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How to retro-fit a bigger capacity battery to a Mk7 Golf

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
Use a mirror...& its a grey expanded polystyrene....& as your car is the same spec as mine it should be standard fit...
Thank you for the tip, mate!
Much appreciated!
If I'm allowed a side question...
I have just swapped an EFB H5 battery "smaller" in size (...and capacity) for a Yuasa YBX9096, which is AGM 70A/760A, so I'm assuming that I'll have to make the recoding bit. While I find someone in my area to do the coding bit for me, do you think there may be 'issues' or 'dangers' for the battery (...or the car), if I circulate without the recoding?
Again, thanks a lot!
 
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golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
The car's BCM won't like it so in the long term the battery won't get the correct charge...

Basically one of the best places to find VCDS users in the UK is the Skoda forum "briskoda" as they have VCDS owners map...

here:-
VCDS owners map - Google My Maps
 

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
The car's BCM won't like it so in the long term the battery won't get the correct charge...

Basically one of the best places to find VCDS users in the UK is the Skoda forum "briskoda" as they have VCDS owners map...

here:-
VCDS owners map - Google My Maps
Thank you so much Dave!
That's sorted out, coding done. (y)

Now there's something (maybe) a bit 'weird'...
When I have phisically fitted the new AGM battery (...without the coding, yesterday) the SOC was showing "---".
Today before to leave for the garage to get the coding done, the SOC was showing "0 %", and after the coding (...and also after some drive), the SOC shows again "---".
What's wrong? Before the coding I could understand that the SOC was showing "---" or "0%", but how comes that after the coding the SOC is showing again "---"?
Sorry to be a pain...
 
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golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Thank you so much Dave!
That's sorted out, coding done. (y)

Now there's something (maybe) a bit 'weird'...
When I have phisically fitted the new AGM battery (...without the coding, yesterday) the SOC was showing "---".
Today before to leave to go to the garage for the coding, the SOC was showing "0 %", and after the coding (...and also after some drive), the SOC shows again "---".
What's wrong? Before the coding I could understand that the SOC was showing "---" or "0%", but how comes that after the coding the SOC is showing again "---"?
Sorry to be a pain...

SOC can be a pain....the coding needs to be altered for the type ("Fleece" is correct for AGM)...AH capacity & also alter the serial number by one digit to tell the car of forget the learnt values of the previous one

If you've driven over 20miles & 30mins since it was done & its still wrong the garage might not have coded it correctly...
 

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
SOC can be a pain....the coding needs to be altered for the type ("Fleece" is correct for AGM)...AH capacity & also alter the serial number by one digit to tell the car of forget the learnt values of the previous one

If you've driven over 20miles & 30mins since it was done & its still wrong the garage might not have coded it correctly...
Thank you very much for the prompt feedback!
Yes, I made sure all the coding was made by the book, and that each of the following settings was "accepted", before to go and change the next one:
- Type of battery: "Fleece"
then
- AH: "70"
then
- Manufacturer: "Y" (for "Yuasa"...it didn't accept more than one character in that field)
then
- Serial number: was "1111111111" and by typing "2" (...it didn't accept more than one figure in that field), it turned to"2111111111".

To be fair I haven't driven not even 20 miles, nor 30 minutes, so maybe it's depending on that? I'll give it a longer drive, and see if there's any change. If nothing change, I'll have the coding guy to check the coding for me. Any coding-related advise?
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Thank you very much for the prompt feedback!
Yes, I made sure all the coding was made by the book, and that each of the following settings was "accepted", before to go and change the next one:
- Type of battery: "Fleece"
then
- AH: "70"
then
- Manufacturer: "Y" (for "Yuasa"...it didn't accept more than one character in that field)
then
- Serial number: was "1111111111" and by typing "2" (...it didn't accept more than one figure in that field), it turned to"2111111111".

To be fair I haven't driven not even 20 miles, nor 30 minutes, so maybe it's depending on that? I'll give it a longer drive, and see if there's any change. If nothing change, I'll have the coding guy to check the coding for me. Any coding-related advise?

Coding seems ok then..could be not enough distance driven as it needs to learn the new battery to give out the SOC ...
 

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
Coding seems ok then..could be not enough distance driven as it needs to learn the new battery to give out the SOC ...
Update:
After a weekend driving (50 miles and 80 minutes), the SOC indicator is still on "---".
During the weekend I've also been browsing the forums for info, and I've found that the manufacturer coding I've made is wrong...as a matter of fact, the only 'accepted' values are the following:

5DO = JFF/Boading
TU3 = Exide
MLA = Moll
JCB = JCI/JCB
VA0 (or VAO) = Varta
UM5 = Akuma
BA2 = Banner

Obviously Yuasa hasn't got a vendor code in the BCM of VW, and therefore it's adviced to leave it on VA0 (or VAO), since apparently that setting always returns a "battery OK" status in the OEM log. Also if apparently it's ininfluent, I may have to recode the manufacturer value, and change the serial again to tell the BCM: "start from scratch". All other settings seem to be ok.
There is also another possibility: browsing around the forums, I've read that the 'SOC' feature has been 'killed' by VW on Golf MY2016 (from May 2015 to May 2016...mine was 1st registered on March 2016). but I don't know how reliable is that piece of info...and honestly doesn't make much sense to me: the module J367 is there anyway in my start/stop car, so I can't see any cost saving in 'blocking a feature', when the associated hardware is already there, and I guess it's main function is exactly to monitor the state of charge of the starter battery...
Just out of my curiosity: is SOC working on your Golf, and which year is your car, if I'm allowed to ask?

Ultimately, I've also learned about the "BEM code" batteries, and I may possibly go for one of them next time, since they are properly "accepted" by the BCM (they are "pre-set" models). No need to buy from VW of course, Varta is an excellent brand (...after Yuasa) in my experience, and produces BEM compatible batteries.

These are VW pre-sets in the BCM:

Battery BEM Code Ah Crank Type
=================================
8K0 915 105C......................70 340 Conv
8k0 915 105D......................80 380 Conv
8k0 915 105F......................110 520 Conv
4f0 915 10B..........................80 380 Conv
4f0 915 10C..........................95 450 Conv
4f0 915 10D.........................110 520 Conv
4f0 915 10E...........................92 520 AGM
7P0 915 10............................68 380 AGM
7P0 915 10A.........................75 420 AGM
7P0 915 10D........................105 580 AGM
1S0 915 10A.........................59 320 EFB
5TA 915 10B.........................70 420 EFB+
6R0 915 10B^......................69 360 EFB
3D0 915 10G^.....................85 480 AGM
3D0 915 10H........................75 420 AGM
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Update:
After a weekend driving (50 miles and 80 minutes), the SOC indicator is still on "---".
During the weekend I've also been browsing the forums for info, and I've found that the manufacturer coding I've made is wrong...as a matter of fact, the only 'accepted' values are the following:

5DO = JFF/Boading
TU3 = Exide
MLA = Moll
JCB = JCI/JCB
VA0 (or VAO) = Varta
UM5 = Akuma
BA2 = Banner

Obviously Yuasa hasn't got a vendor code in the BCM of VW, and therefore it's adviced to leave it on VA0 (or VAO), since apparently that setting always returns a "battery OK" status in the OEM log. Also if apparently it's ininfluent, I may have to recode the manufacturer value, and change the serial again to tell the BCM: "start from scratch". All other settings seem to be ok.
There is also another possibility: browsing around the forums, I've read that the 'SOC' feature has been 'killed' by VW on Golf MY2016 (from May 2015 to May 2016...mine was 1st registered on March 2016). but I don't know how reliable is that piece of info...and honestly doesn't make much sense to me: the module J367 is there anyway in my start/stop car, so I can't see any cost saving in 'blocking a feature', when the associated hardware is already there, and I guess it's main function is exactly to monitor the state of charge of the starter battery...
Just out of my curiosity: is SOC working on your Golf, and which year is your car, if I'm allowed to ask?

Ultimately, I've also learned about the "BEM code" batteries, and I may possibly go for one of them next time, since they are properly "accepted" by the BCM (they are "pre-set" models). No need to buy from VW of course, Varta is an excellent brand (...after Yuasa) in my experience, and produces BEM compatible batteries.

These are VW pre-sets in the BCM:

Battery BEM Code Ah Crank Type
=================================
8K0 915 105C......................70 340 Conv
8k0 915 105D......................80 380 Conv
8k0 915 105F......................110 520 Conv
4f0 915 10B..........................80 380 Conv
4f0 915 10C..........................95 450 Conv
4f0 915 10D.........................110 520 Conv
4f0 915 10E...........................92 520 AGM
7P0 915 10............................68 380 AGM
7P0 915 10A.........................75 420 AGM
7P0 915 10D........................105 580 AGM
1S0 915 10A.........................59 320 EFB
5TA 915 10B.........................70 420 EFB+
6R0 915 10B^......................69 360 EFB
3D0 915 10G^.....................85 480 AGM
3D0 915 10H........................75 420 AGM

My car is a 2015yr model built sept 2014...

TBH any coding not accepted by the BCM with immediately throw the relevant "coding not accepted" screen in VCDS.... BEM codes are only for the older VAG models which DO NOT have separate coding lines for battery type, AH, brand........

You can't put a BEM code into a MK7 Golf....so no need to buy a BEM code battery......you're overthinking this!
 

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
My car is a 2015yr model built sept 2014...

TBH any coding not accepted by the BCM with immediately throw the relevant "coding not accepted" screen in VCDS.... BEM codes are only for the older VAG models which DO NOT have separate coding lines for battery type, AH, brand........

You can't put a BEM code into a MK7 Golf....so no need to buy a BEM code battery......you're overthinking this!
So it's 2015yr, built sept. 2014...and the SOC works. OK
About the BEM code:

BEM Code - Manuf. - S/N
example....."000915105CD - VA0 - 251016AGRA"

- S/N = "it's a new battery"
- VA0 = Varta...ininfluent (*)
- BEM Code: they're all "915105" but the "CD" part, tells the BCM:
1) Ah (75 Ah in this case)
2) Crank (420 A in this case)
3) Type of the battery (AGM in this case)

When you do a manual coding...like I'm doing (thanks to your guide), you specify the Ah, but not the Crank (please confirm or amend this), and that's why I reckon that with the BEM code, more info are provided...or indeed I may well be overthinking it, as you say! 🤣

I'll try to input a standard vendor code, another S/N, and see if the SOC appears...if not, maybe it's true that they have 'killed the feature' on my MY2016...at the end of the day I have no error codes, and the start/stop feature is working, so that should be (somehow) an indicator of "battery OK".

(*) ininfluent, but it's not to exclude that a (smart?) 'Battery Control Module', may have access to some kind of pre-loaded instructions, or 'info' if you prefer, about several type of batteries, somewhere in some ROM, and the info provided about the vendor, associated with all the specs of the battery (Ah/Crank/type) could be 'of interest' for the BCM (or BMCM) in referring to such pre-loaded info. I know, right, I may be overthinking it again (...and sorry if I do), but my assumption, in this case, is based on my expertise.
 
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golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
So it's 2015yr, built sept. 2014...and the SOC works. OK
About the BEM code:

BEM Code - Manuf. - S/N
example....."000915105CD - VA0 - 251016AGRA"

- S/N = "it's a new battery"
- VA0 = Varta...ininfluent (*)
- BEM Code: they're all "915105" but the "CD" part, tells the BCM:
1) Ah (75 Ah in this case)
2) Crank (420 A in this case)
3) Type of the battery (AGM in this case)

When you do a manual coding...like I'm doing (thanks to your guide), you specify the Ah, but not the Crank (please confirm or amend this), and that's why I reckon that with the BEM code, more info are provided...or indeed I may well be overthinking it, as you say! 🤣

I'll try to input a standard vendor code, another S/N, and see if the SOC appears...if not, maybe it's true that they have 'killed the feature' on my MY2016...at the end of the day I have no error codes, and the start/stop feature is working, so that should be (somehow) an indicator of "battery OK".

(*) ininfluent, but it's not to exclude that a (smart?) 'Battery Control Module', may have access to some kind of pre-loaded instructions, or 'info' if you prefer, about several type of batteries, somewhere in some ROM, and the info provided about the vendor, associated with all the specs of the battery (Ah/Crank/type) could be 'of interest' for the BCM (or BMCM) in referring to such pre-loaded info. I know, right, I may be overthinking it again (...and sorry if I do), but my assumption, in this case, is based on my expertise.

STOP..JUST STOP......

The control modules for the Mk7Golf & all newer VAG cars are different to the older VAG cars which the BEM codes written on the batteries were designed for.

Now the ONLY coding for the battery that is visible in the control module & to tell the car what battery it has installed is as I stated at the beginning:-

VCDS coding required
From the Main screen:-
Select Control Module [Select]
[19-CAN Gateway]
Advanced Functions screen:-
[Adaptions-10]
New value choice screen:-
Change the following four channels, inputting the relevant data about the new battery.
IDE03256-MAS06105-Battery adaptation-Rated battery capacity
IDE03256-MAS06106-Battery adaptation-Battery technology
IDE03256-MAS06107-Battery adaptation-Battery manufacturer
IDE03256-MAS06108-Battery adaptation-Battery Serial Number

The old style BEM code DOES NOT go into the coding line of "IDE03256-MAS06108-Battery adaptation-Battery Serial Number"...& they can be all 1111111111

The older VAG cars DID NOT have the above four lines of coding..they only had one line. That one line had to contain all the relevant info about the battery to tell the car what type it had...hence the reason for a BEM code.
 

Deff

New member
Location
Wiltshire UK
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Edition
I have just recoded the battery with "70Ah", "VA0", "Fleece" and a new "different serial number". Values all accepted.
Regrettably the SOC is still on "---". The start/stop has stopped working for a few minutes after the coding, but eventually it has restarted working.
Enough for me to think that the SOC feature may have been indeed 'disabled' by VW after 2015, and that's it.
Thanks for your help and advice! 👍
 
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yeahforbes

Go Kart Newbie
Location
NJ
Car(s)
2017 Golf R DSG
Tons of great info here. I need a battery for my 2017 R which has no start-stop, so it came with an H5 EFB with the full heat shield (sides and top). I confirmed with VCDS that it's coded as EFB. Since I'm in a hurry, my options are limited:
  1. Get a regular battery from Walmart ($99) or Costco ($114), but they only have H6 in stock, so my heat shield won't fit. I'll need to order the ebay special and install it later, which is a pain. I have VCDS so changing the coding from "EFB" to "Wet" (along with the correct amp-hours) is no problem.
  2. Go to the dealer, which is super convenient because I need an oil change anyway, for their $139 "VW economy battery" service special including installation. The terms of the special are "Offer valid on JZW-915-105-DSP, JZW-915-105-A-DSP batteries only."
To help me decide between option 1 and option 2, here are my questions: what size and technology is this "economy" battery, and what's the difference between those 2 part numbers (one has "A" in it)? I have had very little luck searching for specs.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Tons of great info here. I need a battery for my 2017 R which has no start-stop, so it came with an H5 EFB with the full heat shield (sides and top). I confirmed with VCDS that it's coded as EFB. Since I'm in a hurry, my options are limited:
  1. Get a regular battery from Walmart ($99) or Costco ($114), but they only have H6 in stock, so my heat shield won't fit. I'll need to order the ebay special and install it later, which is a pain. I have VCDS so changing the coding from "EFB" to "Wet" (along with the correct amp-hours) is no problem.
  2. Go to the dealer, which is super convenient because I need an oil change anyway, for their $139 "VW economy battery" service special including installation. The terms of the special are "Offer valid on JZW-915-105-DSP, JZW-915-105-A-DSP batteries only."
To help me decide between option 1 and option 2, here are my questions: what size and technology is this "economy" battery, and what's the difference between those 2 part numbers (one has "A" in it)? I have had very little luck searching for specs.

The car came with an EFB..you need to replace with an EFB or a better spec AGM....both are better than the old plain "wet" type.....as far as stop/start I am not referring to the keyless ignition (KESSY) but the eco auto stop/start which has a button in the middle of the row of three down the divers side (USA) of the gearstick marked with an A inside a circle...most NAR spec "R" got built in Germany so it would have this a factory spec...& you have to fit an EFB or AGM...
 

yeahforbes

Go Kart Newbie
Location
NJ
Car(s)
2017 Golf R DSG
The car came with an EFB..you need to replace with an EFB or a better spec AGM....both are better than the old plain "wet" type.....as far as stop/start I am not referring to the keyless ignition (KESSY) but the eco auto stop/start which has a button in the middle of the row of three down the divers side (USA) of the gearstick marked with an A inside a circle...most NAR spec "R" got built in Germany so it would have this a factory spec...& you have to fit an EFB or AGM...
When I say my car does not have start-stop, I'm talking about the engine (not talking about kessy). There is no "A inside a circle" button anywhere, and the engine never stops on its own. For this reason, I assumed I don't really need the EFB/AGM battery. Is there some other reason I need EFB/AGM? I will do the module 19 adaptation if I change types.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
When I say my car does not have start-stop, I'm talking about the engine (not talking about kessy). There is no "A inside a circle" button anywhere, and the engine never stops on its own. For this reason, I assumed I don't really need the EFB/AGM battery. Is there some other reason I need EFB/AGM? I will do the module 19 adaptation if I change types.

Good as I've had numerous people get confused between KESSY & the Eco stop start.....& what is strange is that I know the MK7 Golf R for USA was actually built in the Germany factory & not Mexico which is why they had the electronic parking brake & not the manual hand brake..so its odd that your car doesn't have the eco stop start.


There is no requirement that I know of for an EFB or AGM if you don't have the eco stop start...& in my first post I list all the factory fit batteries for the MK7 Golf without eco stop start:-

44Ah/220A (DIN), H4 size, Lead acid type
51Ah/280A (DIN), H4 size, Lead acid type
60Ah/280A (DIN), H5 size, Lead acid type
61Ah/330A (DIN), H5 size, Lead acid type
72Ah/380A (DIN), H6 size, Lead acid type
 
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