T6.1 Engine battery replacement - How to guide

[subthree]

Today I have replaced the engine battery in my 6.1. The reason I am posting this guide is because of the big plastic lump on top of the battery which hinders easy removal of the battery. You need to remove this lump to get the battery out. Here is what I did:

1. Disconnected the negative clamp.



2. Disconnected the positive clamp and also the small black cable on the front right of the terminal.



3. Remove the cover from the "big plastic lump". 2 clips at the back of the cover on either side.



4. Disconnect the 3 red cables. The cables are clearly numbered 2, 3 and 4 - 2 on the left and 4 on the right. These 3 cables are from the rear of the battery. Removing them allows the "big plastic lump" to be moved to the left of the battery out of the way.



5. Lift out old battery - steal the vent plug from the right hand side of the old battery and insert into RHS of new battery.



6. Lift in new battery and reconnect in the reverse order of the above. Remember to grease your terminal posts with Vaseline.



7. Code the battery to the ECU with Carista.



8. Restart your ignition. There will be lots of errors and warning messages. Take the van for a spin to clear them.

VW dealer price £370. Bosch S5A11 AGM battery from Battery Megastore £140. Took me 80 minutes including coding the battery and taking the van for a drive. Happy days.

 

[andyinluton]

Good info but surely the best way of doing it on a T6.1 is to ring VW assist & get them to give you a new one for nothing?

 

[Hawthorn37]

Today I have replaced the engine battery in my 6.1. The reason I am posting this guide is because of the big plastic lump on top of the battery which hinders easy removal of the battery. You need to remove this lump to get the battery out. Here is what I did:

1. Disconnected the negative clamp.

View attachment 94218

2. Disconnected the positive clamp and also the small black cable on the front right of the terminal.

View attachment 94219

3. Remove the cover from the "big plastic lump". 2 clips at the back of the cover on either side.

View attachment 94220

4. Disconnect the 3 red cables. The cables are clearly numbered 2, 3 and 4 - 2 on the left and 4 on the right. These 3 cables are from the rear of the battery. Removing them allows the "big plastic lump" to be moved to the left of the battery out of the way.

View attachment 94221

5. Lift out old battery - steal the vent plug from the right hand side of the old battery and insert into RHS of new battery.

View attachment 94222

6. Lift in new battery and reconnect in the reverse order of the above. Remember to grease your terminal posts with Vaseline.

View attachment 94223

7. Code the battery to the ECU with Carista.

View attachment 94224

8. Restart your ignition. There will be lots of errors and warning messages. Take the van for a spin to clear them.

VW dealer price £370. Bosch S5A11 AGM battery from Battery Megastore £140. Took me 80 minutes including coding the battery and taking the van for a drive. Happy days.

I’m sure that one day your insight will come in handy! I hate paying out hundreds of pounds for items that are blatantly not worth it.

Out of interest how many miles / age is your van ?

 

[scabrero]

Nice! Thank you for the information.

@subthree, is there an option in Carista to code the leisure batteries too?

 

[subthree]

Good info but surely the best way of doing it on a T6.1 is to ring VW assist & get them to give you a new one for nothing?

Not when the depleted battery is due to me and it isn't a Moll battery. I spoke to the local VW dealer and they said they could try a warranty claim but I need it sorted quickly so for £140 it is worth it.

 

[subthree]

I’m sure that one day your insight will come in handy! I hate paying out hundreds of pounds for items that are blatantly not worth it.

Out of interest how many miles / age is your van ?

Van was built in Dec 2019 but due to covid we did not collect it until July 2020. It has done 14,000 miles but is a third vehicle so does not get used enough. I have also spent a lot of time working on the van installing the Isotop and the solar panel whilst having the radio on

I am the tightest person in the world with money but it is not reasonable to try and fleece VW for a free battery when it is my fault. Conversely I am not paying the dealer an extra £230 for an easy job. The VW Varta battery and the Bosch battery I bought come out of the same factory in Germany n- why should I pay VW £294 for the same £140 Bosch battery!?

 

[subthree]

Nice! Thank you for the information.

@subthree, is there an option in Carista to code the leisure batteries too?

Not that I have seen. Not sure why you would need to do this either. However, what is useful within Carista, even without a subscription, is you can see the percentage charge of the engine battery.

 

[SmilingFloFrance]

HI subtree.

Thanks for taking the time to detail the change.

I am just not clear about the Carista step. What does it serve?

 

[Gàirnealair]

Really, REALLY helpful to finally have details of how to disconnect the "big plastic lump".

Big thanks for taking the time to photograph and document.

 

[subthree]

HI subtree.

Thanks for taking the time to detail the change.

I am just not clear about the Carista step. What does it serve?

You are meant to tell the vehicle it has a new battery. I already had the Carista dongle so easy to do. The vehicle will probably be fine if you don't tell it has a new battery.

 

[WelshGas]

HI subtree.

Thanks for taking the time to detail the change.

I am just not clear about the Carista step. What does it serve?

Due to the Smart Alternator and Regenerative Braking etc: the Engine battery is monitored to ensure it is efficiently charged etc: and this will change as the battery degrades with age etc: so it is always optimally charged and managed.
If you just change the battery then the vehicle computer system monitoring the battery continues to use the old profile. Telling the computer system that a new battery is fitted resets this profile.
Not doing the battery reset will not have any significant consequences apart from the fact the battery may not be efficiently charged initially until the charging profile has readjusted.

There is No such requirement for the Leisure Batteries.

 

[Gàirnealair]

Not doing the battery reset will not have any significant consequences apart from the fact the battery may not be efficiently charged initially until the charging profile has readjusted.

Sorry but I am going to be dumber-than-dumb and ask you to spell it out as if I was a toddler:

does your last paragraph tell me that eventually the vehicle computer system will sort itself out if you do nothing proactive after changing the engine battery? Thankls

 

[Hawthorn37]

What @WelshGas is saying is that your van will work okay, but the battery charging may not be optimal without the new coding added. You probably will also see all manner of dashboard warnings illuminate, which looks scary. Take it on a drive, and in about 5 - 10 miles or so, they will all resolve themselves as the engine computer recognises the new battery.

 

[WelshGas]

Sorry but I am going to be dumber-than-dumb and ask you to spell it out as if I was a toddler:

does your last paragraph tell me that eventually the vehicle computer system will sort itself out if you do nothing proactive after changing the engine battery? Thankls

Possibly.
Some, more knowledgeable than me, state that not registering a new battery means that emissions are less than optimal for a period and using the existing old battery charging profile on a new battery, initially, will have an impact on longevity.

Afterall, there must be a reason why most car manufacturers require a new engine battery to be coded to the vehicle. It’s not just a VW thing.

 

[subthree]

Carista OBD2 adapter is currently just £26 on Amazon, I would have thought worth buying if DIYing the battery replacement. Far cheaper than getting a dealer to do it.

 

[Elmo3]

God we’ve gone so backwards that you can’t just change a simple battery without needing an expensive dealer or a computer.

 

[WelshGas]

God we’ve gone so backwards that you can’t just change a simple battery without needing an expensive dealer or a computer.

All down to the Green Lobby. I wonder what Euro 7 will bring?

 

[yossarian]

God we’ve gone so backwards that you can’t just change a simple battery without needing an expensive dealer or a computer.

I hear you but today a basic nerd attached to the in car network can gleen a lot of diagnostic information that wasn't available (or logged) in the past. A bit swings and roundabouts.

Of concern now is crypto locking of various modules necessary for maintenance and basic modifications. Hopefully our American cousins rescue us (again) from some dystopian propriety nightmare.

 

[Gàirnealair]

@WelshGas
Thank you.

And thanks to everyone: ever since I got my van I have wondered how the heck you deal with the extra connector box on top of the battery.

 

[SmilingFloFrance]

Carista OBD2 adapter is currently just £26 on Amazon, I would have thought worth buying if DIYing the battery replacement. Far cheaper than getting a dealer to do it.

Thanks Subtree for the additional info and the suggestion. The carista OBD2 dongle I found on amazon does not seem to fit my van. Except if I got the info wrong. Could i ask you for a favor: post here the link to the one you used. It would then be easier to find it in France.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Thanks Subtree for the additional info and the suggestion. The carista OBD2 dongle I found on amazon does not seem to fit my van. Except if I got the info wrong. Could i ask you for a favor: post here the link to the one you used. It would then be easier to find it in France.

Hi @SmilingFloFrance, if you go onto the Carista website you will find a complete list of vehicles supported. That includes the VW T6.1 / Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan. You should read into this the California also.

The price on Amazon will depend which country’s Amazon store you’re ordering from, and when (the price goes up and down very regularly). Otherwise you can buy direct from Carista.

Carista-OBD2-Adapter | kostenloser Probemonat für die Pro-App

Der Carista-OBD2-Adapter funktioniert sowohl mit iOS als auch mit Android und unterstützt eine Vielzahl von Partner-Apps. Außerdem erhalten Sie einen kostenlosen Probemonat für die Pro-App.

caristaapp.com

 

[SmilingFloFrance]

Thanks @Hawthorn37 ! Very much appreciated!