Battery replacement help

[AlexT99]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and a complete car novice so go easy on me. Sorry in advance for my ramblings

I've had a bit of a nightmare with my car. I had an epileptic seizure in May 2022 so had to hand my licence in.
My car also didn't get used much during the lockdowns. So it got a long spell of little to no use due to these reasons. I did start it up twice but if anything that probably helped to drain the battery as I didn't take it for a spin.
Anyway to cut a long story short, my car has gone to absolute ruin. It's absolutely filthy due to being parked on a drive near trees/shrubs. Mould growth on the seats, carpets, doors, seatbelts due to stagnant trapped-in moisture. Green moss on all the window seals. Crud caked on all over the bodywork.
To top it all off the battery is now toast too. I tried to charge it up but it won't take a charge even after leaving it on for 2 days trickle charging.
It got up to 10V at it's highest then drained back down to 7 on it's own when I took the charger off.
The car does nothing with it in.
So I need a new battery.

My car is a 17 plate VW Polo mk5 6R Match Edition 1.2TSI 90PS
I've seen some compatible batteries on Tayna...
HOWEVER I have just learned about the nightmare that is the coding of new batteries to the Energy Management System.
My car does have Start-Stop. The existing battery is an EFB.
I have read that VW does recoding of batteries using their ODIS system (Offboard Diagnosis Information System) and that my particular car (mk5 polo) may do battery management via the CAN-Gateway. Not sure what significance this has but thought I'd mention it since I read it somewhere.
Does this mean that battery coding can ONLY be performed by VW ODIS system?
Or could I take it to Joe Bloggs garage and get a new battery coded. Providing he has the software/tech?

Also apparently after a battery replacement the car needs a throttle body adaptation performed too so I'll need that doing as well.
After reading about the numerous nightmare errors and electrical issues after battery replacement, plus the throttle body adaptation thing, I just feel like getting a VW dealership to do it.

What do you guys think? Obviously I will end up paying a bit more but if my throttle response is perfect, I don't get any dash errors, and my stop start etc works then maybe it's worth it?

The only problem I have is that the car is stuck on a driveway behind a wall. It's a driveway with space for two cars, but only one side of the driveway is accessible. Then there is a wall. So the car is boxed in good and proper behind a wall. So if I were to get a dealership to do it I'm pretty sure they would charge a hefty amount to truck it off to the dealership.

On top of all that, the MOT, TAX, and insurance has all expired and it was well overdue for a service before lockdown happened.
I can't TAX it because DVLA website won't let me. I think this is either due to the fact that I have changed addresses, so address doesn't match the V5C/logbook, or because I have had a new 1 year medical licence.

Any advice in this area too will be appreciated.
I'm confused as to which order I should do things? Obviously I need to get the battery issue sorted asap. But it also needs MOT TAX and insurance.
Someone hold my hand for me please

• TLDR:

Car needs new battery but don't know if coding using VW's ODIS system is required for the energy management system and for the throttle body adaptation/realignment. Or could any old car garage with a coding program do both once I have fitted the new battery myself?
17plate VW Polo mk5 6R Match Edition 1.2TSI 90PS FWD Petrol

Thanks for reading,

Alex

[ciclo]

Curious story (worth a read).

- VCDS or other diagnostic tools can code your new EFB battery, it doesn't necessarily have to be with ODIS.
With VCDS, there are videos on youtube.

- It is not necessary to do a throttle body adaptation after the battery change... Where did you read that?

- Any workshop with a crane/towing service can do the work you demand, it does not necessarily have to be a VW dealer.


That car will need a miracle cleaning.

[AlexT99]

Think I seen it on Ross-Tech and other forums where they were discussing battery replacements
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.ph ... ment_(TBA)

[ciclo]

Ok, thanks for that 'generic' information.
On my 6R 1.2 TSI I never had to do the TBA after replacing or disconnecting the battery.

[AlexT99]

How long did you have the battery out for?
Mines been out for months. Maybe the throttle body settings are not impacted on the 6R.
Or maybe you got lucky. There is many stories I have found on forums where their throttle is malfunctioning after battery replacement.
Can't really find a pattern it just seems to happen to some people on various different cars.
Some people have idling issues. Some people get engine stalls after going over a certain speed/revs. Some people get weird throttle responses. Some get dash errors/warning lights.
Each time a TBA throttle body adaptation was needed.

Maybe I'll just cross my fingers that nothing will happen.

In terms of batteries. What would you suggest. Just get one from Tayna and fit myself? Then any errors should get picked up when I take it for it's MOT right?

Do you have any experience with online ordered batteries? Do they come charged up? Don't have a charger so ideally would want to plug it in and go

[ciclo]

I had to change a battery due to wear (10 years of useful life) in a Polo 9N3 and I did not have to perform the TBA or any other procedure.
Also not on any of my other VWs (petrol engines) due to battery change for upgrade reasons.

Luck has not had a great influence on my work with my cars.
I like to retrofit my cars with upgrades, which entails new electronics, new wiring looms (usually made by me), etc... and during the installation processes it is mandatory to disconnect the battery, which I have done hundreds of times .. .or maybe thousands.

I have always installed VW batteries bought from the VW parts store, but any battery with the same specifications as the original one should be good for your car (either you buy it in a commercial center/ mall or a dedicated repair shop of well-known brands).
With a diagnostic tool, all faults generated by battery disconnection are eliminated, this is not a problem.
In any case, the first thing is to install a battery in good condition, and later you can eliminate those faults generated with the diagnostic tool.

As far as I know, new batteries usually come charged wherever you want to buy them. It is installed, and you take a walk for half an hour to stabilize the parameters, as simple as that.

The only suggestion I can make is that you buy a good diagnostic tool, it will pay for itself after the first or second use you make of it.
VCDS is ideal for VWs, for novices or 'experts'.

BTW, with VCDS you can easily do the TBA on your 6R if necessary.

[RUM4MO]

VW Group cars of this age are very easy to "code in" the new battery, unlike the previous BEM "protected" way of doing things.

So, yes buy the correct EFB or even AGM battery from Tayna and either find a garage that can code in new batteries, most of them will be able to do that now - or lose business, if you find that they are asking silly money to recode a battery that you provided and fitted, you could always buy Carista and do it yourself using the cheapish license included with the product, I think that it lasts a month as a sort of a trial - you will need a mobile phone and a suitable adaptor, but Carista sell their own via Amazon ect.

After fitting a new battery, as your old one is completely dead, you will get a few warning lights, the steering system warnings should vanish after you have driven the car a short distance and so used the steering. Electric windows will possibly need to relearn their end stops. I think if you leave the ignition on without starting the car, the TB will make a few noises as it re-cals itself.

Edit:- I agree that VCDS is the better/best scan tool, but it costs maybe too much for someone that is not too interested in fault finding, I have VCDS for use at home and I have Carista on my iphone and an adaptor in each of our cars - really to use when away from home, it is quite useful and is constantly being updated for VW Group and many other brands, Ford seems to be the next marque to be added to Carista it seems.

[RUM4MO]

Just a general tip from me, I think that you would have had more exposure to your thread if you had posted it in the main area for this version of Polo, lots of people who use this forum - well at least me, do not normally wander off into other areas other than the one for the car that I have, bumping into this thread was how I found it, if it had been in the main section for this version of Polo, I would have responded soon after you had posted it.

Maybe just something to consider in the future as you want as many as possible users that have your version of Polo as possible to be able to help you quickly.

[AlexT99]

Just a general tip from me, I think that you would have had more exposure to your thread if you had posted it in the main area for this version of Polo, lots of people who use this forum - well at least me, do not normally wander off into other areas other than the one for the car that I have, bumping into this thread was how I found it, if it had been in the main section for this version of Polo, I would have responded soon after you had posted it.

Maybe just something to consider in the future as you want as many as possible users that have your version of Polo as possible to be able to help you quickly.

Good tip cheers. I will note that for any future posts. I think the only reason I didn't was because I couldn't decide which subgroup to put the post.
-MK5 (6N2) Polo - Years 1999-2001
or
-MK8 and MK9 (6R/6C) Polo (inc GTI) - Years 2009-2017

The confusion was that the 6R is a mk5. But the Mk5 group says 6N2 and 1999-2001.
and then the 6R was in the mk8 and mk9 group. But my 6R is a mk5 so I thought it didn't belong there.
Then just ended up going to electrical instead

Is there any reason for this? Or is the 6R considered to not be a mk5? but a mk 8 or 9 instead?