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

[Shmito_R]

It says lead acid on it...googling the part number is confusing, but images for similar parts made by VW state EFB or AGM...yours doesn't so it must be a lead acid.....& its a 61AH ...just so long as they changed the serial number by one digit...& the AH rating & type are correct..

That’s the thing they didn’t change anything and most of the fields were actually blank when I checked. I changed all the other inputs besides the battery type as I was confused after trying to search for the type of battery. When I looked I didn’t see a standard lead acid option, so would I just select standard wet or the sla if there is one? Thanks again for the help appreciate it.

 

[golfdave]

You need to defo put a serial number in & make the last digit greater than the previous one..so if 1234...then change to 1235.....brand, just type in VW...& I don't know what lead acid would come under on the current OBD11 as I don't have that I use VCDS..& as over here everything is AGM or EFB..I don't remember the correct description for lead acid!!..sorry!!

 

[SLC4EVER]

Installed a Lithium Ion 30Ah Antigravity re-start battery. Thanks for the 411 on the adaptation settings. After using them in my motorcycles and realizing the long term storage ability without a trickle charger I'm sold. The weight savings that high up in the CG is an added bonus.

 

[caleb.mk7]

I had to jump my car this morning. I'm going to buy an H6 AGM from costco after reading this thread.
Will I need any other parts or should it be a straight forward install? Also, I'm able to code in the new battery info with OBD11, correct?

Thanks!

 

[shortyb]

Installed a Lithium Ion 30Ah Antigravity re-start battery. Thanks for the 411 on the adaptation settings. After using them in my motorcycles and realizing the long term storage ability without a trickle charger I'm sold. The weight savings that high up in the CG is an added bonus.

What are the adaption settings needed for the AG battery? Looking at one for the GTI, AG-H5-30 RS, like yours.

 

[golfdave]

I had to jump my car this morning. I'm going to buy an H6 AGM from costco after reading this thread.
Will I need any other parts or should it be a straight forward install? Also, I'm able to code in the new battery info with OBD11, correct?

Thanks!

Just battery that's all, you can add the bigger felt cover & other items if you choose to...& OBD11 should do the coding ok..I don't have it as I use VCDS...

 

[caleb.mk7]

Just battery that's all, you can add the bigger felt cover & other items if you choose to...& OBD11 should do the coding ok..I don't have it as I use VCDS...

Okay thank you! Would you still recommend an H6 if I have minimal electronics (only heated seats)? Or could I get away with an H5 AGM?

 

[KevinC]

Okay thank you! Would you still recommend an H6 if I have minimal electronics (only heated seats)? Or could I get away with an H5 AGM?

You can "get away" with an H5, but given the alarming rate at which the stock batteries die, which are sourced from a whole bunch of different manufacturers with similar results - I would definitely go H6, esp in your weather. I put an H6 AGM in my first R at 24 months when the stocker abruptly died one day, after zero symptoms prior to that.

 

[caleb.mk7]

You can "get away" with an H5, but given the alarming rate at which the stock batteries die, which are sourced from a whole bunch of different manufacturers with similar results - I would definitely go H6, esp in your weather. I put an H6 AGM in my first R at 24 months when the stocker abruptly died one day, after zero symptoms prior to that.

I was just trying to avoid removing the airbox I guess I'll go H6, will help with the crank this winter. Thanks!

 

[KevinC]

I replaced mine without removing the airbox - '16 R. Easy. Perhaps Golf & GTI are slightly different?

 

[caleb.mk7]

Okay I got the H6 installed without removing the air box, now I’m facing a problem I’ve been trying to update the battery info via OBD11 for a few hours and every time I try to update the new serial number, capacity, battery type, I get the error code (31) Function Not Available. I have had no luck finding a work around for this. Does anyone know why I would be running into this issue on my OBD11 coding? Thanks!

Follow up question - If I am unable to update this information, and my car continues to run thinking the old battery is still in, whats the worst that can happen?
Cause I'm almost out of ideas!

Solved! I needed to enter a code in security access before going into adaptation. I believe it was 20103.

Thanks for the help everyone. The original battery case fit back on somewhat as well. I just had to unconnect the corner and then wrap it around the new battery with the corner slightly exposed.

 

[sdmcoupe]

I did the adaption when I changed the battery. In retrospect, was it necessary if my car does not have the battery monitoring gadget on the negative terminal? None of the stored data matched the factory battery that I removed (except for the type and capacity). That threw me. I updated the data to match my new battery. The fact that the adaptation was accepted by the CAN Gateway suggests that it is useful info to the controller. But is it? Or is it ignored without battery monitoring function?

In short, is this step only necessary to cars with START/STOP (Mk7.5 in the US?) and/or those with the battery monitoring gadget?

Thanks!

Did you ever get an answer to this?

I also don't have the start/stop feature on my early 2015 GTI. I'm assuming I wont have to do any type of coding when swapping over to a new battery. Am I wrong?

 

[Elwood]

The type of battery and its capacity determine the charging rate of the system. You can get by without the coding, but it's not optimal.

 

[sdmcoupe]

what specific coding is required with this scenario?

 

[Elwood]

Tell it what kind of a battery you installed (standard lead acid, AGM, etc). You will have options in a pulldown window or something. Same for capacity. You should put something in the serial number field - I just put the date in there. As long as it's different from what was in there (mine was blank), the system will know its a new battery.