Replacing the Battery - VW Golf MK7

[@Vaguh]

**UPDATE** I performed the battery adaptation using my OBD eleven just like Stealth GTI did in his video. I did this out of precaution. I'd really like to find out if there is anything that can be measured or seen in the battery data points that indicate not doing the adaptation would cause harm to the battery. I can't find anything online - Stealth GTI performs battery adaptation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWeyc2xshNmIqac

[@user540000]

What did you put in for amp hours in OBD eleven? I noticed that Duralast gives reserve capacity and OBD eleven wants amp hours for the adaptation. What conversion did you use?

[@Vaguh]

@@user540000 I don’t recall exactly why, but I input 70 amp hours.

[@Vaguh]

@@user540000 Here is where I found the 70ah referenced. Last post in this thread. www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1633692

[@lucienl9465]

Ya I don't think we need to since we don't have the battery monitor system. But eh, I'll probably do the same 😂 it's easy anyways

[@harryberry474]

From what I've read online battery adaptation should be done whenever changing battery especially if you change battery type like going from a wet cell battery to AGM because charge rates are different for different batteries and if you change battery type or ah rating the coding will tell the alternator how to charge your particular battery otherwise battery life could /will suffer. Just last week I changed my battery from the stock battery (H5) wet cell to a AGM (H6) and I reused the battery blanket I just cut one corner open opposite the ground leaving a gap of about 2" on the back corner and zip tied together can't even tell unless you're looking.

[@davidingram5965]

Easier than I imagined, and this video demonstrated it well. Also easier to put the cover on the replacement battery before installing. Thanks for the video.

[@williambuklad9622]

Nice work, and the cover: for those H5 batteries where you want the OEM look, refit the cover just before you slide the battery back towards the firewall.

[@snwebb88]

Just did this on my mk7 and it worked like a charm. Also followed the directions in the manual which were about the same but it's easier to see with video which is great. After driving around all faults cleared and all lights off. I went with the Die Hard H6 AGM battery, fit nice

[@Vaguh]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad it worked out well for you too!

[@BhpBones]

So wait it says I need to code mine, is this not always the case?

[@Twowheellife731]

Thanks for the video. Those batteries are 250 now. Makes me sick.

[@harryberry474]

You can reuse that battery blanket with the larger battery, I did buy taking a pair of scissors and cutting through the rear corner opposite the neg terminal and used a couple zip ties to hold it together. You'll have a small gap that won't be covered but it looks stock and provides enought insulation. I was thinking to buy a VW/Audi cover for a larger battery until I saw the cost "F" that.

[@Vaguh]

That’s not a bad idea. Never thought about cutting to fit like that. Good work!

[@harryberry474]

@@Vaguh ...I made sure to cut at the corner crease where it's thinest it's kind of bonded at the corner and insulation stays in place also poke holes close to the cut and because the fabric is bonded at these folds it's pretty strong so you can tighten it good enough.

[@30Higgs]

Excellent tutorial. I changed my battery following your instructions. PERFECT!! Thank you much

[@Perun_Slav]

How come all shops said that I need to book a workshop work battery change as they,, need to code it into the system,,?

[@Vaguh]

I think because it's a standard process VW recommends doing. So regardless of it being required or not, a shop isn't going to go against the manufacturer recommendations.

[@yungc9050]

Same process for a 2019 VW Gti se?

[@Vaguh]

There may be a difference if you have auto start/stop.

[@yungc9050]

@@Vaguh actually I do

[@tomspeed2000]

Sorry to asking, is not necessary to connect extra power supply before removing the battery to avoid lost some memory? Thank you

[@Vaguh]

I think the only settings I lost were the AM/FM radio stations.

[@adammm2437]

Can’t remember if this was specified. Is this battery change start-stop compatible?

[@Vaguh]

Hi, I don’t have auto-start/stop on mine. From what I understand, the coding is much more important for vehicles with auto-start/stop.

[@nanaimoclipper]

Hey man thanks for the video ! Saved me $20 install here in Nanaimo for my 2018 TSI . 🍻

[@Vaguh]

@@nanaimoclipper Awesome! Thanks for stopping by!

[@ciurdarandrei6311]

Hello Sir. If I replace Exide EFB 12 V 59 Ah with Exide EFB 12V 60Ah, shall I code it via VAGCOM ( OBD ) also in the software? Or it will work just fine ? Thanks.

[@mohammadkamran5862]

What about “Re-coding” that needs to be done when changing the battery? I keep reading that around forums. Is it necessary?

[@Vaguh]

Check out the description of the video and my pinned comment for a link to someone else who has done that. I keep reading all the same stuff about it needing to be coded, but nobody has been able to provide me with any technical resource saying when and why it needs to be done. I followed the steps provided by a video by FCP Euro and they don’t mention coding at all. I gave in and did some coding out of precaution, but I’m still not sold it needs to be done on every application.

[@mohammadkamran5862]

@@Vaguh yes. Thank you for the reply. I also saw the FCP video there was nothing mentioned there as well. Somewhere I’ve read that it’s only required if you have a BCM connected to the negative terminal. It’s getting very confusing for me not having a clear answer. I’m still searching. I just don’t wanna pay the dealer just to get it coded or something if it’s not really necessary. I also don’t see a reason why it would be necessary. But it’s Germans, you never know. If it was up to them they would require codes even for changing a bulb. Lol.

[@davidyoung8521]

@@mohammadkamran5862 VW is so anal retentive they could crack walnuts.

[@johngraydon506]

Your lucky lets hope mine does the same i’ll let you know im charging mine as i left the key in the car? Battery is not old but keft in ignition in my garage for several days. So drained it.. heres hoping, trickle charge using the earth point on body as recommended in uk

[@cutekaola8669]

Thanks for explaining everything in detail. Now I think I may be able to change the battery myself.

[@Vaguh]

Glad you found this helpful! Good luck!

[@SixNine-rd1ys]

What kind of wheels do you have on your car? What's the name of the brand 🤔

[@GaaGaaGaaGaaGaaGaa2]

At 7:48 I'm pretty sure you remove negative first and apply negative back on first. Should avoid the sparking like you observed. I'm not an expert so I could be wrong.

[@Vaguh]

General best practice when disconnecting the battery is to remove the negative first then positive. Install in reverse order with positive first and then negative. Doing it this way is the safest way to make sure you won’t damage your electrical system or the battery. If the negative terminal is connected to the battery it is grounded to the frame and body of the car so then you have the opportunity to close the circuit with the loose positive cable if it makes contact with the body of the car. And to be clear, I’m also not an expert, but this is the advice I’ve been given by experts.

[@toffotin]

Thanks a lot man! Was able to fix my mom's E-Golf using these instructions. Would have been much more nervous to do it if I hadn't seen the video first.

[@Vaguh]

So glad it helped!

[@deezyb858]

I got the same battery . What did you put as AH for the adaptation? Did you also leave it at EFB for battery type?

[@Vaguh]

Oh man, I don't remember exactly what I put for the battery type. If you haven't yet, check out the adaptation Stealth GTI did: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWeyc2xshNmIqac

[@georgepapa2950]

The EXIDE battery is poor quality, had to replace it exactly at the three year mark. You didn't buy the start-stop battery !! So expect it to stop working earlier than expected.

[@Vaguh]

Yes, seems like many folks having to replace at the 2-3 year mark. The MK7 doesn’t have stop/start, so I’m all good there!

[@iamaduckquack]

@@Vaguh weird. Mine does

[@Vaguh]

@@iamaduckquack It may if you are 2018 or 2019, which is the MK7.5.

[@4lokopeach692]

Mine has stop start and is 2013, I’m based in UK

[@dennisvandesteeg615]

@@4lokopeach692mine too. 2013 and has start/stop, live in the Netherlands

[@davidtang4802]

I had just changed my car batt recently and like yours, my fuel range info was displayed instead of the usual digital speedometer. How do I change this back again? My steering wheel have no buttons to navigate this by the way.

[@Vaguh]

If you have no buttons and of the infotainment has no options to change it, perhaps it was something changed by coding?

[@steveburrell7969]

Great vid. Thanks for the simple detail. I almost returned the H6 thinking I bought the wrong one.

[@Vaguh]

Glad you found it helpful! Sometimes I’m not sure if the detail is important, but from now on I’ll always remember “Steve appreciated it, so add the details”

[@davidwang6134]

Nice share! Im just wondering how did you guys deal with the old battery, Is there anywhere willing to buy it with money? I heard it still worth something

[@nanaimoclipper]

Take it to any battery shop, they should give you a few bucks for it

[@davidwang6134]

@@nanaimoclipper thx!

[@PanamaSticks]

Thank you for telling me what size wrenches are necessary and outlining the process. If you put in a battery of the same dimensions and technology (Flooded, AGM, or Gel) as the original battery, and connect a backup device to the OBD2 port before removing the cables of the old battery, and leave it in place until you install and connect the CHARGED new battery, there will be no warning lights, lost engine codes, re-programming key fobs, lost radio stations, etc. Works. I just did it to my MK7 yesterday (May 19,2023. Incidentally, if the dimensions of the new battery are the same, you can reuse the insulating jacket, which must have some function. I should note too, that my old Varta battery lasted EIGHT YEARS and SIX MONTHS, far longer than any battery on any car or motorcycle I have ever owned. No telling how long the dealer ran the car before I bought it. I could not find a source of Varta batteries in the USA. I noticed that the Varta was almost twice the weight of the new Diehard Gold H4 battery I installe. Obviously the manufacturers are economizing on the use of lead, and to my knowledge that is what disintegrates with time. The Obama administration shut down all the lead smelting factories in the US about 12 years ago. That has almost tripled the price of lead, (and car batteries). I believe it was done to raise the cost of ammunition for gun owners.

[@mikerobinson579]

Wrong. Bullets are almost always made from recycled lead that is not affected by the legislation you mention.

[@polverex9534]

Can steering wheel get a little hard when battery isn't working good or its not the correct one ??? I have golf mk7 gti

[@Vaguh]

Sounds unrelated to a battery issue. Maybe power steering pump?

[@polverex9534]

@@Vaguh ok 👌 thanks, but something weird is that the steering wheel gets little hard after 30 min of driving but once I turn off the car and turn back on again the problem is gone

[@Vaguh]

@@polverex9534 I'm sorry, I'm not sure I can help with your issue. I recommend having a local shop diagnose.

[@me-vo3di]

Did not try to charge old battery? I top the charge every now and then and they tend to last 7-9 years. Need to add water after 5 years or so. Good to know MK7 takes H6, H5 are hard too find and are more expensive too.

[@Vaguh]

I definitely tried charging it with no luck.

[@hunterjager9538]

The heavier one is probably fiber glass insulated to prevent damages from leaks.

[@Vaguh]

Interesting. Thank for the info!

[@dailydrivensedans4875]

Hoping a battery will fix my problems. Unfortunately i have concerns becaus my cars been doing weird things aswell as not starting but it doesnt throw any dashlights/codes!

[@Karlett555]

does it have low battery warning?

[@Vaguh]

I didn't get any low battery warning. Just dead.

[@imajerkk]

Great video! About to do this myself. Thanks!

[@Vaguh]

Glad it helped!

[@ciurdarandrei6311]

Hello. If I put the same battery 12V 68AH as the original one, is it true that I also have to do some software setup for the new battery to be recognized by the car? Or only if I put like 75Ah instead of 68Ah? I have a VW Golf 7 1.6tdi 105cp from 2014. Any advice is welcomed. Thank you.

[@Vaguh]

I believe coding won’t be required for that age as I doubt it has a battery management device. From what I’ve heard, they typically exist on units that have auto stop/start features which didn’t exist on the VW Golf for the USA until 2018 (I think).

[@ciurdarandrei6311]

@@Vaguh mine is with start stop and yes it is required. Can be done via OBD11 or VCDS as well. This is crazy...more and more complicated stuff until we cannot do anything on our own cars....

[@lucienl9465]

did you loose any ODB11 settings ? if you got any ? thanks amazing video! all i needed!

[@Vaguh]

I didn’t lose any settings I had changed with my OBD11.

[@lagerace227]

At 8:39 I couldn't get the fault to clear. Had to use OBDELEVEN weird.

[@Vaguh]

Did you drive around at all? Not sure that's required, but that's what I did.

[@lagerace227]

@@Vaguh yes sir for 15mins 2nd time , turn on/off , same result.

[@marksermo9110]

Use always special battery pole grease when installing a (new) car battery. Acid-free petroleum jelly doesn't work well.

[@Vaguh]

Great suggestion!

[@DadWagon]

Adam... love the cover modification. Question - Is the old battery actually toast? Couldn't you recharge it with a NocoGenius or something like that (or autozone)?

[@Vaguh]

Thanks! Badgeskins for the win! All signs point to yes for the battery being toast. I tried charging it, but that didn't work. I jumped it and drove for a couple of hours one day, shut it down when I got back home and tried to start it up again, but failed. I haven't had the battery tested yet, but will be very soon when I take it in for a core charge.

[@Vaguh]

I took the battery back for the core charge and they weren't able to test it because it wasn't charged. I took my $18 credit and said goodbye. I'm 99.9% certain it was dead after all the driving I did and it didn't charge back up.

[@rfausey]

Good video, I've replaced batteries in older cars and was a little worried with all the electronics in cars today. I know the dealer keeps the car on 'life support' when they disconnect the battery. What settings do you loose after the battery is disconnected? Are changes made with OBD11 retained after the batter change? Or would you need to recode something like the remote window opening?

[@Vaguh]

Thanks! I don’t know why or how, but my car seemed to retain all OBD11 coding changes. But I lost all of my radio station presets and phone favorites.

[@davidyoung8521]

OBD 2 not OBD 11.

[@tariqz118]

i only lost the trip computer current mileage lol when i changed the battery on my Volkswagen Golf MK7 GT TSI 2015 with start stop battery

[@reviewererforever]

@@davidyoung8521 no, they actually used an "OBD11", it's the brand of the reader

[@nobscooking]

Subscribed! Hope this channel succeed. Good luck to you!

[@Vaguh]

Thank you! We hope to make many more helpful videos.

[@MachineEater7]

The white cruise control symbol where the mileage is has an exclamation point next to it and it won't let me set a speed

[@MachineEater7]

Thank for the video though everything worked other than that but if someone could help a brother out that'd be awesome

[@Vaguh]

Sorry, I'm not totally sure what that means since I wasn't able to find it in my Golf R's manual. Which model do you have and does it have Adaptive Cruise Control? Any other messages the car is giving?

[@MachineEater7]

I've got the 2016 golf 1.8tsi with ACC and no other messages coming up

[@Vaguh]

@@MachineEater7 Man, I'm not sure. I guess the next thing to check is if your car is giving a code for it and that might be able to guide what the issue could be. If you don't have a code reader, you can go to any local auto parts store and they can tell you what it says. Good luck!

[@MachineEater7]

Thank you

[@ashleynery8092]

interesting video, i was under the impression you had to replace an AGM with an AGM and a EFB in your case a EFB start stop battery, i am not seeing any markings on your replacement, have you had any issue with it?

[@Vaguh]

This battery is still going strong without issue. Maybe it works going one way but not the other?

[@PanamaSticks]

Don't trust the Group size. I've found that the dimensions of a particular group size vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. And don't trust distributors' recommendations for year, make, and model. I searched four distributors. They suggested batteries ranging up to 15" long. (The tray is only about 12". Some had the terminals on the wrong side. And the sleeve which you removed has SOME function. I believe it helps keep the battery from freezing for a while, but not sure.

[@lildrgn]

Battery replaced on my MK7 Alltrack. Thanks for the vid but I couldn't remember if it was removed neg then pos, and install pos then neg. Regardless, done, w/o having to recode or anything. Literally drove 25 seconds down the street and errors were gone. Will look for your car around town!

[@Vaguh]

Awesome! Glad it worked out for you! Flag me down if you see me!

[@graemelindsay1693]

I'm about to change the battery on my MK7 Alltrack. I'm curious...what you did for the battery insulator cover with new battery?Were you able to adjust it? Assuming you used an H6 as well.

[@lildrgn]

@@graemelindsay1693 Don't remember which batt I got, but it was the same size as what was in there, so the insulator did not need alterations.

[@marcwbacon]

Super helpful! Thanks!

[@Vaguh]

Thanks for the feedback and glad it helped you!

[@TheBloodyG]

A very good vid thx for the help and keep up the good work homie!

[@nevillesmith5130]

Replaced battery but when using Carista OBD2 app there is no "fleece" option for the battery type (wet, AGM, Binary AGM, EFB and EFB+). It is a UK Mk7 Golf GTI with start stop and adaptor on -ve terminal. Installed Bosch S5A08 start-stop 70Ah AGM Set to AGM but was expecting to find fleece. Anybody know why fleece is missing and is AGM the right option?

[@CorradoTDI]

Did you ever get an answer on this? Just bought the same battery for a MK7 TSI with SS

[@nevillesmith5130]

@@CorradoTDI Use "AGM" mode. Battery installed 2 years ago and all ok.

[@CorradoTDI]

@@nevillesmith5130 Thanks for that - just swapped mine and did the steering calibration etc. Need to take to a friends to code it so appreciate your quick reply!

[@dr.-medicveronicaruta9711]

Excellent, thanks a lot! 🙏👍

[@Vaguh]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joshq.4343]

thanks man. helped me replaced my battery.

[@davidyoung8521]

OBD 11? I think you mean OBD 2. Roman numerals vs Arabic numerals.

[@Vaguh]

😉 obdeleven.com/

[@utacity]

should always: -wear gloves -wear eye protection

[@Vaguh]

You're absolutely right! Thanks for watching!

[@90proofHam]

Yes, Dad......

[@seanbarron403]

The German way... good n tight