Replacing the 12 volt battery

[uscpsycho]

The 12 volt battery on my 2019 SEL needs to be replaced and the dealer is asking over $500 for the battery, labor and "programming the battery to the vehicle." What the hell does programming the battery mean? Plus they don't have it in stock and I have no idea how long it will take for them to get it.

Is this a reasonable amount? This seems ridiculous, I hate dealer service.

Could just go to Costco or Pep Boys to have them replace the battery? Does it really need to be programmed to the car???

If I buy the battery myself, can someone tell me exactly what I'm looking for on a 2019 SEL? I tried using car battery finder websites and they are all over the map wrt which battery they recommend. I'll gladly upgrade too if that is an option. Can anyone help?

 

[f1geek]

There is a process called "coding" that is probably a good idea to do if you replace the 12 V battery with a battery that has a different Ah rating. The coding also helps the car know you replaced the battery so it can correctly, immediately calculate its State of Health (SoH). The e-Golf has an EFB battery so you should replace it with an EFB battery. The OEM battery on my car is a 59 Ah battery. I suspect the 2019 is the same.

I have not looked into this yet, but I think there may be other threads here.

Just took a look at pep boys - I'm sure there are plenty of other places to get a battery, but they carry an EFB, 59 Ah battery that fits and I don't think would require coding (though they say it does).

You can code the battery yourself if you have OBDElven and the OBDEleven dongle.

 

[uscpsycho]

I thought it had an AGM battery. Could I use an AGM battery as an upgrade or best to stick with EFB?

I don't have OBDElven. If I get the battery elsewhere could I just go to the dealer for coding? Are they going to charge me hundreds of dollars for that?

Sounds like a Pep Boys can't do the coding, but is this something an independent mechanic can do so I don't get hosed by the dealer? Maybe an EV specialist?

 

[f1geek]

EFB is different than AGM. AGM is probably fine, too, but I think that costs more - up to you. Also, I would tend to stay with EFB so e-Golf computer knows how to understand its behavior.

I think you could skip coding if you get 59 Ah EFB battery. Right now your car thinks the battery is near death, so if you don't tell it you installed a new battery, the new one may get a bit abused before the car figures out what is going on.


I have not idea how much dealer would charge for coding.

Maybe an EV specialist could code the battery.

 

[uscpsycho]

I know this is going to seem like a stupid question, but when I'm calling around to see if anyone has my battery in stock, do I just ask for a 59 Ah EFB battery? Are they all the same physical size and acceptable replacements? Or are there any other boxes I need to check before pulling the trigger?

Also, any chance someone here is in the L.A. area and has OBDeleven? I'd be willing to pay you to code my new battery rather than get shafted by the dealer.

 

[f1geek]

12 V batteries come in different physical sizes. You need to get the correct one. I live in the SF Bay Area and can’t help you.

 

[uscpsycho]

The egolf doesn't have a standard size battery? I would think you can buy batteries with different capacities but that they all have to be the same physical size in order to fit in the battery space?

Are they always 59 Ah EFB? What about CCA? Does that have to match the former battery as well?

 

[f1geek]

There are many “standard” 12 V battery sizes.

Probably good to match CCA, too.

 

[user 1815]

You should be able to find something equivalent to this: https://parts.vw.com/p/Volkswagen_2019_e-Golf-SEL-Premium-Hatchback/Vehicle-Battery/47985038/000915105CC.html

 

[uscpsycho]

Posting this here for the benefit of anyone else who sees this thread in the future.

I can't speak for other models but I can speak for a 2019 e-golf SEL since that is what I have. You can replace the stock battery with either a H5/Group 47 EFB battery but a H6/Group 48 battery will fit. I believe the stock battery on the SEL is H6 and on the other models it is H5. The stock battery is EFB type but you can replace it with AGM.

This is one of the main things I was trying to figure out in this thread but nobody told me the physical battery size to get.

If the technical specs of the new battery are not identical to the old battery (including battery type) then the new battery should be coded. I have replaced my battery but haven't coded it yet. I have experienced no issues without the coding but I plan to do it because I understand that an improperly coded battery can lead to issues.

Call around for pricing on the coding. Most independent mechanics refused to code the battery if they did not install it. One guy said it would be $150 to code it whether he installs the battery or not. I called all the VW dealers around and got prices ranging from $99 to $250 just to code the battery.

The battery I got was the top of the line Walmart Ever Start AGM battery, Ever Start is the top rated battery by Consumer Reports. The battery was $170 with free installation. I ordered an open box OBDeleven from Amazon and I'm going to try to code it myself. If I don't succeed for some reason I'll return it and pay $99 to a dealer and be done with it. Even if I have to pay another $99 for coding this is easily the cheapest path to a new and upgraded battery. The dealer price with another EFB battery would have been close to $600 after tax.

 

[uscpsycho]

After doing more research I have to revise my last post.

I said you can put a H5 or H6 battery in a 2019 e-golf SEL but I think the OEM battery on SEL models is H6, if so then downsizing would be a bad idea.

I also said that you "can" use an AGM battery but I have since read that AGM batteries are actually stock (a VW service advisor also told me that). If so then you should definitely stick to AGM. But I do not know for sure.

I have also read that coding new batteries is not necessary for e-golf. It is definitely necessary for ICE Golfs, and that may be why a lot of people think e-golf also has to be coded, but there are people saying that it is not necessary for this car.

So now all I can definitively say is that a H6 AGM battery will fit and work find on a 2019 SEL e-Golf. I can't say that an H5 or EFB are OK to use and I can't say coding is necessary. I haven't coded my new battery yet and there aren't any problems at all, but I will probably code it anyway since I got a OBDeleven.

 

[user 1815]

I noticed that Tesla has replaced their lead-acid 12V battery with a Li-ion battery. I am wondering if this H5/Group 47 might work as a replacement for the e-Golf, https://www.ohmmu.com/product-page/12v-lithium-battery-for-audi-q8-e-tron ? It weighs just 12 lbs compared to about 42 lbs for the lead-acid equivalent, and I would imagine that it has a much longer lifetime. Of course it is double the cost (or more).

Has anyone tried this for a replacement?

(My 2019 e-Golf was put into service in October 2020, so I figure I still have a few more years on the original 12V battery).

 

[BomBoi]

Glad this thread exist since i want to upgrade to an Li battery . i will try this conversion once I'm ready to swap out mine. Im torn to either go Antigravity or Ohmu.

 

[f1geek]

Is a lithium 12 V worth the expense when a lead acid battery will last 5 to 7 years?

 

[user 1815]

Is a lithium 12 V worth the expense when a lead acid battery will last 5 to 7 years?

I observe that a name-brand 12V AGM H6 replacement battery costs between $200-$300. The Ohmmu LFP battery is currently listed at $432.10 (with shipping). According to the manufacturer, "The Ohmmu 12V LiFePO4 battery is lighter, more efficient, higher usable capacity, eco-friendly, and lasts 4x longer than a traditional sealed lead acid (SLA) battery."

So, the LFP option looks intriguing if you are planning to keep your e-Golf for 7-10 years after replacing the original battery. Of course, that is a long time...

 

[f1geek]

I saw much higher prices, so this Lithium model makes more sense. I wonder how a “traditional” 12 V compares to AGM with respect to lifetime.

 

[user 1815]

Poking around a bit on the internet, I have found a lot of issues regarding reliability, low-temperature charging, and lifetime of these LFP-based 12V batteries. For example, Tesla owners replacing their older lead-acid batteries with these do not seem happy, though this may have more to do with how they interact with Tesla’s battery management software.

I think I’ll stick with lead-acid when mine needs replacement on my e-Golf.

 

[jillianvanliew]

I replaced my 2016 eGolf 12V battery the end of 2022 & my dealership wanted to charge $254.00 + installation (priced $217.72 for the exact battery on VW's parts website). For reference, I live in Los Angeles. My service advisor gave me $20.0 off the cost of the battery. Isn't that a b*tch!! I even sent the website for reference. Just know that the dealer is going to upset everything they can' having the overhead they have (nice clean floors, bathroom, waiting room & service department.

 

[f1geek]

For those of us with back issues, not having to lift a 12 V battery is certainly worth the cost of installation. I will never replace a 12 V battery myself again.

 

[user 1815]

For those of us with back issues, not having to lift a 12 V battery is certainly worth the cost of installation. I will never replace a 12 V battery myself again.

How about an LFP weighing 12 lbs? You can be our product tester....