Professional installation?

2001 Jetta TDI needed a new battery. Auto parts store guy's computer said the new battery needed professional installation.

Hmmmm. I know this to be true for my 2012 BMW, which needs some programming to tell the computer about the new battery, but is anything like this needed for the TDI?

No, plug and play. The only thing that could happen is the radio will go into safe mode, so you'll need the code to unlock it. It should be in the owners manual.

A 2001 should reset the radio itself, per the owner's manual, as long as it's the original radio unit for the vehicle. So you should only lose your trip meter mileage.

Are you going to trusty a sales man or a tool? Get a $10 multimeter. After driving the c is around or it being on a charger and the battery is fully changed, turn on the headlights when the car is cold for 2 minutes. Now trun them off, this takes off the top charge. Test battery. 12.4 are low but not dead but anything lower than this and it’s not going to start when it’s cold or at all. 12.85 is new 100% full life battery. So expect 12.6 to 12.8v for a heathy battery. Now have someone try and crank the car. pull the fuel relay so you can crank it and if the volts drop below 10v before 2 seconds, its trash and you need a new one, 11v and your just right, for cold cranking amps rating when its supper cold out on a new battery so expect 10.2 to 10.8v. Alternator must be producing between 12.9v and 14.2v, typical is 14.0 for VW. Anything less than 12.8v and anything over 14.4v is not normal and is a sign of it going bad, if its toast it usually is like 16v or it goes up in voltage as the rpms increase.
This should take you 10 minutes and will help you determine whether to not waste money on a battery. It’s REALLY cold out and decent health batteries can have issues and are not bad yet.

you dont need any professional to change a battery. can easily be done yourself with a few basic tools.

Good point. What makes you think you need a battery? In what discipline was the "battery changer" professional in? Most likely not in automotive electrical systems.

Do not buy an aftermarket battery. Go to the dealers and have them look it up by VIN and buy that one. For Dub batteries, buying from the dealer is actually one of the few bargains they offer.

The price is certainly a plus and the best part is you will be sold a battery rated specifically for your TDI and not an overpriced aftermarket battery for a gasser.

Check pricing at a few different dealers to make sure you don't get bent over on cost. Most dealers will price match other dealers prices.

"Do not buy an aftermarket battery. Go to the dealers and have them look it up by VIN and buy that one. For Dub batteries, buying from the dealer is actually one of the few bargains they offer."-OhRattler, isn't this old advice? I thought VW dealers no longer have the same amazing OEM battery brand anymore??? That's what I remember I read on here before.

OP-I replaced my 2004 Jetta battery when it dies with an aftermarket. No special tools needed. But I do have an aftermarket radio, so no code issues.

VincenzaV said:

"Do not buy an aftermarket battery. Go to the dealers and have them look it up by VIN and buy that one. For Dub batteries, buying from the dealer is actually one of the few bargains they offer."-OhRattler, isn't this old advice? I thought VW dealers no longer have the same amazing OEM battery brand anymore??? That's what I remember I read on here before.
OP-I replaced my 2004 Jetta battery when it dies with an aftermarket. No special tools needed. But I do have an aftermarket radio, so no code issues.

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Still somewhat valid though. The problem is that aftermarket batteries are not rated in AH (Ampere Hour) like the VW batteries are so your choice with aftermarket is to get the highest CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rated battery that will fit your battery tray and hope that it will not fall on it's face when weather gets cold. So when shopping, 80 AH = ???CCA. There is no direct mathematical conversion between the 2 types of rating.

The DUB batteries were never especially "amazing". The above explains why the are more suitable for a TDI.

BS. Never buy a battery from the dealer. You can get a 94R battery from NAPA and it'll be fine.
CCA is a circumspect and dubious marketing ploy with no real basis in the battery's actual capacity.

the only thing that matters to a battery, is whats its chemical composition is for the application and CCA. nothing else matters other than a warentee and getting a NEW battery made the same year you purchased it. If you want to keep it healthy when it sits, get a quality battery maintainer. i have a cheapiest of cheep AGM 110 amp hour that i have had on a maintainer and use it all summer long for my toller motor for fishing. its been 9 years and it still is in 90% heath.

WHO CARES, you can get the right size battery with a high 650 to750 CCA rating for about $75 at advanced auto with a 40 off 100 or more coupon. at this price point i can buy 3 of them for the price of one from the dealership. Thanks but you can have your stealerships, ill keep my savings in my account.

Thank you, all. That's what I thought: no "professional installation" required.

I also have a 2012 BMW, which DOES require "professional installation," in that after replacing the battery, you need to do some programming to tell the computer about the new battery, lest the charge controller mistreat the new battery.

So, no problem with the TDI. Got the new battery and all is well.

As for how I knew the battery needed replacement, we had the starter go bad last spring, and last time THAT happened with this vehicle it managed to short out and completely kill the battery. This time the battery survived, but it was weakened, and even after topping up the charge on a battery charger, it wouldn't crank well in the cold snap. New battery, and cranks fine now.

VOLT METER. some times the starter can be pulling to many amps and a decent battery cant keep up and you replaced it for no reason. Starters can be more problematic than you think. ALWAYS take a volt meter to electrical components before replacing. Its so simple and can save you big $$ and time

As far as "professional" installation goes, you need someone proficient enough to reinstall all covers and battery holddown hardware unbroken, cable ends not hacked off and temporary bolt on terminals installed. There is no battery registration needed like late model BMW, Mercedes, Audi/Vw.

As far as batteries go, I recommend factory batteries for consistent quality across the nation. There are many companies that sell batteries and they will tell you theirs is best. My ultimate spec for a battery is not so much longevity as most batteries will last quite well if you buy the premium one, but rather leakage. I see 3 year old batteries come in the bay looking like a science project when you lift the covers. Battery terminals are covered in white fuzz and the metal parts near the battery are staring to dissolve.

Johnson controls makes batteries for many people, Interstate, Napa, costco, etc. They make over half the batteries sold in the US, but they are the three year old acid bomb type. Sure they last well, but that gives them more time to eat away the car in the meantime.

I know battery threads are much like oil threads where they can go on endlessly with everyone having an opinion and favorite, but my caution is to buy a battery from a source with a track record, like an independent shop that has tracked the batteries they sell and can swear they don't eat your car. i know I have tried many different brands over the years to finally settle on one I like. The problem there is it takes 3-5 years for the batteries to prove themselves, so it is a slow process to find the right one.

In lieu of a good recommendation from a reputable source, factory batteries are the cheapest, best, most consistent, most places.

The only issues I've had with getting batteries installed were for my 2000 beetle or my B5.5 Passat. Those issues were due to where the batteries were located and how much stuff you had to remove before you even got to the battery.

My 2nd dealer battery died on me Saturday morning. No complaints with the dealer batteries. I went to the dealer and was trying to be convinced the pictures battery was the replacement for what I had.
After 20 minutes of gong back and forth I went to auto zone and got a replacement with the same cranking powers and amp hours. No dealer in my.area had anything in stock. As for professional install, its simple, do it yourself.