04 AWD Touareg: AAA Battery Service stripped the Bolt installing a new battery, which failed, but can't be removed now

1490 Views 21 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Touaregman33, 3 mo ago

brasscupcakes

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

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Hi everyone: I am hoping someone here can give me advice on what to tell AAA Customer Care on Monday needs to be done.
The two AAA service guys that came yesterday ostensibly to replace the battery AAA sold me 2.5 years ago said they can't replace it without removing it to test it and seeing the "replace battery" test result.
But they can't remove it for warranty replacement because whoever installed the battery for AAA stripped the connectors? (Are they called bolts? I'm guessing they're some kind of proprietary VW part that has a specific name?)
Apologies for my ignorance. I am not a car hobbyist -- that's my brother and he is on the other side of the country working. I'm not an idiot mechanically (can fix small appliances, pcs, the odd phone) but I'm hopeless with cars -- I can barely open my own hood!
It's very frustrating as this is the third time the battery failed in three months and instead of fixing the problem, it seems as if AAA has radically compounded it at a time when I am out of work due to illness. The service guys yesterday were super nice but the best they could do was take some pictures and advise me to open a case with customer care.
I thought I might communicate this issue better if I had some idea of what I was talking about!
Many thanks for your help. Best wishes, Amy

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SaVAGeSoot

· #2 · 3 mo ago

What you are showing are seat rail bolts, and although they look like they've been partially beaten up, they are still in good enough condition to be removed when using the correct driver.

The only problem is the clown attempting to remove them using the incorrect tool. Get someone with an actual value and mechanical bone in their body to remove them.

brasscupcakes

Discussion Starter · #3 · 3 mo ago

Neither guy came with the right tools at all (both had to use Youtube Videos to find the battery) but I had a ordered a set of the tools to remove them from a VW parts dealer a few years ago and that's what they ended up using to remove one of the two seat rail bolts. s.

The Tool Part # is WKZ-TSQKT12PC, see photo. Are they the right tools? Also, he said there was rust used a whole lot of some max strength liquid wrench/WD 40 type stuff -- it didn't help at all.

If the seat rail bolts are worse than they look in the photo and need replacing, is that something my regular mechanic could do, or VW dealer only? Can I order the parts online and bring them to a regular mechanic?

I will absolutely try to find the right person to do this, but I'm limited right now in terms of money and mobility (no public transport here, I'm awaiting surgery, and my two 14-year old dogs are chronically ill with a vet 30 miles away). So if AAA takes responsibility, I'll have to let them have a go before eating the cost myself. Thank you again!

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SaVAGeSoot

· #4 · 3 mo ago

Yes, going by memory, it should be a 10mm, but it needs to engage properly in the bolt, so all crud and debris needs to be blown out of the head first.

You can buy replacement bolts at the dealer... Doubt you'd find them at a random parts store. You'll find them online I'm sure, if you prefer that.

They are the butchers that damaged the bolts so don't eat anything yourself.

brasscupcakes

Discussion Starter · #5 · 3 mo ago

SaVAGeSoot said:
Yes, going by memory, it should be a 10mm, but it needs to engage properly in the bolt, so all crud and debris needs to be blown out of the head first.

You can buy replacement bolts at the dealer... Doubt you'd find them at a random parts store. You'll find them online I'm sure, if you prefer that.

They are the butchers that damaged the bolts so don't eat anything yourself.

Well, I don't want to eat the cost, but I am already looking at 30 bucks in cab fare to one medical appointment on Monday, so every day the car doesn't run it probably costing me more.

I don't prefer buying online but there aren't any dealers nearby and I'd have to cab it. (I did have friends I could call for rides where I used to live, but I got sick shortly after moving here for work and what with being sick, broke and COVID I'm on my own).
When you say "blown out," do you mean I should clean them with an air gun? If I don't have an air gun, would a wire brush work, either using by hand or with a drill? I also have muriatic acid and other solvents if they would be of us.
The guy from AAA is stopping by on his own time tomorrow to pick up a rebounder I am giving away for his son, so if I succeed in cleaning this crud you refer too, maybe he can loosen it tomorrow.
Thank you -- this is a pain, but I thought you were going to say something scary about it being a zillion dollar VW bolt so you have already eased my mind.

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Touaregman33

· #6 · 3 mo ago

If I'm remembering correctly You're not removing the right part to get to the battery.

Touaregman33

· #7 · 3 mo ago

You need to remove the little plastic that sit's before the seat. Then it's an M10 Triple-Square bit

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How to replace the car battery on a Volkswagen Touareg. - Car Ownership

We look at the tools and steps required to successfully change the battery on a second-generation Volkswagen Touareg.

www.autotrader.co.za

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brasscupcakes

Discussion Starter · #8 · 3 mo ago

I am almost sure they removed that stuff first, but I will ask the technician. It would be great if the stuck bolt isn't what needs to come out after all.

Thank you all for your help, I will let you know how it turns out!

Touaregman33

· #9 · 3 mo ago

brasscupcakes said:
I am almost sure they removed that stuff first, but I will ask the technician. It would be great if the stuck bolt isn't what needs to come out after all.

Thank you all for your help, I will let you know how it turns out!

You need to remove the plastic trim covers in the back as well. Then make your drivers seat go all the way back. If the battery is completely dead have them hook a jump pack up to the terminals under the hood. So they can move the seat all the way back.

The blots you posted don't have anything to do with the accessing the battery. They're trying to get out the wrong thing Take a photo of your drivers seat floor. I'm betting they went after the wrong blot.
If you undo those to bolts in the photo I posted above the seat will tilt back and you will have access to the battery.

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brasscupcakes

Discussion Starter · #10 · 3 mo ago

Wow, thank you. I hope I can get them to do it!

Reactions: 1

mtnride

· #11 · 3 mo ago

Touaregman 33 is correct. The bolts pictured do not need to come out. As stated, under the 2" x 4" plastic pieces on floor are the 2 - 10 mm triple square bolts that need to come out. Move seat back and adjust back of seat all the forward, after lifting seat up to expose battery box, move seat forward again and This will gain more height for access. You will also have to remove 1 small torx screw on top of battery box and pull straight up on heat vent that pushes air to back seat. Piece of cake😎

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TommiT

· #12 · 3 mo ago

As above, you do NOT remove the seat itself.

You remove two bolts on the floor at the front of the seat and it then hinges backwards to give access to the battery.

Here's a how-to with video:

www.mytreg.com

Changing the T1, T2, T3, T4 AND T5 battery, including...

NOTE: There is a well meaning video on Youtube where the guy takes out the entire seat on a T1. You do NOT remove the seat on a T1 or a T2 - it hinges backwards. But you do remove the seat on a T3! HOWEVER, as of 20 October 2014, go and look at post #72 before you take the T3 seat out as it...

www.mytreg.com

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Touaregman33

· #13 · 3 mo ago

brasscupcakes said:
Wow, thank you. I hope I can get them to do it!

Why wouldn't they do it? It's simple once you know the correct bolts lol. We can help walk you or AAA through it.

ToolmanJohn

· #14 · 3 mo ago

brasscupcakes said:
View attachment 256822

Hi everyone: I am hoping someone here can give me advice on what to tell AAA Customer Care on Monday needs to be done.
The two AAA service guys that came yesterday ostensibly to replace the battery AAA sold me 2.5 years ago said they can't replace it without removing it to test it and seeing the "replace battery" test result.
But they can't remove it for warranty replacement because whoever installed the battery for AAA stripped the connectors? (Are they called bolts? I'm guessing they're some kind of proprietary VW part that has a specific name?)
Apologies for my ignorance. I am not a car hobbyist -- that's my brother and he is on the other side of the country working. I'm not an idiot mechanically (can fix small appliances, pcs, the odd phone) but I'm hopeless with cars -- I can barely open my own hood!
It's very frustrating as this is the third time the battery failed in three months and instead of fixing the problem, it seems as if AAA has radically compounded it at a time when I am out of work due to illness. The service guys yesterday were super nice but the best they could do was take some pictures and advise me to open a case with customer care.
I thought I might communicate this issue better if I had some idea of what I was talking about!
Many thanks for your help. Best wishes, Amy View attachment 256822

That is the seat rail bolt for removing the seat. it is called a "TRIPLE SQUARE" bolt. Using the correct size will get it out, it doesn't look too bad from the photo.

TommiT

· #15 · 3 mo ago

But you do NOT remove the seat on a Generation 1 Touareg so there is no need to touch it at all!

Reactions: 1

Mexglx

· #16 · 3 mo ago

Touaregman33 said:
You need to remove the little plastic that sit's before the seat. Then it's an M10 Triple-Square bit

How to replace the car battery on a Volkswagen Touareg. - Car Ownership

We look at the tools and steps required to successfully change the battery on a second-generation Volkswagen Touareg.

www.autotrader.co.za

Exactly right. Also, to make it all easier, You need to move the seat forward once the two bolts in the floor are removed and incline the seat back as far forward as you can. If the battery is dead, they will need to hook up jumper cables to the Vehicle just for the power seats to work. The jump start lugs are under the hood, in front of the driver. See the manual for locations. There is a plastic cover with a plus and minus to help find them. You don't need to start the car. As you tilt the whole seat assembly back, if the seat bottom hits the bottom of the steering wheel, just move the seat bottom back a bit with the power buttons then once it can clear, move the seat bottom forward again so the whole assembly can tilt back. The more you incline the seat back and have the bottomw forward, the easier to remove the battery. Make sure they hook the vent tub for the floor heater and the battery vent/drain tube back up. As Touaregman33 said, you need an M10 triple square bit to remove the floor bolts. Not an Allen, not a Torx, not anything else. A triplesquare. Its easy when you know how.

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Touaregman33

· #17 · 3 mo ago

@brasscupcakes Did you get this taken care of?

TouaregDuNOLA

· #18 · 3 mo ago

@brasscupcakes I have one or two of these bolts as spares sourced from Pick-N-Pull that I can part with. PM me for pricing if interested.

Redline62

· #19 · 3 mo ago

Get yout battery replacement guys some blue/white striped aprons.
Warn them to bring correct tools these bolts keep you safe in the seat

Slimpickens

· #20 · 3 mo ago

Take a smaller bit than the actual one it takes, and use some jb weld filled and fill the bolt head half way insert the bit and secure it so that it is straight ( make sure the bolt head is completely full after the bit is installed) let the jb weld setup for the recommended time and maybe a little extra. Take a wrench and carefully start to remove the bolt. you will need to also purchase a bolt before you remove the old one. This has worked for me in situations like this. Hope it works for you as well.

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