A4 Battery replacement and coding

[MrSam]

Long story short, left my car in covered storage for 3 months, was in a rush and forgot to disconnect the battery before flying home (my fault, I know). The car was running perfectly fine before leaving, when I got back, the battery was completely dead. It took two jumper boxes (battery and under the hood) to get the car running. Now, I need to jump it every time I drive.
I figure recharging the battery is out of the question. Called Audi to inquire about replacing the battery, they quoted me a ridiculous $600 (apparently it takes them 2.5 hours of labor to replace and code a battery).
AutoZone charges $150, but can't code it. Sears said they could replace and "register" the battery for $280.

Question is, do I really need to code the battery? I've read through 10+ posts and there seems to be an even split between people claiming that the new battery must be purchased from Audi and coded, and those saying that we can just purchase the proper battery from Autozone and swap out the old one.

[Hamza1230]

Man I have a e90 bmw and it’s the same bs. Everyone told me I had to buy a battery and get it coded. I definitely did not want to pay 400$ for a battery and coding so I bought a used battery. Same specs of bmw and I threw it in. Didn’t code/register it at all. And it’s been over 3 year now. Now it’s been a long time and nothing has gone wrong but of course I know someone will argue with me. I’m not a certified tech or anything but I’m just telling you my experience. And I also have a b8 didn’t even know I had to get the battery “coded” I literally just swapped the battery last year. Still no problems

[jfo]

There is no official Audi post on this and it's been beaten to death for years. Here's another 8 pages for you to read. You will continue to read about a) yes, you need to code it, b) no, you don't need a new BEM code, just change a number in VCDS, c) don't worry, just stick it in there and forget about it.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-a-B8-A4/page8

Any new responses will not give you the definitive answer, so it's up to you. It seems that a new battery from the dealer doesn't come with a new BEM code any longer.

[hpmurdarah]

Nah it doesn’t need coding I just put one in brand new from Audi( I got someone that works at the dealer) and I just put it in and no issues was about 3 or maybe 4 months ago


Sent from a place far far away!!

[Hamza1230]

Does he have to get one from Audi tho? Those run close to 400$ when normal batter are around 160$

[Smac770]

Different sized batteries depending on your PR code. I was just looking at batteries since mine is now 10 years old, and they are all around $200 for my AGM group 49 sized battery (PR-J0B).

Interstate MTX-49 H8 AGM 95Ah from Interstate, $203
Bosch Platinum 49-850BAGM 90Ah from Pep Boys, $188
Duralast Platinum H8-AGM xxAh from AutoZone, $199
Autocraft Platinum H8-AGM 95Ah from Advance, $200
Duracell Platinum 49(H8)AGM 92Ah from Sam's Club, $180 (wait, apparently on sale for $160 till mid Sept, what's a Sam's Club membership cost?)
DieHard Gold G49 AGM xxAh from Sears, $220
Napa Legend Premium 9849 AGM 92Ah from NAPA, $200
Audi 000915105CE AGM 92Ah from audiatlantaparts.com, $219 (Audi MSRP is $250, no reason to be paying more than that at a dealership)

Duracell and Napa best match the Ah, but I'm not sure if plus/minus a few Ah matters. I'm more concerned about the the typical shelf time for these various vendors.

Installation is certainly a DIY, as is the coding if you have a VAG-COM. I've yet to find anything that conclusively presents the problems with not recoding. I find it crazy that the charging electronics cannot realize the current state of the battery and address car functionality accordingly. Some have said some car functions might operate in a lower power mode when the battery gets old, and recoding resets those tunings. Maybe those invoke only if the car has flagged the battery as needing replacement though. Luckily, I don't have to worry about it. I own an Audi, so of course I own a Ross-Tech cable.

[Novarider]

A battery from advance/autozone will work fine. I got an agm from advance and it's working great. I personally chose to change a random number in the serial number. That way the computer instantly knew it had a new battery and came out of the energy saving mode it went into that caused a few things not to work. If you have VCDS it takes 5 minutes. If you don't have it you really should get it if you are going to DIY anything. It will pay for itself with just this battery change.

[MrSam]

Thanks for the help, everyone!
I think I'm just going to look for the proper AGM and install it myself. I was planning on going the sears route but they refuse to use the word "coding" (apparently they "register" it) which seems suspect.
Odd how a $30k+ vehicle isn't intelligent enough to recognize that a new battery was installed whereas a $10k- is more than capable of doing so. Good job, Audi.

[elscotto80]

I replaced my battery a year ago, dropped it in and did no coding. No issues whatsoever. You will be fine.

[MrSam]

Thanks all. Stopped by sears and ended up having them replace and "register" the battery. OTD cost was just shy of $240. Hoping for the best now.

[Hamza1230]

240$ isn’t bad. After all it is gonna last you almost 5 years

[Justin B8]

My $.02

For the B8... it came with three different battery sizes depending on the options/equipment installed. Look at the build sticker in the trunk/manual to see which size you have, it will start with a J. They differ in CA and reserve capacity (amp hours). So long as you replace it with something with very similar specs, it will not require coding with VAG-COM. Up size or downsize, any coding is suggested; although it will likely work even without it.

For the E90... these are a different kettle of fish and do require coding. The module that controls the voltage regulator output of the alt adjusts the charge rate as the battery ages and the curves are different AGM vs flooded wet cell. Even replacing with the same size/spec battery will require coding to reset it. A new uncoded battery will likely work ok, but shortens the life of the voltage regulator/alt.

[keiffr]

Installed a Walmart Everstart Maxx H7 over 3 years ago. No coding and no issues. MMI consistently shows 100% battery level.


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[Nano909]

I did extensive research on this subject when I needed to change my battery. What I've gathered is basically you have to "code it" (just change one number) to tell the car that you're using a new battery, so the car won't have to work hard to charge an old battery to make you new battery last longer. I did it just for piece of mind. It's really simple.

[prkieffer]

Does he have to get one from Audi tho? Those run close to 400$ when normal batter are around 160$

make friends with parts guy or buy from genuineaudiparts.com

most expensive battery is
$220 that’s a 10% markup from wholesale.
(prestige models with adaptive cruise, lane assist etc..

$187 - 2nd tier battery cost 10% included
mmi 3g dual zone climate etc..

$116 - cheapest battery
cars with audi concert and symphony.
no option cars.


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[porwal22]

I ditched my OEM (Varta) battery a month ago, installed an Odyssey PC-1350 and never looked back.
You can run different batteries in these vehicles. Don't let the dealers b/s you.
If you really need to code the battery buy a foxwell scanner from ECS. Bang for the buck you can't beat it for $200. It does battery coding, channel adaptation (used it for green menu access), and rear brake caliper functions (for pad changes)
As a mechanic, i have VCDS, a Snap-On Zeus, and the foxwell scanner. I wear the heck out of the foxwell scanner. It's just cheap, and it works great.
My only caveat, some of the letters on the screen are a bit tiny. Hitting middle age, and going blind.... Ha!

[porwal22]

Incidentally, I haven't coded the battery yet. Mostly because I want to see if it makes a difference in the charging rate of the battery (coded - vs - non-coded). I'm one of those people that likes to test things, and I figure if it's going to blow up or fail, I'd rather try it on my car than a customers.
In a few weeks I'll code it, and see what the charging voltage & amperage is between coded and non-coded. I'm curious...

[jschrauwen]

Incidentally, I haven't coded the battery yet. Mostly because I want to see if it makes a difference in the charging rate of the battery (coded - vs - non-coded). I'm one of those people that likes to test things, and I figure if it's going to blow up or fail, I'd rather try it on my car than a customers.
In a few weeks I'll code it, and see what the charging voltage & amperage is between coded and non-coded. I'm curious...

11 months and no update?

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[dadragonfamily]

Replaced my battery in my 2014 b8.5 last night. Had a 15% off coupon for battery and installation from the Audi dealer so I got the battery for $180 and I took it home and popped it in. Wasn't sure I was gonna code it but it was actually really simple.

Everything you need is on the battery it's self. The the part number is on the top and the serial number is visible if you use your smartphone camera to look at the square qr code on the back. I did the coding in my obdeleven app with my smart phone. I have yet to find a single think that my obdeleven can't do compared to vag-com.

Before and after screen shots below

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[Theiceman]

my car sat for a month as i have a company car .. walked up to it . it would not unlock at the touch of the handle but did with the key fob, started up after a very slow turnover and i could not turn on nav, media, telephone ... climate control .

message popped up on the screen and said something to the effect of "battery very low - critical functions only available." Battery will recharge while driving ..

Sure enough half an hour later everything was fine ..

i just thought it was pretty awesome that the car could do that ..

[WoodyA4]

After 8 years on the OEM battery in my 2011 A4 B8, I needed a new battery. I shopped around and read about having to re-code, so I called Audi.
I got a direct replacement OEM battery for $188 from the dealer. The parts manager told me to just swap it out with no coding.
All is working fine.

[jschrauwen]

After 8 years on the OEM battery in my 2011 A4 B8, I needed a new battery. I shopped around and read about having to re-code, so I called Audi.
I got a direct replacement OEM battery for $188 from the dealer. The parts manager told me to just swap it out with no coding.
All is working fine.

Fine for maybe 2 or 3 years. Don't expect 8 years without coding it in.
You don't think the dealership may have an agenda?

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[Peter.dupuis]

After 8 years on the OEM battery in my 2011 A4 B8, I needed a new battery. I shopped around and read about having to re-code, so I called Audi.
I got a direct replacement OEM battery for $188 from the dealer. The parts manager told me to just swap it out with no coding.
All is working fine.

The dealership that had my car said it comes up as an error in their system if the battery isn’t coded.

He also said that it’s about 50/50 with who has problems and who doesn’t with not coding the battery.


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[jschrauwen]

Why the resistance to code it in?

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[lettuce]

Why the resistance to code it in?

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Maybe they got a battery with too many ohms.

[Peter.dupuis]

Why the resistance to code it in?

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If you don’t have VCDS the dealer charges about $130


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[jschrauwen]

If you don’t have VCDS the dealer charges about $130


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Every Audi owner should have an OBDeleven. Nobody should ever be going to a shop/dealership to get simple coding like this done.
https://youtu.be/KrJgv4I_87g

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[Rectangle]

Every Audi owner should have an OBDeleven. Nobody should ever be going to a shop/dealership to get simple coding like this done.
https://youtu.be/KrJgv4I_87g

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Can Carista do this too?

[audrobotic]

Can Carista do this too?

Sadly no.

BTW I never coded my battery after installing last summer. It’s sits around 80% percent in the mmi.

[jschrauwen]

Sadly no.

BTW I never coded my battery after installing last summer. It’s sits around 80% percent in the mmi.

One can get away without coding in a new battery. But evidence shows that that new battery may only last 2 to maybe 3 years as opposed to 7+ years.

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[audrobotic]

One can get away without coding in a new battery. But evidence shows that that new battery may only last 2 to maybe 3 years as opposed to 7+ years.

I’m not wanting to spring the cash for the odbeleven setup. Plus I’m not into android. My stubbornness is probably going to bite me in the a$s. Maybe the next time I go in for service I’ll ask them to recode the battery.

[Novarider]

I’m not wanting to spring the cash for the odbeleven setup. Plus I’m not into android. My stubbornness is probably going to bite me in the a$s. Maybe the next time I go in for service I’ll ask them to recode the battery.

They have an ios version in beta testing right now.

[jschrauwen]

I’m not wanting to spring the cash for the odbeleven setup. Plus I’m not into android. My stubbornness is probably going to bite me in the a$s. Maybe the next time I go in for service I’ll ask them to recode the battery.

3 years ago my OBDeleven was $60. They're now around $75 to $80.
You can find a suitable used android phone on ebay for $20 to $30 max. Strip the superfluous apps on it (to make it run faster/better) and install the OBDeleven app. Keep both the OBDeleven dongle and android phone tucked away in your car all of the time and use when needed. Not a huge cash output considering having a shop read/clear codes will cost more then both if those items combined.
https://youtu.be/9Uwc_WL-s-Q


https://youtu.be/WiSvwhunuwo

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[RVA4]

Just purchased a new battery for mine from Advance Auto, Autocraft Platinum for $150 (had 25% off coupon). Works great, 1000 ca and 850cca. Still like 45lbs though.

The dealership wanted $240 for just the battery and $135 for labor for programing it. I paid less than $200 from a different dealership for a VW/ Audi battery a few years back, but didn't program it and long story but the car was garaged for 2 years with only minimal starting up so that one was damaged within 4 years.

I will be getting an OBDeleven soon to program the battery and just have as a maintenance tool since the car is getting old and I want to get quite a few more years from it.

Do I need to purchase credits in order to program the battery or does the regular PRO version allow that?

[Benji16]

No credits needed.

Just purchased a new battery for mine from Advance Auto, Autocraft Platinum for $150 (had 25% off coupon). Works great, 1000 ca and 850cca. Still like 45lbs though.

The dealership wanted $240 for just the battery and $135 for labor for programing it. I paid less than $200 from a different dealership for a VW/ Audi battery a few years back, but didn't program it and long story but the car was garaged for 2 years with only minimal starting up so that one was damaged within 4 years.

I will be getting an OBDeleven soon to program the battery and just have as a maintenance tool since the car is getting old and I want to get quite a few more years from it.

Do I need to purchase credits in order to program the battery or does the regular PRO version allow that?

[Aris3.2]

I did extensive research on this subject when I needed to change my battery. What I've gathered is basically you have to "code it" (just change one number) to tell the car that you're using a new battery, so the car won't have to work hard to charge an old battery to make you new battery last longer. I did it just for piece of mind. It's really simple.

Can you elaborate a little what exactly you changed and where?

[Theiceman]

Can you elaborate a little what exactly you changed and where?

i think you basically change the serial number by one digit and the car sees it as new battery

[Aris3.2]

i think you basically change the serial number by one digit and the car sees it as new battery

https://youtu.be/IJAScg6JrYI
I think this answer my question in detail.
I’ll try to change the whole thing if I don’t manage I guess I’ll just change a digit.
Thanks ice

[Theiceman]

https://youtu.be/IJAScg6JrYI
I think this answer my question in detail.
I’ll try to change the whole thing if I don’t manage I guess I’ll just change a digit.
Thanks ice

that was a good link. i want to replace my battery just to play now lol.

[bluetori]

I never understood the whole I'm not gonna code the battery, like someone said earlier if you own a VAG car you should have a VCDS. I'm on my original battery in my 09 Avant and when it does go I'm going with another Varta. Those are the only batteries I will use and I'm coding it. Why take chances with the easiest and most important single part of your car to change. I really doubt those other batteries will last that long but I could be wrong.