever changing batteries.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Yea me too. The info from VW is based only on VW batteries, so I couldn't get a clear view. my guess is, it's not a big deal. but im trying to find out for sure.

[@VeritasEtAequitas]

If you go to a dealer, it certainly is "fleecing"

[@seanmcd72]

@@HumbleMechanic Dear sir did you find anything out? I just replaced the battery in my '16 GTI for the second time, and noticed I had set mine to Binary AGM for the previous. I seem to find more people claiming "fleece" is the choice for a "standard" AGM (which I assume my AGM is). Would make for a cool video if you could measure any possible charging differences between the two modes.

[@bneyens]

You could explain the WHY you should do it. I had to research this. There are different settings, for instance AGM. This setting changes the way the alternator delivers voltage at startup and during charging. Also, when you change adaptation, it signals to the car that a new battery is installed (even if its the same type). You update the software, even with the same replacement battery, because that tells the computer its a new battery and to charge it differently than it would a diminished battery.

[@valvodka]

The computer adjusts the alternator as the battery diminishes so it is reading in real time what is going on. This is just a scam to help dealers. It's german over engineering

[@monkey555500]

great video....my 13reg 1.4tsi golfs battery died yesterday..finished work and just heard a fast clicking sound!..nightmare...had no inkling that it was on its way out,no battery light coming on or anything....the car does tell me when the key fob needs a new battery tho..lol.....i have a noco jump starter i bought from halfords..fantastic..got the car started and got home...just ordered a new battery online....so great to see ur vid

[@kevinmaloney4691]

This video helped me greatly in upgrading the battery in my Mark 7.5 R. And the AOPEC Battery Insulation Kit from Amazon installed easily so as to replace the battery blanket that no longer fits.

[@adrianmartinampuero2009]

This is an awesome video, because the information is not available in any source. You deserve way more subscribers man. Just to add a little bit more background: - The serial number is important because it gives the car precise info about the age of the battery. Coding a 1111111112 you are just telling the car that something has changed but he isn't sure about the capacity [Ah] the battery could have lost with its age. - The most similar way to VAG factory to code a battery is to search in your battery sticker the production date of the battery, and code the following serial number (without spaces): Z Y MM DD ZZZZ Z - unimportant numbers, you can insert whatever you want Y - Last digit of the production year (2023=3) MM - Production month DD - Production day If you do this, the car will know exactly when the battery was produced, and you will have coded a battery exactly like a VAG dealership. Love your channel♥️

[@adrianmartinampuero2009]

Addition: Your previous battery showed 1111111111-JCB because it was the first one, and all the VAG cars when they leave the factory get coded the same (as the car is brand new, he doesn't need exact info about the battery to know that it is also brand new, so they code it like this to save production time). However, if you had done this battery change in a Volkswagen dealership, I can assure you they would have code it as I explain in my previous comment, because the alternator needs the exact production date to expand the battery lifespan. I hope this information helps!!!

[@RC-ic1co]

Thanks for your explanations elaborating the idea of storing the serial number. Excuse me, I'd like to understand this even more: So how will a battery be treated differently based on its age? (Also I wondered how VW didn't find it necessary to code the information in production, because the battery is bew - I mean... if you are replacing a battery, you are also putting in a new one. Isn't that the exact same thing? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@adrianmartinampuero2009]

@@RC-ic1co Hi! Let's see if I can explain myself correctly: The difference between older batteries and start/stop batteries belongs to its charging procedure. Older batteries can be charged by constant current whereas start/stop batteries need an 'adaptive' charging process based on its instant capacity [Ah]. It would be like saying that older batteries could be charged the same way no matter what, and newer batteries needs to be charge one way or another depending on its age. In actual cars (with start/stop) the alternator needs to know the exact 'life status' of the battery, in order to choose the correct charging procedure for it. When your battery is starting to die, (it will be loosing Ah) the alternator will not charge it further than X% simply because the battery will not accept it. Due to this, if you replace the battery but 'you don't tell the alternator' (and with this I mean you don't code the battery) the alternator will still think that you have a battery near to its death, and won't charge it over that X% that I was saying. As you can tell by this point, you will have a battery that DOES accept 100% charge, but the alternator isn't providing it because of the previous battery, damaging its new lifespan. I hope I explain better this time. For the second part, I guess that as is a really particular topic where all the ECU's are completely new, they kind of understand that every piece of the car is also completely new. But, as I said, that only works for the first battery change, for cars that have just left the factory. Is not the usual case.

[@chrishard7616]

@@adrianmartinampuero2009 I didn't realise that constant current was used to charge lead acid batteries. My understanding is they are normally charged by voltage regulation to say 13.8 to 14.2V then battery takes the required current depending on its charge state. Maybe they are now using a combination of constant current to start with then revert to constant voltage.

[@RC-ic1co]

@@adrianmartinampuero2009 Thanks a lot for your elaborate explanation.

[@jimmy4025]

I have a 2019 Golf R too, but mine is a manual. I don't have a BCM on the negative and I think mine came with a smaller 59mAh battery. Keep up the great content!

[@svenhodaka9145]

Same here. Our ‘16 “R” doesn’t have the BCM. I wonder why and what’s the difference? We also upgraded a bit to 66ah.

[@css172]

Coding batteries what a joke! all this just so they can charge you to change it. With all the electronics today it could easily identify a new battery and fill out all those settings automatically. Nice video with clear instructions on how to do it.

[@LukeWhite15]

Perfect timing for this video. Looking at replacing the battery on my son’s 2012 A4 Avant and was wondering if a battery monitor, etc. would have to be reset.

[@Dunwelll]

Any experience with, or thoughts on light weight lithium batteries for the MK7?

[@kennethking2301]

Great video and great information. Modern VWs, like my 2018 Tiguan, will set a check engine light long before the battery is too weak to start the car. As long as the battery doesn't have some sudden catastrophic failure, the car will let you know when it needs a new battery.

[@cassoidGaming]

That is correct. I’ve done a couple tiguans inside the delear as a VW tech and it will throw the check engine light on with a whole bunch of faults stored in multiple modules with low voltage everywhere. Sometimes cars come in with aftermarket batteries and they were never adapted so I would perform a battery test to see if it was good then perform battery adaptation on ODIS. VW scan tool if good. If battery weak and failed I’d sell new battery and perform adapt. If it’s on 111111111 and has aftermarket battery. It was never adapted and is factory adaption

[@speedgtr1958]

How reliable is your Tiguan. I am looking to buy new one but is it worth it over getting new Honda CRV or Toyota Rav 4. I dont mind if its a bit more to maintain than Honda or Toyota but I am wondering if they break down often or burn oil there.

[@kennethking2301]

@@speedgtr1958 , it has been very good. Mine currently has 91,350 miles and the only problem I encountered was a problem with the injector wiring harness that was fixed under warranty. Since then, no problems. It gets good gas mileage and rides well. I do oil changes every 5k miles instead of the manufacturer recommended 10k miles. All other maintenance is done at manufacturer's recommended intervals.

[@mmadchef808]

My 17 GTI gave me no warning.

[@seanl7130]

My 2018 tiguan has been having issue with battery since 2021 after I did not drive my car for about one month and I had to use jump starter to start the car. It seems the battery was permanently damaged that I have to drive my car every 3 or 4 days after that incident. Otherwise, the engine light will be on, telling me that the voltage of the battery is low. Now, the engine light is still on after I drove it more often these two days. It is probably the time for me to change the battery.

[@martinmcgoldrick1357]

Thank you so much i replaced my battery and on completion all the codes came up, i had my car booked in to reset codes.. Then i saw this video. Worked a treat all codes have reset after driving round the block.

[@yam25904]

Great video, I followed this when replacing battery on my 2018 Golf GTD, spot on, perfect. Thanks

[@dylandavis5295]

Great video, one question: what difference would a memory saver module make? Ive heard people say you need a memory saver to keep the computer alive while the battery is disconnected, would this skip the need for the service light removals and window reset? I know adaptation would still be needed.

[@Bond2025]

It would remove the need for any of this providing the battery was the same type. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE BATTERY THAT TALKS TO THE ECU, so the ECU doesn't adjust anything in a dynamic way for charging, or alter charging patterns based on age - that is all rubbish to add extra costs to a simple replacement job.

[@dylandavis5295]

@@Bond2025 only thing I saw was battery type and ampacity Most swaps of my car go from EFB to AGM style battery, and they charge at slightly different voltages from what I've heard, so selecting the proper type is essential. But you're correct: buy the exact replacement from VW and you don't need to do anything but have the memory saver plugged in

[@tomhummel2641]

Too keep all the values and avoid all error messages after replacing the battery: Before removing the battery I connect my DEFA Smart charger to the battery cables , put the charger into power mode, i.e. constant voltage 13.6V by keeping the "on"-button pressed until the LEDs display a moving pattern. Very easy and convenient. Battery-adaptation is necessary in Start/Stop-systems like 'Bluetech' in VAG terms. VAG statement: "After replacing the battery it is necessary to adapt the battery to the vehicle. If the adaptation is not completed, the start/stop function will be inoperative. Additionally, charging system operation may be effected and various DTCs can result. "

[@MoroccanAnwar]

I have start and stop error and adaptive cruise control error after replacing the battery which someone used obd 11 to set but they are still not working, any ideas on what to do

[@jeffwarner2815]

​@@MoroccanAnwarYes, you need to have it programmed. My dealer located in florida will do it for 79.00.

[@don.timeless4993]

awesome video. modern vehicles need to have the obd & essensial services tools built-in the infotainment screen since every thing in the vehicle is connected to the computer

[@jimbrown5605]

Thnx for the process. About that time for the 19s. Surprisingly made it past the 3 year mark unlike my mk6s

[@jbt369]

Is there any reason you can't jumper another battery in parallel with the one you want to replace, then take the terminals off of the old battery, slide in the new one, put the terminals on, and then un-jumper the minder you put in place, the better to not lose all your settings? Would that not work?

[@gianseven]

Can you provide 12V to the leads while the battery is out to avoid programming? (if it's the same capacity and technology) This method is sometimes used when replacing cells inside laptops' battery packs that have an electronic "fuse" that blows rendering the pack's circuit useless if it doesn't senses a battery voltage at all times

[@gregordiseth6651]

I just replaced my battery (Interstate from Costco) - and I did hook up 12v to the leads when I disconnected them. Absolutely no error codes, warning lights or window programming needed, my GTI didn't know anything was changed! I haven't done the adaptation, and it's been a few months, no issues. I believe the battery capacity is the same, though.

[@tomhummel2641]

Yes, I answered that in a separate comment right now. If you use another battery for that, it can be a smaller 12V battery. Be aware of sparks due to different potensials/voltages, best to use cables made for charging that will "absorb" a short time spike and connect to ground/body for the minus polarity. VW / Audi Group (VAG) statement: "After replacing the battery it is necessary to adapt the battery to the vehicle. If the adaptation is not completed, the start/stop function will be inoperative. Additionally, charging system operation may be effected and various DTCs can result. "

[@TMM6900]

Thanks Charles for the upload. I found vw/audi battery change is so much more different compare to benz or bmw on my first battery change xD

[@seanl7130]

Thank you so much for all the information in this video! My 2018 tiguan has been having issue with battery since 2021 after I did not drive my car for about one month and I had to use jump starter to start the car. It seems the battery was permanently damaged that I have to drive my car every 3 or 4 days after that incident. Otherwise, the engine light will be on, telling me that the voltage of the battery is low. Now, the engine light is still one after I drove it more often these two days. It is probably the time for me to change the battery. With this extremely helpful video, I think I can do it myself now. Thanks again for your expertise and great video!

[@petermorey4197]

I'm watching a video of how to change a battery. What has my life become....

[@Gold63Beast]

For sure It will release all the smoke in the ECM 😂

[@815thengineers8]

Excellent video. Thanks, one of the best I have seen!

[@slowgojoe]

Dealership wanted 495$ plus tax to replace the batter in our 2018 Tiguan. I already have the vcds cable so this video was very helpful. Thank you.

[@HumbleMechanic]

AWESOME!

[@94Poptart]

This video makes me sad now lol

[@nestrac]

So clever and yet it can't run a selftest on the battery after it been disconnected and set the new AH value by itself... Clever yet still dumber...

[@ZainAhmed]

You want the car to completely drain and recharge the battery to avoid 5 mins with a scan tool? Even if it did, the car would not get an accurate measurement of the battery capacity without draining it so low that the computers brown out. Then what? How are you going to start the car to recharge the battery? The only non stupid way to do this would be to add a small memory device to the battery that clips in to the car, and that is just as ridiculous as the original idea. Also even with a drain/refill, how the hell is the car going to know what the battery chemistry is? Just smell the battery? 2 mins with a scan tool is fine.

[@SlipdeGarcondeJour]

Great video, just used mine to change my battery with no drama.

[@janchristensen6335]

It's a pleasure to follow along and learn from the VAG king himself :D Would one day like to see a DPF service / regeneration via VCDS video Etc. Jan from Denmark :D

[@freedomlovingmarine]

You’re a badass. I was looking for the obd11 fix. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@Gazshadows]

I love the difference in phrases sometimes between American and British. For example the battery clamp, you call it a hold down 🤣 👍

[@billd66]

I'm in the US but I learned to work on cars from Haynes manuals that were published in the UK, so I still use British terms for lots of things. My favorite "lost in translation": "Illuminate the interior of the petrol tank with a torch." "Torch" being what we 'Muricans call a "flashlight". To an American a "torch" is something with an open flame fueled by, e.g., bottled propane or acetylene + oxygen.

[@Gazshadows]

@@billd66 oh nice 👍 haha it is quite comical isn't it! Yeh we call a flashlight a torch and the oxycetalene torch is often called a gas axe or just oxycetalene

[@WPM_in_ATL]

Plethora...when was the last time I heard someone use that word PROPERLY! thank you, Charles.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahah glad to help!

[@philipweber404]

Had to do this a few weeks ago on my Mk7 R. FYI if you only have the basic OBDeleven you can get into the battery adaptation menu, but won’t actually be able to make any changes to any of the parameters(as far as I can tell). Informative vid!

[@paulwright1907]

Dr. Google indicates you need the Pro model

[@SilverSergeant]

This is a great video. You anticipated and answered all my questions. My 2019 VW Tiguan battery was 4 years old...so I replaced it...although it wasn't exhibiting any issues. I upgraded from a Flooded to an AGM.

[@seanl7130]

Thank you for sharing! Did you follow his instruction to do the battery adaptation after replacement? Also, did you run into any issue? I would greatly appreciate your feedback because I am about to replace the battery for 2018 Tiguan. Thank you.

[@cengeb]

@@seanl7130 I did a 2017 GTI with AGM no adapting, no issues, just drive it, lights all reset. And a 2018 Tiguan, AGM no adaption, just drive steering wheel left right On my 2019 Golf R I went with the original type EFB, just because, i did an adaption, just because, and the aH rating was slightly higher than OEM...does it really matter? probably not, I read elsewhere if you don't adapt to correct values it charges battery differently, who knows . But dealer told me, if stuff works you are good, usually only need adaption if something acts squirrely. I did mine at like 4.3 years on the R...no issues, but that is the time range, anything can all of a sudden happen, when you least expect it, usually raining at night. I had a 2013 tiguan go over 6 years, it did die one day, and i realized, I just forgot all about changing it....one day good, next day dead, which batterys do. Luckily it was home, just went to Auto Zone got a 3 year warranty full replace battery, popen Z in, 2013 did not use any kind of adaption protocols, that battery went only 3.3 years!! to reach 50% of course, right after warranty, which means it was actually well made it lived to it's spec. Changed it to a VW OEM battery at the dealer this time...I have had good luck with lots of Auto Zone batterys over the decades. East Penn Deka(great stuff, i use in motorcycle Deka brand, and in my honda portable generators), Johnson Control, Exide, are the basic makers of em all for U.S. batterys. I see Varta is OEM in factory batterys...

[@seanl7130]

@@cengeb Thank you so much for your detailed response. I upgraded to AGM and did the adaptation with VCDs. Everything works well.

[@leehsterh8616]

Great job on this video. Clear and concise. My question is about the OBDEleven. After I select 19 Gateway, then Adaptation, the menu I see after that is Channel (only). I think I am supposed to guess what channel to enter, which I tried, but I don’t have anything as nice as the menu selections you have. Did you purchase some extra options to get the menu selection choices you have?

[@pebjr6621]

Great video Charles, very informative.

[@takyleung]

Great video bro. Learned every detail. Thanks.

[@Jayhawker340]

Perfect timing releasing this vid! My RS7 battery just went bad haha

[@JDMNOOB]

Thank you!!!! Literally my car completely died. Couldn’t even open my car door this morning. Would rather upgrade with a better battery than take it to the dealership. They are charging $210 to reset. OBD11 is a lifesaver.

[@Vette963]

Didn’t know any of this when changing out the battery in my MK7 golf. The sunroof controls never worked right since. Most other systems came back with no issue. Either way, this is great information and a very well done video.

[@erikw9847]

If your sunroof is acting up, there's a sequence to get it back to normal operation. Similar to the window technique demonstrated in the video, but with sunroof controls IIRC. Search the golfgti subreddit, there's definitely threads on how to fix it. Mine wasn't full auto opening, I had to hold the button or it would stop opening/closing as soon as I let go

[@PANN1Cau]

Just had to replace the battery on my wife’s Skoda Kodiaq and thank god for your video is all I can say.

[@jansq2205]

No nonsense, super useful video. Thank you!

[@armandoramos8178]

I just want to say thank you it me out I appreciate it. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.

[@agoodneighborautorepair2176]

Wow very informative video,I did work at Volkswagen dealer in Mexico 1989-2003,everything is very different,blessings

[@HumbleMechanic]

VERY!!!

[@BoricuaFez]

Thanks for the information! Been researching Mk7 for a few weeks to make it my daily driver, but still deciding between the GTI or R model.

[@ma77bc]

If you're not driving in places that benefits from all 4 wheels (track, twirly roads, launching, etc), GTI will be more than adequate. Bare in mind that the R is front wheel biased, meaning that the car doesn't send power to the rear wheels until the front starts losing traction. Best is to just test drive both, and see which one you feel more happy/comfortable with.

[@oliverhill4136]

This video ws very helpful. Thanks from the UK.

[@andrewjeninga8171]

This is perfect! I had to replace my 2018 r last week!!!

[@dasautogt]

Very, VERY handy tips. Thanks dude.👍

[@H-jb4tf]

This is when i wished i was back in the 79'ties. Things where much simpler then.

[@takeomack2782]

Hey buddy. This video made me appreciate my 2016 Jetta Sport & my 2003 Passat W8 sedan, with the manual! 😂

[@saurannuraliyev1695]

Happy New year!

[@hocuspocus67]

And this is ladies and gentleman why I have cars year 2010-12 and below :D

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Wow! That's quite a process! I'm sure my Golf needs a new battery, as it's a 2016 with the factory battery...I can hear the starter is a little sluggish on very cold mornings.

[@colinp7146]

Cheers. Thanks for the info and I appreciated the presentation.

[@lupusdeum3894]

Yup! I had an alternator replaced a few months ago & need to return to my buddies shop to clear the check engine light that popped up when I drove off. 2003 VW Golf GL with 75k miles 👍

[@igorsusnjara4640]

Thanks a lot, you helped me with couple advices!

[@muckspreader1able]

Great video.Need to change mine on a skoda karoq.

[@patkelly7999]

Great job Charles, Thank You👍🙏🙂

[@robertmatheny3375]

Great video. Keep going with awesome content.

[@merlyn412]

2019 golf r. just replaced the battery on my own. no coding, no errors. had to reset my clock, and my tpms. Was worried I would need to jump through all these hoops, but everything is working fine.

[@ericl1306]

Vw atlas 2018.. Work like you instructed. Thanks a lot.

[@dan__________________]

Crazy how easy this is. The dealer made me wait almost three hours to replace a battery in mine.

[@herrkiwi3110]

No1 Remove keys out of veh b4 disconnecting battery as some will lock upon disconnected/reconnect No2 Some of the "end ledge" fitments will lock into groves down in the plastic housings. No3 Lock & Unlock, some cars will crank but not start as the factory immobilizer will kick in so this usually avoids any problems. No4 If the car would not start b4 battery replacement you WILL most likely have low voltage codes or loss of communication codes so a full scan/clear is ideal. No5 Resetting the windows often overlooked, most vehicles just hold the button for two seconds once the end position has been reach from that particular window door switch it will not work from the drivers control panel other than for the d/door. No6 Idle control speed. Toyota's & Mazda's in particular with a electronic throttle body are bad for loosing there idle speed so a "memory minder" is a good option or you will most likely have to clean the throttle body in some cases. Subaru's I have found that cycling the key twice without starting the engine solves this. No7 Reverse camera's and radio codes. Some will require a factory disk (Toyota JDM) to reboot stereo/camera. Some vehicles will require a pin code for the radio which can be a pain in the arse if you don't have it. No8 Always good to recheck the charge rate once finished. Sometimes the battery sensor may need to be disconnected to achieve this and the vehicle restarted. Other times with a new battery and late model vehicle the system will need to have load on it as with a new batt it may have gone into a static charge mode i.e 12.6v or so eng on. No9 Reset for the stop/start system , every vehicle different, Mazda's have a set procedure, lots of video's Google will help.

[@hellsk100]

Lol 2013 stock vw jetta battery just went out after 9 years. Very impressed. Never had one last that long

[@tbrady1291]

Another phenomenal video. Question: what purpose does the battery plug on the negative terminal serve? Would leaving this unplugged for a while “reset” anything?