Which battery replacement to go with

[jiannu]

My battery in my 2016 s3 is starting to go and wanted to know a good replacement? I wanted to get something lighter. Does anyone know the OEM specs on our battery? What is anyone's opinion on braille?

Ps. My battery prematurely went kaput because I rarely drive the car during the week and I have added 2 audio amplifiers so looking for enough juice for them..

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[markn1689]

not sure myself but I am looking for options in the future.

The front/rear weight distribution of the s3 is a 59/41
A battery relocation or lightweight upgrade (or both) can shift that by anywhere between 0.5% to 1%. And the outcome could result in a 58/42 weight shift. Maybe? I could be way off.

Anyways, that does not seem to be your primary concern..
The new lipo batteries are far lighter, smaller, and more powerful. I will post anything that I can come up with.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...battery-option

[MikTip]

Replace like for like.

I found the OE battery from a VW dealership was the best option for a street driven car.

Battery requires VCDS coding...like for like makes that easy.

[jiannu]

Replace like for like.

I found the OE battery from a VW dealership was the best option for a street driven car.

Battery requires VCDS coding...like for like makes that easy.

I was also opting for an Optima h6 yellow top....although same weight as OEM, its far superior than the OEM.

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[XMetal]

I was also opting for an Optima h6 yellow top....although same weight as OEM, its far superior than the OEM.

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How are you planning on getting around the coding portion if going non-OE? If you don't properly code for the installed battery, you may end up killing it prematurely...so no point in getting a "better" battery if you can't get the battery management system to properly charge it.

[MikTip]

I was also opting for an Optima h6 yellow top....although same weight as OEM, its far superior than the OEM.

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Right...

I ran an Optima on my B6 for 11 years...

Seems no one here runs an Optima on their S3...

I would love to, but it has to be coded with VCDS...

The factory batterys are AGM. OPTIMA Batteries are considered SPIRALCELL AGM batteries

[jiannu]

How are you planning on getting around the coding portion if going non-OE? If you don't properly code for the installed battery, you may end up killing it prematurely...so no point in getting a "better" battery if you can't get the battery management system to properly charge it.

Just seen a video on coding via obd11(which I have).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrbvCHDbmmw

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[MikTip]

Just seen a video on coding via obd11(which I have).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrbvCHDbmmw

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Nice!

[MikTip]

Found this:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...f-battery-size

[XMetal]

Just seen a video on coding via obd11(which I have).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrbvCHDbmmw

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Wow! Didn't even know you can code in different battery technologies with OBD11! Thanks for that info! Now, the only concern is how would you keep heat away from that battery? Lithium batteries don't like heat - much less than AGM

[MikTip]

Optima H6
Weight: 54.01 lb
C20 Capacity: 72 Ah
CCA: 800 Amp


Factory 000-915-105-DG
Weight: 40.5.

[MikTip]

Golf R drivers:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...1#post83055255

[MikTip]

The S3 has an after-run feature that operates after the engine is shut down...

Previous Audi models often came with a OBD/cigarette lighter Solar Battery charger.

I have the solar battery charger and its plugged in while my car sits 8 hours at work all day.

[jiannu]

The S3 has an after-run feature that operates after the engine is shut down...

Previous Audi models often came with a OBD/cigarette lighter Solar Battery charger.

I have the solar battery charger and its plugged in while my car sits 8 hours at work all day.

Interesting......where can I get one? And how does it work? My car is a weekend warrior....will it be enough for all week?

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[morris39]

My battery in my 2016 s3 is starting to go and wanted to know a good replacement? I wanted to get something lighter. Does anyone know the OEM specs on our battery? What is anyone's opinion on braille?

Ps. My battery prematurely went kaput because I rarely drive the car during the week and I have added 2 audio amplifiers so looking for enough juice for them..

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I went with Kirkland (Costco) for cost reasons after 4 years. No coding required. My reasons:
1) A battery works or not. No better or worse except in very unusual circumstances (arctic?)
2) Audis are very sensitive to low(ish) battery voltage. Will throw a lot of false codes. this happens if you drive short distances and particularly in cold weather.
3) The hassle and cost of a failed battery is too much relative to the cost of preemptive replacement. The hassle will only happen once, guaranteed.
4) Change it after 4 years and don't sweat it. About $25/ year for peace of mind.

[jiannu]

I went with Kirkland (Costco) for cost reasons after 4 years. No coding required. My reasons:
1) A battery works or not. No better or worse except in very unusual circumstances (arctic?)
2) Audis are very sensitive to low(ish) battery voltage. Will throw a lot of false codes. this happens if you drive short distances and particularly in cold weather.
3) The hassle and cost of a failed battery is too much relative to the cost of preemptive replacement. The hassle will only happen once, guaranteed.
4) Change it after 4 years and don't sweat it. About $25/ year for peace of mind.

Do u know of any batteries costing $100? OEM spec

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[morris39]

Group 48 72 Ah from Costco is same rating as the original Varta but not same spec. Varta is AGM, Costco is flooded and made by Interstate. Warranties are different too. I paid ~$100CDN. Expected life as suggested by the warranty should be longer but not certain. My point is that batteries are more or less disposable and their failure is unpredictable beyond 3-4 years. You may well get a long life but maybe not. Do you want to engage in that game? My motorcycle battery needs care & feeding, trickle charging etc. and I do it. But that is time I will spend on a hobby but not on a daily driver.

[Epic-A3]

I'm a battery specialist literally. Go with an AGM battery, unless you drive more then an hour each way for work. It handles the heavy electrical demands our cars dish out. Still only gonna see 4 to 5 years, but no corrosion mess at the end of its life.

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[949]

My battery in my 2016 s3 is starting to go and wanted to know a good replacement? I wanted to get something lighter. Does anyone know the OEM specs on our battery? What is anyone's opinion on braille?

Ps. My battery prematurely went kaput because I rarely drive the car during the week and I have added 2 audio amplifiers so looking for enough juice for them..

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super lite and powerful.
advantages, can sit for months without self discharge, weight only a few pounds.

https://4xspower.com/shop/product-category/li-series/

[jiannu]

super lite and powerful.
advantages, can sit for months without self discharge, weight only a few pounds.

https://4xspower.com/shop/product-category/li-series/

So confused when I went on their site.....which one is close to OEM specs?

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[949]

no idea but you can pick the size thats the closest.

i dont think they will have one that is spot on.
just look for the orientation of the posts on your car and measure the HxWxL and compare.
when its time ill be getting one myself. i plan to up size mine to which ever will fit. well worth the cost.
i have had optima and some other brands above the stock and each time it was worth it. never have i tried this version.

[XMetal]

So confused when I went on their site.....which one is close to OEM specs?

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If the OE is 72Ah, then the closest one would be this, which is rated to 79Ah Pb equivalent, but a Pb CA of only 540A seems to be on the low side => https://4xspower.com/shop/li-series/...ies/li-ps975l/.

I would just stick with the OE battery to be honest and just change it out every 3 to 4 years and call it the day.

[n8vs3]

I'm a battery specialist literally. Go with an AGM battery, unless you drive more then an hour each way for work. It handles the heavy electrical demands our cars dish out. Still only gonna see 4 to 5 years, but no corrosion mess at the end of its life.

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I am under the impression Audi OEM battery for A3/S3 is flooded acid battery to save cost and not AGM. Also, I have read various things about if coding is required for A3/S3 batteries. Any thoughts?

[coolwater]

My 3.5 yr old car got the battery replaced under warranty. Guess there was a bad batch. I’m sure my long flashing sessions with the accessories on didn’t help. May be worthwhile to check with the dealer before you spend extra $$.

-cW


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[XMetal]

I am under the impression Audi OEM battery for A3/S3 is flooded acid battery to save cost and not AGM. Also, I have read various things about if coding is required for A3/S3 batteries. Any thoughts?

Coding was covered on post #7

[MikTip]

I am under the impression Audi OEM battery for A3/S3 is flooded acid battery to save cost and not AGM. Also, I have read various things about if coding is required for A3/S3 batteries. Any thoughts?

Audi offers several batteries...AGM is one...but yes their are lower cost batteries the dealerships have...

[jiannu]

My 3.5 yr old car got the battery replaced under warranty. Guess there was a bad batch. I’m sure my long flashing sessions with the accessories on didn’t help. May be worthwhile to check with the dealer before you spend extra $$.

-cW


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Up here in the true North its only 1 year...seems like Audi is on to something as they must know that there batteries are crap!

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[jiannu]

Group 48 72 Ah from Costco is same rating as the original Varta but not same spec. Varta is AGM, Costco is flooded and made by Interstate. Warranties are different too. I paid ~$100CDN. Expected life as suggested by the warranty should be longer but not certain. My point is that batteries are more or less disposable and their failure is unpredictable beyond 3-4 years. You may well get a long life but maybe not. Do you want to engage in that game? My motorcycle battery needs care & feeding, trickle charging etc. and I do it. But that is time I will spend on a hobby but not on a daily driver.

I went by Costco and could not believe that the one for our cars is $134 minus $10 core exchange....how can u not go wrong?!?!

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[n8vs3]

On a side note, does Audi need a memory saver device to retain ECM and radio settings during removal and installation of new battery?

[jiannu]

On a side note, does Audi need a memory saver device to retain ECM and radio settings during removal and installation of new battery?

I dont believe so. When my car was in the shop, they had the battery out and it still retained all settings

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[jiannu]

Group 48 72 Ah from Costco is same rating as the original Varta but not same spec. Varta is AGM, Costco is flooded and made by Interstate. Warranties are different too. I paid ~$100CDN. Expected life as suggested by the warranty should be longer but not certain. My point is that batteries are more or less disposable and their failure is unpredictable beyond 3-4 years. You may well get a long life but maybe not. Do you want to engage in that game? My motorcycle battery needs care & feeding, trickle charging etc. and I do it. But that is time I will spend on a hobby but not on a daily driver.

Costco sells Energizer which are agm. They cost just over $200 which is almost 2x the Kirkland brand. Should I get the agm?

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[rbish56]

you cant really go wrong with kirkland brand. after 2-3 years and you dont like it return it. you know costco will give you your money back no questions asked. i returned a mattress after using it for 8 months and they refunded me the money before they even picked it up

[morris39]

Costco sells Energizer which are agm. They cost just over $200 which is almost 2x the Kirkland brand. Should I get the agm?

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Which one? The cheaper one if you are prepared to replace the battery preemptively as a disposable item and not willing to assume the risk of having an inconvenient/annoying experience. Statistically the AGM will outlast the flooded one but do you want to play the odds? One event can kill a battery albeit unlikely. So it is simple. How much does the price difference matter to you?

[jiannu]

Which one? The cheaper one if you are prepared to replace the battery preemptively as a disposable item and not willing to assume the risk of having an inconvenient/annoying experience. Statistically the AGM will outlast the flooded one but do you want to play the odds? One event can kill a battery albeit unlikely. So it is simple. How much does the price difference matter to you?

Sounds good.... now my dilemma is which one? H6 which is a direct replacement or the smaller one...H5 to save a bit on weight here are the specs for the 2.....

H6
Cold Cranking Amps – 730

Cranking Amps – 910

Reserve Capacity – 115

Amp Hours – 70

H5
Cold Cranking Amps – 650

Cranking Amps – 810

Reserve Capacity – 100

Amp Hours – 54



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[XMetal]

Sounds good.... now my dilemma is which one? H6 which is a direct replacement or the smaller one...H5 to save a bit on weight here are the specs for the 2.....

H6
Cold Cranking Amps – 730

Cranking Amps – 910

Reserve Capacity – 115

Amp Hours – 70

H5
Cold Cranking Amps – 650

Cranking Amps – 810

Reserve Capacity – 100

Amp Hours – 54



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Go with the H6, which has more Reserve Capacity and CCA - the extra capacity is nice if you don't drive it that often and the extra CCA will make it easier to start on the colder months compared to the H5. The larger battery is also less strained during start/stop...so in theory, should last a bit longer in the long run. I would really doubt that you will noticed a difference in the weight savings between the 2 (in terms of driving performance). I bet there won't be that much of a price difference either between the 2.

I always put the largest battery that will fit in the battery tray in all of my cars for the reasons stated above.

[jiannu]

Go with the H6, which has more Reserve Capacity and CCA - the extra capacity is nice if you don't drive it that often and the extra CCA will make it easier to start on the colder months compared to the H5. The larger battery is also less strained during start/stop...so in theory, should last a bit longer in the long run. I would really doubt that you will noticed a difference in the weight savings between the 2 (in terms of driving performance). I bet there won't be that much of a price difference either between the 2.

I always put the largest battery that will fit in the battery tray in all of my cars for the reasons stated above.

Thanks bud!

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[S8PIMP]

Is Varta sold at dealers or in the US? Just pulled one from my 2008, can not find date codes...

[Why-man5]

So confused when I went on their site.....which one is close to OEM specs?

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At the top of the website, you can select your car. It shows an OE spec battery BCI group 48

[TCHUN003]

I'm located in Southern California and I was just told that costco didn't carry the battery for our cars. They have one for 540 CCA, but our oem battery is 640A. Guess I'll try autozone.

[MikTip]

After looking around for a battery...Optima included...I found the local VW dealership had the exact battery and the best price. Especially since ya have to VCDS the battery on install.