Random errors after service/MOT making me paranoid

[spotty dot]

Hello guys,

I have a '17 reg 1.4 TSI Match which I bought as "Approved Used" from a VW main dealer last year. I just had MOT & Full Service done recently at a local garage (because VW dealer is over an hour away) and everything passed with no issues - which I expected as the car has been flawless the whole year. But literally from the next day after the service, I'm getting these random, intermittent errors:

1) "ACC and Front Assist Unavailable" and so adaptive cruise is disabled, and 2) "Error: Start-stop system" and start-stop doesn't work. Weirdly both errors seem to go away after I turn ignition off and come back later, but might pop up again randomly later - but not always.

I'm fairly new to all this as this is my first car, but does anyone know why this might be suddenly happening? And also why might it coincidentally start happening straight after my first MOT and service since I got the car? It's been flawless for the whole year.

Did I make a mistake going to a non-VW garage? Does getting it serviced at a local garage invalidate my "Approved Used" 2 year warranty with VW? Is it possible the local dealer switched my car's onboard components with cheaper/dodgy gear? (I'm aware this might be my newbie paranoia talking)

Advice appreciated with many thanks!

Dot

 

[golfdave]

Your approved used 2yr warranty is more than likely to rely on you taking it back to a VW dealer for servicing.

What "servicing" was done??......

Without a full scan its hard to blindly guess what the problems are...It could be the front radar unit has been knocked out of place & just needs pushing firmly back into its 3 sockets..(it has 3 adjustable legs on the rear)...

However, if "stop start" is N/A thats a low battery...I wonder if they ran the battery down during the service & MOT.....

 

[Finglonga]

Has it had a new battery in the last few years? They are the first things to show errors when the battery is starting to fail. I would get a test done on the battery first and find if the warranty covers it or if it is classed as a consumable.

 

[spotty dot]

Your approved used 2yr warranty is more than likely to rely on you taking it back to a VW dealer for servicing.

What "servicing" was done??......

Without a full scan its hard to blindly guess what the problems are...It could be the front radar unit has been knocked out of place & just needs pushing firmly back into its 3 sockets..(it has 3 adjustable legs on the rear)...

However, if "stop start" is N/A thats a low battery...I wonder if they ran the battery down during the service & MOT.....

Thanks for your reply this is very insightful and I'm learning a lot!

I've had a read through the warranty booklet and it doesn't appear to specify servicing at a VW dealer but I'm going to give them a call to check on this.

Don't know if it helps but I've attached the servicing sheet report I received.

I had a look at the rectangular front radar unit in the middle of the bumper (that's the one right?) and it seems intact. I couldn't really move it and also was a bit afraid to move it in anyway for fear of damaging something! Are you saying that if I pull on it, it will just pop out?

Also when you say "full scan" what do you mean exactly?

 

[spotty dot]

Has it had a new battery in the last few years? They are the first things to show errors when the battery is starting to fail. I would get a test done on the battery first and find if the warranty covers it or if it is classed as a consumable.

Thanks for your reply.. I bought the car last year so it's still whatever battery it came with - is there any way I can know when it was put in? But it's just very odd that these errors started popping up the very next day after my first MOT/service at a local garage. Said that golfdave above also mentioned possible battery issue so I will have to look into this.

 

[spotty dot]

Do you guys happen to know if this a battery that may have come with an Approved Used car from a main dealer? I might be going crazy here but when I first got the car I think I remember seeing a Bosch battery under the bonnet. I wish I'd taken pictures at the time now. I'm just being a paranoid noob right? Garages can't be switching out parts or they'd get busted right?!

 

[golfdave]

Do you guys happen to know if this a battery that may have come with an Approved Used car from a main dealer? I might be going crazy here but when I first got the car I think I remember seeing a Bosch battery under the bonnet. I wish I'd taken pictures at the time now. I'm just being a paranoid noob right? Garages can't be switching out parts or they'd get busted right?!

View attachment 311275

Garages can & will swap parts like that...

As for the service, nothing in it would cause it...I bet they left the lights etc on full when they took their time doing the MOT....

The 2yr warranty should be covering the car as you bought it for 2yrs....thing is any defects within that time you need to go back to them about it......trouble is you've already had it serviced elsewhere....so the dealer could go "not my problem speak to the other garage".....but they have to prove the fault was caused by the other garage & not by the faulty car you bought from them...

 

[spotty dot]

Garages can & will swap parts like that...

As for the service, nothing in it would cause it...I bet they left the lights etc on full when they took their time doing the MOT....

The 2yr warranty should be covering the car as you bought it for 2yrs....thing is any defects within that time you need to go back to them about it......trouble is you've already had it serviced elsewhere....so the dealer could go "not my problem speak to the other garage".....but they have to prove the fault was caused by the other garage & not by the faulty car you bought from them...

Ahh man… that’s really depressing. Now I have to take a thorough video of everything in my car before I have it serviced..? What a time to be alive. Thanks for your advice though much appreciated

 

[golfdave]

Get a battery charger that does AGM types (EFB is a cheaper version of an AGM).....& charge the battery up fully, then monitor if the car does it again...

Also Banner are not a factory fit for VW...factory would be Bosch, Varta, or Moll.

 

[spotty dot]

Hmmm I’m reading that any battery replacement requires “coding in”… if that is so, does that mean there is a digital record in my car’s computer somewhere where it will show if a new battery has been coded in and when? And if that is so how might I access this record? Is it via this “OBD” tool I keep coming across?

I think you may be right about everything so far. I drove the car up the motorway for a bit to help charge battery and the errors have not come back. And I recall seeing a Bosch battery when I bought the car last year and explored under the bonnet. In fact I’d never known a brand named Banner even existed until now.

 

[golfdave]

Hmmm I’m reading that any battery replacement requires “coding in”… if that is so, does that mean there is a digital record in my car’s computer somewhere where it will show if a new battery has been coded in and when? And if that is so how might I access this record? Is it via this “OBD” tool I keep coming across?

I think you may be right about everything so far. I drove the car up the motorway for a bit to help charge battery and the errors have not come back. And I recall seeing a Bosch battery when I bought the car last year and explored under the bonnet. In fact I’d never known a brand named Banner even existed until now.

It'll just show the current info that has been input....

All info on my old thread here:-

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ty-battery-to-a-mk7-golf.320084/#post-6647537


QUOTE:-
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

When you click on "Battery technology" (using VCDS 21.3.0) a drop down list appears with the following options (= actual meaning):-
Wet = Standard Lead Acid
Fleece = Standard A.G.M.
Wickel6V
Wickel12V
Ultracap
Gel = Standard Gel Lead Acid
Lithium ions = Standard LiFePO4
EFB = Standard E.F.B.
Binary - AGM = "Bipolar" A.G.M. type
EFB+ = E.F.B. "Plus" type
Not_assigned_10
Not_assigned_11
Not_assigned_12
Not_assigned_13
Not_assigned_14
Unknown

According to various sources of information, including numerous car scans & threads on Ross-Tech, "Fleece" is for standard AGM batteries, "EFB" is for standard EFB batteries, & "Wet" is for standard lead acid batteries, as these settings are used at the factory. The setting of "Binary - AGM" is apparently for specialist "Bipolar AGM" batteries! Also the drop down list is from VCDS & not generated by your car's BCM, therefore, your car may not support all the options on the list, & the BCM will reject the value when you tell it to accept it!

Battery BEM codes are now redundant with the above separate channels. The most important channels are:- Rated battery capacity, Battery technology, & Battery Serial Number. For the Battery Serial Number, just change one digit of the old one. This channel tells the BCM that a new battery has been installed & to relearn the new battery & forget any “learnt values” for the old battery!

 

[Jachas]

Also Banner are not a factory fit for VW...factory would be Bosch, Varta, or Moll.

Banner indeed can be factory fit. Never OE replacement battery has anything different than 000 in first 3 digits of part no. , when factory fit instead of having 000, is "coded", like this one from picture, 6R0. In skodas you can find OE, factory fit batteries made by Slovenian TAB . And the most of newest OE batteries (factory fit and replacement) few months ago changed part no. from xxx 915 105 xx to xxx 915 089 xx. The biggest visual change is new layout on stickers and less "warning" of any kind on top.

And I recall seeing a Bosch battery when I bought the car last year and explored under the bonnet. In fact I’d never known a brand named Banner even existed until now.

But if you recall that you had bosch, that bosch would be non OE battery (in silver case most probably), as bosch batteries are just produced by Clarios (better known in Europe from Varta brand, before 2019 Varta was brand of Johnson Controls) And bosch brand is only for aftermarket, as bosch itself isn't making these batteries.

Hmmm I’m reading that any battery replacement requires “coding in”… if that is so, does that mean there is a digital record in my car’s computer somewhere where it will show if a new battery has been coded in and when?

ODIS (official diagnostic tool) has ability to check, AFAIR last 5 battery replacements. I think that ODB11/VCDS could do it too. But "coding in" doesn't mean that battery wasn't changed or replaced physically (or, to change "virtually", making fake coding, changing parameter of BEM code, leaving old battery)

 

[spotty dot]

Banner indeed can be factory fit. Never OE replacement battery has anything different than 000 in first 3 digits of part no. , when factory fit instead of having 000, is "coded", like this one from picture, 6R0. In skodas you can find OE, factory fit batteries made by Slovenian TAB . And the most of newest OE batteries (factory fit and replacement) few months ago changed part no. from xxx 915 105 xx to xxx 915 089 xx. The biggest visual change is new layout on stickers and less "warning" of any kind on top.


But if you recall that you had bosch, that bosch would be non OE battery (in silver case most probably), as bosch batteries are just produced by Clarios (better known in Europe from Varta brand, before 2019 Varta was brand of Johnson Controls) And bosch brand is only for aftermarket, as bosch itself isn't making these batteries.



ODIS (official diagnostic tool) has ability to check, AFAIR last 5 battery replacements. I think that ODB11/VCDS could do it too. But "coding in" doesn't mean that battery wasn't changed or replaced physically (or, to change "virtually", making fake coding, changing parameter of BEM code, leaving old battery)

Thanks for your reply. I must say as a newbie this is all an overwhelming amount of information to digest but very happy to be learning such things.

Jachas, can I clarify what you're saying: you are suggesting that the current Banner battery in my car (6R0) could be the original factory fit? What is really interesting is that my memory of seeing a Bosch battery was indeed in "silver" casing! However, if the Banner battery is a factory fit number, it is more likely that my memory is wrong.. or I have a split personality disorder and I have another car somewhere in the universe that has Bosch battery.

Either way thanks all for your input. My next mission will be to try out one of these ODIS scanners!