The CHEAPEST and the BEST Battery A4 B7 from COSTCO - F** The dealer

[null]

So my car's battery was acting up for months now. I drive only on weekends usually and this weekend I forgot my car charger somewhere so I decided to leave car charger in the car with my Android phone. Big mistake.. just 30 minutes of android charging and my car wouldn't start..is there an app for that, huh?

After a bit of research and reading up on posts how Audi magically can produce battery that is so advanced and great that the 3 major battery manufacturers can only dream to come close. This supposed magic justified the 3x the cost of the batter from the dealership.

I searched ETKA and 000915105AG is the part number which is actually very reasonably priced. $108 is the price showing up for me. Then Audi promptly superseded it with a DH part that is used and costs $275. But it's Sunday and I remember reading about Kirkland brand Costco Batteries being rated #1 by Consumer Reports.

I call up costco but they claim they don't carry batteries for an Audi. That's BS cause they do whether they like it or not.

Audi is a group 48 battery and it is SKU 989237 at costco. Again there are only a few manufacturers of the batteries. They sell them under various names, energizer, duralast, bosch and etc, they are all made by a Johnson Controls chemical plant. So chances are the fancy audi battery that dealer wants $275 for is that same one.

The installation was a breeze except that the oem battery is heavy as shit.. otherwise its pretty simple.

there is a small hose that's plugged in - remove it; its just a pull and disconnect, look below

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/427/imag0175z.jpg

so step #1 take a small 10m wrench or socket and undo the - + terminals.

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9463/imag0176e.jpg

there is a bolt on the bottom of the battery that holds it in place, I used T40 torx and long extension on a ratchet to undo it
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8747/imag0178z.jpg


install is reverse of removal
this is how OEM looks v
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/8171/imag0180rx.jpg
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/2968/imag0181qi.jpg

put in the new battery

connect terminals and tighten everything, you might want to clean the clamps - mine were alright so i didn't even bother.

the battery came with a small bag with a hose and an adapter, the car hose is slightly smaller - so i used a piece of another tubing i had to cut a small piece and connect it.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1958/imag0187wz.jpg

[yfzcentral]

Good to know! My battery just went out a few weeks ago...and Costco said no :-)

If you have sport suspension (S-Line optioned cars do), there's a strut/suspension brace that is in the way of the battery. You'll need to remove this (5 bolts - 2 on each side and 1 in the middle).

[null]

Yes, just call costco and ask for SKU 989237

[zamflip]

the pictures link are broken... could not see anything.

[bman005]

$275...wow. My dealer retails factory batteries for $118.

[null]

$118 might be the old price they quote for part that recently been superseded by a new by a new part that now costs $275.

even at $118 you are better off with $70 one from Costco

[null]

the pictures link are broken... could not see anything.

Yup - i fixed the links now. For some reason the pictures posted on AZ were not going through.

[null]

btw - its been 2 weeks since I wrote this DIY and the battery is working like a champ even in the cold days like today

[TFSI]

Holy... Kirkland makes nearly EVERYTHING

[bman005]

$118 might be the old price they quote for part that recently been superseded by a new by a new part that now costs $275.

even at $118 you are better off with $70 one from Costco

Nope, still $118. We sell cheaper to compete, taking a little hit but still making a profit is better than no profit at all. Not all dealers price gouge...just most of them

But you're right, $70 is a much better deal

[shiro1745]

Nope, still $118. We sell cheaper to compete, taking a little hit but still making a profit is better than no profit at all. Not all dealers price gouge...just most of them

But you're right, $70 is a much better deal

I would pay $120 for an oem battery, I'm sure it's better isn't it?

[shiro1745]

there is a small hose that's plugged in - remove it; its just a pull and disconnect, look below

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/427/imag0175z.jpg



Where exactly is that hose plugged in? I never knew what that was for, mine was always just hanging loose. And what is the purpose of the hose? anybody know?

[null]

Alright - this hose doesn't matter. It's for "supposed" overflow of the water from the battery. The battery has distilled water in it for whatever reason.. someone with physics degree, please explain.

[ClownTrigger]

Stock battery is actually group 49. That's why your Group 48 is a different size. There's a little plastic block on the passenger side of the battery that can be moved to a few different positions to allow for different battery sizes.

[null]

Interesting, I cross checked through all auto site, like autozone, pep boys, etc and was coming up with group 48.

I'm very interested what source says its a group 49 - do you have a link?

[ClownTrigger]

www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/457590-Replacement-battery-specifications

[null]

Awesome. Thanks for the link. I will definitely use this info then it comes to buying a battery next time.

The group 48 battery works just fine for me too. It's been 8 months since I installed it and never an issue. I never had a problem with Kirkland brand product especially with Costco's life time warranty.

[Stea1th]

Good to know! My battery just went out a few weeks ago...and Costco said no :-)

If you have sport suspension (S-Line optioned cars do), there's a strut/suspension brace that is in the way of the battery. You'll need to remove this (5 bolts - 2 on each side and 1 in the middle).

I did not have to remove mine, although i did have an extention that bends.

[AlS6]

I did not have to remove mine, although i did have an extention that bends.

I just removed the two bolts on the pass side and swung the bar forward to make room.

[B7Joe]

Costco let me down! They actually do carry the proper size battery in my area, but it is $165. Local auto parts stores about the same, and one as high as $189 for a standard battery.

Guess who had the lowest price? The stealership of all places. $125 out the door from Audi (with a 10% off parts coupon they sent me). Glad I checked. I wasn't even going to bother.

[fly300kts]

I bought mine from the local VW dealer last week, $111 out of the door compared to $162 at Audi

Phil

[dwdesign]

FYI on a side note... I can confirm that it's possible to replace the battery on a 2007 B7 A4 S-Line without removing the suspension strut brace in front of the battery. The only trick is to angle the battery back into position while making sure the battery hold down screw/mechanism is out of the way.

Also, the battery hold down screw and strut brace screws are 8mm Hex. You can also use a T40 Torx as the original post states.

[TorsenForcin]

Necro bump in case others like me were looking for info on how to swap out the battery on their B7 A4. Mine's an '08 with the original battery.
I found when cross referencing that two batteries were listed for my vehicle. A group 49 and a 49R. It appeared based on size that my OEM battery was a group 49. Nonetheless, I went with a Group 48 tho, like the OP. I settled on a Duracell from Sam's Club.
It was a very straightforward swap with the info on this thread. I didn't have the strut brace, so the car was disconnected for literally 4 minutes. The Duracell grp 48 doesn't fill the whole battery tray, but I moved it toward the stop on the pass side and it is very solid once the holder is cinched down. This particular battery has identical features for the little hose and the plastic positive post cover as the OEM. For some reason when I reconnected the positive terminal on the new battery - the radio came on. Strange.
After everything was finished I turn the ignition to ACC for a couple minutes and let the throttle body adaptation happen. I then started the car and went for a drive. Everything was fine, except when I got back home, my key fob wouldn't remote lock/unlock the car. I got in the car, closed the door, turned ignition to ON and locked and unlocked the doors from the door button, then turned the ignition off and exited the car. When I shut the door and used my key fob to lock/unlock - it worked fine. Dunno what part of that process was what made the key fob work again... I appears my VAG mods were preserved as well.

[Krmass25]

Just Picked up an 850 Amp glass mat construction heavy duty battery at advanced auto for about 170; maybe a little less.
Best deal going anywhere at the moment for something with an extra 50 cranking amps.

[FraggyA4]

Just got my battery from Auto Value. Best deal around 135 but I get a company discount so it was $110. It has 1080CA 900CCA and 185 reserve. Perfect for these cold minnesota mornings.

[Anton]

Just picked one up at Costco, Interstate battery was $109. If you call they will say they don't carry the battery. Its fitment number 29.

[vce1232000]

[wrench]ed a Walmart battery about 2 years ago. About 120.00 with core. Made by Johnson Control as most are. 3 year replacement free at any Walmart[eek]. And you know there's plenty of Walmarts everywhere and alot of locations open 24/7

[Jermunji]

Necrobump. After consulting this thread for the basis of info for a replacement in my B6 1.8T, and the other link posted up above by ClownTrigger, I can successfully chime in on another good alternative. a group 49 H8 AGM battery from advance auto parts for $147 after taxes with a 30% off rebate. Better specs over the H7's while roughly $50 cheaper. Sizing is the same as the H6's and H7's except for obviously being 1.5in longer than the H7. It leaves 0.5 inch of space in the battery compartment.

Platinum AGM (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/autocraft-platinum-agm-battery-group-size-h8-850-cca-h8-agm/10210828-P?navigationPath=L1*14920%7CL2*15000)
CCA: 850
Cranking amps: 1000
Reserve Capacity: 180 mAh

Hopefully this can be of use to anybody looking to get a new battery for their B6/B7 A4. [drive]

[Demonface]

Sorry for reviving an old thread but I purchased a DieHard battery from Sears. It was a 900 CCA. Anyways it was in the truck of my truck and I went shopping and when I opened the trunk it leaked everywhere. I ended up returning it and I went to Costco and got a fitment 29 Group 48 battery. The Costco Interstate battery cost about 109.00 . So far so good.

[pezgoon]

Sorry for reviving an old thread but I purchased a DieHard battery from Sears. It was a 900 CCA. Anyways it was in the truck of my truck and I went shopping and when I opened the trunk it leaked everywhere. I ended up returning it and I went to Costco and got a fitment 29 Group 48 battery. The Costco Interstate battery cost about 109.00 . So far so good.

I went with a Walmart one cause I had a cel that "could've" been solved with a new battery (it didn't) and I was on vacation at the time

Since I found out they are 80$ cheaper on average with the same CCA I started going there, screw it. One battery I bought was only 65$ compared to 180$ at the zone


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)

[Goomaster50000]

Necrobump. After consulting this thread for the basis of info for a replacement in my B6 1.8T, and the other link posted up above by ClownTrigger, I can successfully chime in on another good alternative. a group 49 H8 AGM battery from advance auto parts for $147 after taxes with a 30% off rebate. Better specs over the H7's while roughly $50 cheaper. Sizing is the same as the H6's and H7's except for obviously being 1.5in longer than the H7. It leaves 0.5 inch of space in the battery compartment.

Platinum AGM (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/autocraft-platinum-agm-battery-group-size-h8-850-cca-h8-agm/10210828-P?navigationPath=L1*14920%7CL2*15000)
CCA: 850
Cranking amps: 1000
Reserve Capacity: 180 mAh

Hopefully this can be of use to anybody looking to get a new battery for their B6/B7 A4. [drive]

Thanks for the info Jermunji.

I went through every reputable supplier around me and weighed each in-stock AGM battery by $/CCA. The Advance Auto H8 AutoCraft Platinum won at $0.19/CCA with 3-year replacement warranty. There was an ad on their site for 15% off, then I found a link to give my spam e-mail address for 20% off my first order, then I got an e-mail for 25% off! When I went to pick it up they had already refunded the core charge + tax, so my old battery will serve as a jump-box for motorcycles or to charge phones when the power goes out. But wait there's more: the battery label said 900 CCA when the site listed it at 850, so another bonus that brings it to $0.16/CCA, or ~$150 total cost. The battery was listed at $191.99 at time of purchase, and dropping to H6 only would have saved $10.

I have a 2005.5 A4 2.0L and the battery tray looked to be designed for a group H8. Fit perfectly with just enough room to wiggle it into position. I'd also like to thank Audi for providing a handle on the locking tab that bolts the battery into place so I didn't need Trump hands to fetch it.

[Goomaster50000]

There's currently a code for 30% off from Advance Auto: EM308A

I figure people may be needing it with the sudden cold weather snaps (global warming creates instability, so get used to it). When I went to pick up my battery the store was flooded with people desperate for replacements.

I should also mention I had a difficult time finding oversize batteries after entering the make and model of the car. If you want to search larger battery options, a D3 A8L uses H8 or H10 with the same locking style to hold it in place. I happen to know because I've had to replace the battery in mine twice. Early MMI software attempted battery management and on that car sensors glitch with age causing it to never fully sleep. Eventually I updated the software and it stopped eating batteries.

[b7a408]

Ended up getting AutoCraft Gold at AAP for $130. The original battery lasted more than 9 years!

http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/fd1.jpg

[wjg22]

I got the same one about a month ago and couldn't be happier with it so far

[beefski]

I actually just put in an H8 900 CCA battery from Walmart $120 with a 3 yr full replacement and 2 yr prorated warranty.

[lulu2]

2022 Costco INTERSTAE BATTERY Interstate Battery
Regular Item 852241 : PR Code J0R:Group Size: H7 (94R) $146 in 2022
AGM Item 1355853: PR Code J1U: Group Size: H8 (49) AGM $177.99 in 2022 59 lbs