Battery coding??

[DavidD]

Tried searching the forum but can't find anything on this.

My 2010 S4 with 42k miles is in for service. They tell me my battery is only holding a 56% charge and should change the battery. Cost was close to $500 for the battery and coding/associating the new battery. They said I can't just drop a new one in there bc the car won't know it has a new battery....

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

[jl87]

I just purchased the OE battery and coded myself. Here's a decent tutorial from RossTech that shows the process. Don't spend that much for the dealer to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAScg6JrYI

[jlaudio]

i got a battery from advance auto parts, its an OEM battery with the audi rings on it and all. same brand. has the BEM code on it to code it.

i swapped mine on my 2010 and it did not need coding.

battery was $123 after all of the discounts.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...hlight=battery

[DavidD]

Thanks guys, after more searching I also found this thread with more info:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-battery-S4-B8

- - - Updated - - -

Jlaudio - why do you say yours didn't need coding?

[jlaudio]

Thanks guys, after more searching I also found this thread with more info:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-battery-S4-B8

- - - Updated - - -

Jlaudio - why do you say yours didn't need coding?

because the car did not throw any hard or soft codes when i made the swap, so i left the old BEM code in the computer.
so far i have not seen or heard of any negatives to this.

[infinkc]

I didnt code mine either, no issues.

[A U D I]

The car really need the coding to know the battery you are putting into it and all of its information. You can change them and leave the old coding in place unless it was having a problem then you would need to at least clear any codes. The battery system learns the battery's health as it goes but responds to the coding to know how the battery should be acting.
To sum it all up. The proper way is to add the new coding and clear out codes. The fast was is to toss in the new one and go, clearing codes if needed. Side note, you can use a non OEM battery from anywhere also.
Being a Audi, the best way to do things is the right way.

[breyton490]

I didnt code mine either, no issues.

I needed to re-code in order to get the battery meter in the mmi display to show 100%. Otherwise it stayed at the 20% mark of the old battery.. Am sure over time the computer would have eventually made the update.

The battery I used was an exact copy of the OEM, but did not have the BEM code. I just used a BEM code from a battery shown in some of the links above and it worked fine.

[jl87]

Same with my friends S5. Until we recoded it wouldnt show 100% and it was stuck in power management mode.

[A U D I]

Yeah, you need to clear the codes in the power management. If not it will stay like that.

[jschrauwen]

because the car did not throw any hard or soft codes when i made the swap, so i left the old BEM code in the computer.
so far i have not seen or heard of any negatives to this.

Why did you change the battery in the first place?

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[Dr GP]

Never coded mine.Got new battery at Autozone. But if you go online and order you battery from Advanced Auto,you will get a discount. Then just pick it up at the closest store. Return the old battery for credit

[jschrauwen]

Never coded mine.Got new battery at Autozone.

Regardless of sourcing, all new battery installs require coding. Not an option thing. Many say "no issues without coding" or no problems but those people will usually not get the normal 7+ years use. Some have experienced severe battery malfunction in a very short time after install.
What confuses me is the resistance and/or vague justification to not wanting to code a new battery.



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[evanb]

What confuses me is the resistance and/or vague justification to not wanting to code a new battery.



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^ This. Just change one digit if you don't have a new BEM code.

[AudiS4SD]

Regardless of sourcing, all new battery installs require coding. Not an option thing. Many say "no issues without coding" or no problems but those people will usually not get the normal 7+ years use. Some have experienced severe battery malfunction in a very short time after install.
What confuses me is the resistance and/or vague justification to not wanting to code a new battery.



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Probably because it costs over $500 from the dealer to get a new battery installed and re-coded. Yes, I was quoted this.

[Dr GP]

Regardless of sourcing, all new battery installs require coding. Not an option thing. Many say "no issues without coding" or no problems but those people will usually not get the normal 7+ years use. Some have experienced severe battery malfunction in a very short time after install.
What confuses me is the resistance and/or vague justification to not wanting to code a new battery.



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I beg to differ with you. So saying it is required is not really accurate. There are so many of us that never recoded their replacement batteries and I dont remember anyone ever reporting any issues from failing to do so. I dont want to get in a pissing contest with you,but I believe the "smart " electrical system eventually adapts to the uncoded new battery.

[jschrauwen]

And the resistance with vague justification continues.
If battery coding is not necessary why is there a vcds coding procedure in the first place.

https://youtu.be/cxOK_DczRGg

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[evanb]

And the resistance with vague justification continues.
If battery coding is not necessary why is there a vcds coding procedure in the first place.

https://youtu.be/cxOK_DczRGg

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Hmmmm 🤔

[sacandagaD]

And the resistance with vague justification continues.
If battery coding is not necessary why is there a vcds coding procedure in the first place.

https://youtu.be/cxOK_DczRGg

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Good point.

I have no dog in the fight, as I haven't had to change the battery in either of my S4's ( yet ) but.....
one would think, that it might be important to recode/reset an energy management module ( or whatever it is called ), since it is obviously designed to do so many wacky things, especially when a battery has gone low/bad.
Maybe coding just speeds up the relearning process? It obviously can't do any harm.