[New2Tregs]

Chassis's step by step guide was closely spot on. I did have to do a couple extra steps that I didn't see listed.
1- Unplug the seats electrical connections. Without doing this I couldn't lift up front section of the rug area to get to the battery cover.
2- Unplug (carefully) the small electrical connector from the negative battery connector.


I did also then rest the front seat on it's back on the rear seat. This way it was totally out of my way when I worked. May not be necessary for everyone but for me it was better.
All total it took about 45 mins. to do the job and that was with having my coffee and a cig. in between.

I installed an Autocraft Platinum AGM battery size H9. 950CCA, 1,000 cranking amps, 100AH with a 190min. reserve capacity. It fit like a glove.

Since I got done with the job so fast I decided to change out the in cabin air filter as well. Winter's coming and I know I'll be using the HVAC system a lot more. Glad I did as the old one was full of dust/dirt.

 

[capngrouch]

Isn't there some computer coding that has to be done? I read somewhere that the battery identifier needed to be added to something so they could talk to each other.

I am about to replace my battery due to slower turnover in the past few months. You went with a non-OEM battery, is this one of better quality than VW?


Thanks

 

[New2Tregs]

I don't think there is a battery of better quality as much as they are comparable.

Some people say that OE batteries last longer than aftermarket but I think it depends on what level of aftermarket (ie: Gold/Platinum/Titanium) you go with. I found out my Autocraft battery was in fact manufactured by Johnson Controls who is one of the few big actual manufactures of batteries for vehicles.



As far as computer coding goes at this point I'm gathering that it depends on your vehicle. Mine is a V6 gasser. No coding required as I don't have a BEM (Battery Energy Management) system in my vehicle.

I think the only way to know if yours does is to use VCDS and follow to tutorial in the YouTube link below. If the modules exist...you do. If they don't exist.. then you don't have to do any coding.

 

[chassis]

Nothing required whatsoever, coding or otherwise, for a battery replacement on a 2011 T3 TDI Sport when following the steps in the original post.

 

[Juha]

Nothing required whatsoever, coding or otherwise, for a battery replacement on a 2011 T3 TDI Sport when following the steps in the original post.

The car needs to be told about the new battery to get optimal charging going on.

 

[GTaye]

I swapped my battery this morning in my 2013 V6 Sport. The battery installed by VW was Size H7, 640 CCA. I replaced it with an AutoCraft Platinum AGM H7 with 850 CCA from Advance Auto. The battery box is bigger than the H7 size but the cables to the terminals had no extra length to fit a bigger (longer) size.

Thanks to the OP and additional tips, the install went without a hitch. The only setting my T3 lost was the clock. It rememberd all the radio presets, mated phones though Bluetooth, garage door codes in Homelink, etc.

 

[nickyt]

I swapped my battery this morning in my 2013 V6 Sport. The battery installed by VW was Size H7, 640 CCA. I replaced it with an AutoCraft Platinum AGM H7 with 850 CCA from Advance Auto. The battery box is bigger than the H7 size but the cables to the terminals had no extra length to fit a bigger (longer) size.

Thanks to the OP and additional tips, the install went without a hitch. The only setting my T3 lost was the clock. It rememberd all the radio presets, mated phones though Bluetooth, garage door codes in Homelink, etc.

We feel your pain. There is a fix.

www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f43/positive-battery-cable-too-short-05-v8-239993.html

 

[New2Tregs]

nickyt I think GTaye is saying he got his sorted by sticking with the H7 size battery size if I read his post correct.
I think if he had wanted to put an H9 size battery his positive cable would have been to short. To that point you are correct in posting the fix link that shows what part# to order/install to accommodate the larger battery.
Funny how VW decided to change the cable length/battery sizing in certain Tregs. Thankfully there is a work around.

 

[Gadgetman]

Thought I'd post my experience having replaced my 6 YO original battery today.
Had to purchase a 12 point tool to remove the seat track bolts. Replacing the battery was as per the early post in this thread,
I didn't remove the seat just leaned it back, if you remove it you may end up with with an air bag warning. I purchased a Bosch ST Hightec AGM LN6, it had handles like the original that really helps as these are monster batteries.
After some research found that you need to tell the battery management system that it's been changed also what type it is. Depending on your Touareg model there are 3 different ways this is coded and there is a youtube video that shows how it's done.


There is no BEM code for a Bosch battery but I found that Varta and Bosch batteries are made in the same factory so finding the Varta equivalent was easy but for my Touareg which uses a UDS Gateway I only need the Battery manufacture (VAO), size 105Ah and serial #. According to Ross-Tech changing the serial # forces a new cycle of history data.

"The serial number is used as an indicator for a new
cycle of history data. Which means, once a serial number is entered
that wasn't used in this car before, a new dataset will be created/started
and from there the actual magic will begin. If in doubt, increment the last
digit by one and save that as the new value (i.e. 0000000009 to 0000000010)
The Battery and Energy Management (BEM) will actually calculate the battery
aging etc. based on the values read through the Battery Data Module (BDM)"

 

[nickyt]

^^Good info above.

Always be sure to re-code for the T3, or you will lose battery life.

With the above said...

Re-coding for the T3 is needed, but overall (the big picture) it is a waste of time and resources. Remember, we are dealing with lead acid batteries that are basically a century old technology. The batteries are designed to be used and abused. Computerized chargers did not exists for most of the time that you could buy a lead acid battery.

What I am saying is that I would be willing to bet you that in the big picture, this battery coding system does very little to make your new battery last longer.

The chargers in the CTEK and Battery Minder needs none of this info. They just do a battery diagnostic, compute health info directly from the battery, and charge correctly based on the current capacity (health) of that battery.

Now, if you do not code your T3, you kill off you new battery much much quicker.

So, being generous, I will give this system a possibility of adding 3% to the life of a battery when properly coded.

I will also propose that we can lose 20% life of that battery when not coded. Now, human beings being what humans are, many many batteries will not be coded. Therefore the net result of this system will be negative battery life over the entire fleet.

Yes, I am saying that overall, this system will cause more, not less, early battery failures.

But, it is a great additional profit center for the dealer and therefore indirectly for the manufacturer. Viva la profits!

tldr: A self contained system that did not require coding could produce equal results to this coding setup.

 

[Gadgetman]

Nickyt your probably right, I realised since posting, that the coding for the battery I removed was not for that battery but is seems from my maintenance info that the battery was changed shortly after the car was sold but VW didn't recode so the system was maintaining a totally different manufactured battery and it still lasted 6 years. The other side to this story is that it supports the theme I read that if possible you don't take your Touareg to VW for service.

a little additional info is that I also connected another battery via jumper leads to the jump start connections under the bonnet while replacing the battery. I also covered the + (positive) terminal connector with duct tape so no accidental shorting could happen.

You should always disconnect the - (negative) terminal first and reconnect last as this prevents shorting the battery when using a spanner to undo the + terminal. Having said that if you use a jumper battery you need to be careful as you could still possibly short that one.

I would have to say the engineering around the battery is excellent.

 

[13th VW]

I just replaced my 6.5 year old battery as preventive maintenance, it was starting just fine but am going on long camping trip and didn't want to chance being stranded because I didn't have the right tools to replace it. I went with a VW replacement since the original lasted so well and $139 seemed reasonable too. Only took 25 minutes to put it back in (45 minutes to take out). I was extremely impressed how clean the original battery and cables were due to them being in the car and not in the engine compartment.


As an earlier post said, the only addition to the original post would be the disconnection of the seat electronics.

 

[kril89]

I just replaced my 6.5 year old battery as preventive maintenance, it was starting just fine but am going on long camping trip and didn't want to chance being stranded because I didn't have the right tools to replace it. I went with a VW replacement since the original lasted so well and $139 seemed reasonable too. Only took 25 minutes to put it back in (45 minutes to take out). I was extremely impressed how clean the original battery and cables were due to them being in the car and not in the engine compartment.


As an earlier post said, the only addition to the original post would be the disconnection of the seat electronics.

Every single car I own I buy the replacement battery from the dealer. For whatever reason batteries are the best and the cheapest at dealers. At least it seems that way for the Honda, Subaru and now VW that I've owned over the past decade. Plus you go to a place like Autozone and the batteries are more expensive for a worse warranty and they die after a year or two!

 

[Gadgetman]

If that works for kril89 that's great, I'd check that they updated the battery coding, I found that the dealer didn't code mine correctly after replacement under warranty. I purchase from IBD (independent Battery Distributors) they mainly supply Bosch batteries, and have had good results in all my toys at a price around half that of the dealer.

 

[kril89]

If that works for kril89 that's great, I'd check that they updated the battery coding, I found that the dealer didn't code mine correctly after replacement under warranty. I purchase from IBD (independent Battery Distributors) they mainly supply Bosch batteries, and have had good results in all my toys at a price around half that of the dealer.

Well I put my own in, I believe you can code it with VCDS correct?

 

[Gadgetman]

Well I put my own in, I believe you can code it with VCDS correct?

That's correct. There are 3 different ways depending on the year, Early Touareg's don't have the coding option.

Here is a video worth watching.

 

[renjean1]

I'm looking to buy a kirkland battery as mine is slowly dying. Do we need AGM battery or a old lead liquid battery will do the trick. I'm asking because the battery is right under my seat and I dont want sulfuric acid in my a** if something wrong happens to the battery.
There is no BEM code on it and I dont have the 61 module in my car ( 2013 tdi execline). SO will I have to code something ? ( if yes, what can I code since there is not BEM sticker on it )
thank you

 

[nickyt]

^^ TLDR: I would go with flooded cell currently, perhaps even a dealer battery.

The trick to recoding is just to read the current battery serial number and to change the last digit. The BEM then believes you put in a new battery of the exact same specs as the battery you are removing.

See that white pad that is the roof of the battery cover?

My understanding is that is loaded with an acid neutralizer, just in case the vehicle ends up wheels up.

Lead Acid batteries are for all purposes a worldwide monopoly, with just a handful of players. Prices have went up and quality has went down.

I was an early AGM adopter. Early AGM were high quality. Current AGM quality has really went to heck. I started having routine AGM failures with aftermarket batteries, so I went back to flooded cells.

The flooded cell batteries are also made a with a lot less quality, but at least they are not going into full failure mode. So far, the biggest problem is the seals around the battery posts all eventually leak. The acid then attacks the battery connector.

I have had both Johnson Controls and Exide batteries leak around the terminals in the last few years.

Just save yourself some trouble and no matter what you buy, get the $3 set of battery post washers. These oil filled felt washers will protect you from the lower quality batteries. Good insurance.

Ten years ago I would have said that an aftermarket battery was just as good as a dealer battery.

Today, you might just want to stick with a VW battery. As far as I know, those batteries are still built to the higher quality standard.

If anyone knows anything different, please let me know.

 

[TurboABA]

JC is in just about every battery on the market these days... the OEM units are supposed to be Varta, but I'm not certain that we even get those on this side of the pond any more..... I would still pony up for a OEM unit simply because of how critical a good battery is to these vehicles.... saving some coin initially isn't even worth one single failure to me, and if you can get 5 years out of an OEM unit, it's totally worth it in my opinion.

 

[New2Tregs]

I went with an AutoCraft Platinum AGM size H9 battery from AutoZone. Paid ~$189 shipped free to me. I saw on the battery it was made by JC, the company not the Holy Son. I changed the last digit of the serial # for coding. If I get 5 years out of it I'll be happy as it's easy enough to change.
Am I wrong or don't AGM batteries last longer based on their internal design?