Need new battery for '15 GSW TDI

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
I bought my car in late 2017 as a CPO with about 8,000 miles on it. (I presume it sat around during the dieselgate scandal given its low mileage.) Best I can tell, it has the original battery, which is an Enertec 5K0 915 105 E. Is this the OEM battery? If so, how long is it good for?

I'm at 5 years and 23,000 miles and am worried it's going to leave me stranded on a cold morning. Is there a better replacement I should be looking at? Perhaps an AGM battery? Can I change it myself without needing coding or losing all my settings? Stealership quoted me $147 for a new battery, which I thought was pretty reasonable for a dealer, actually.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
There should be a date sticker on the battery. I wouldn't worry about it if it's still starting the car well in cold weather.
 

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
I was told, CPO warranty doesn't cover battery. No date sticker on top of battery either. I haven't pulled it out of the pouch to inspect the sides or bottom though. So far, it's been starting OK in cold weather. I may milk it until next winter and replace then. Perhaps, dealership will put a tester on it without charging me for it?
 

michTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2000
Location
Charlotte, MI, USA
TDI
2003 Jetta and 2015 GSW MT
I was told by dealer that I recently bought my 2015 CPO GSW from that usually tires and batteries were replaced before putting the CPO cars back on the market. He said they did this because many of these cars were sitting at VW in Auburn Hills, Michigan for a couple years (in some cases) before they went out to various dealers. I can't vouch for the accuracy of his statement. Evidently many of them have "Michigan" listed on a Carfax for the same reason-sitting in a parking lot in Auburn Hills.
 

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
michTDI, thanks for that info. It's encouraging to know that my batt MAY have been replaced in 2017 rather than be original. I'm going to have it tested to get a better idea of its condition. I just never trust these guys when they say it "failed" and I don't get to see the actual test.

Bizzle, that's a good price. I see it MSRP for $165. Did you do the replacement? Did it require coding?
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
I wouldn't bet on a new battery being in there. Mine failed to start five times before I stopped being stubborn and put the new one in. I wouldn't risk it if I was in bad weather. If it hasn't been replaced it sat for so long it should be replaced anyway.

I did the replacement and I did the coding with VCDS to tell it that there was a slightly larger battery. It's a pretty straightforward process to put the larger battery in. I didn't buy any parts but I already had a larger battery cover from my 2012. You could probably make the smaller one you have fit with some new creases.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
A portable booster pack is a great thing to have if getting stranded is a worry. The date stickers have been on the side of the case of several batteries I've purchased.
 

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Good point about the booster pack. A buddy showed me one some time ago and I meant to check them out. Thanks!
 

GreenLantern_TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Location
Iowa
TDI
2015 GOLF SEL
Yes new batteries need to be coded with VCDS. I got the East Penn Duracell H6AGM at Sams club for like $150.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Yes new batteries need to be coded with VCDS. I got the East Penn Duracell H6AGM at Sams club for like $150.
Coding for a new battery is more of a "requirement" for AGM batteries than typical normal FLA batteries. 2015 come with FLA, not AGM in the US. I imagine that you also changed the battery type when you converted from a FLA to an AGM via VCDS as well?

The charging properties/profile of AGMs change as they age in order to extend the life, coding resets this profile, where as FLA are just like anything else that's been on the road for the past 60 years.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
I popped a larger AGM H8 battery into my Passat, there was no recoding required.
That is only needed if you have a Battery Monitoring system in your car.

I did have to make alterations to the tray fit the larger battery.
 

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Turbobrick240's video link worked. My battery is September '15. I also think I'll get one of those little jumpers. That way I can still sleep after I leave my car in a freezing parking lot at the airport.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
Since it's nearly 4 years old and sat for over a year, I'd recommend replacing it and not worrying about it. When mine started acting up, it failed completely and then would be fine for another week or two after charging. That's one of the reasons I was reluctant to replace it until it did it like four or five times. I might have still ran with it if not for the last time conking out as my wife was leaving for work in the morning but I try my hardest not to subject my wife to my own stubborn tendencies. :)

I just dug the receipt out for you:
Interstate H6-70 Fitment #29 (42)
Item #8850276

$113.99
core $15, tax $12, CA battery charge $1
total $142
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Above anything else, do not put an AGM battery in your car. They are overpriced and will not give you the performance of the VW recommended flooded cell battery. VW does not recommend replacing a flooded cell battery with an AGM battery because if the car didn't come with an AGM, you will get poor service from it.

Go to the dealer with your VIN have them look up the correct battery for your TDI and buy that battery. If you shop around different dealers for price you will be surprised how competitive the dealer is and as a plus you will be getting a battery that is 100% compatible with your car as far as service life goes.

The trouble with after market batteries is that they don't have an AH (Ampere Hour) rating like a VW OEM battery does so you have no clue as to if an after market battery is actually correct for your car. Also, many times with after market batteries, you will be sold a battery rated for a gasser and it will give you poor service in a TDI and cost more than the correct battery from a dealer.
 
Last edited:

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
I agree with Ol'Rattler's underlying points, but in this case the 2015 battery is undersized compared to previous years. The dealership will replace the one you have with a similarly dinky one. If you're comfortable with that, he's right that they really aren't that much more expensive if at all.
The one I posted is a 70AH battery and a good deal larger than the one that came stock with my GSW. The one that was stock in my 2012 JSW probably had more AH than the one I posted, but they are similar in size. In fact, luckily I still had the battery blanket from my 2012 in my garage so I was able to use that on this larger battery without buying anything.

No caveats on the AGM point--agreed 100% with him there.

One thing to keep in mind if you buy it from the dealership, you'll have to pay for installation for the full warranty (and I'm not sure what that would be). If you buy it as a part over the counter you'll only get the 12 months part warranty. Or I could have that wrong, it might be like a 30 day part warranty and 12m installed warranty. Point is to call your dealership and clarify the warranty terms if you choose to go that route.
 
Last edited:

MEinSoCal

Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen SE TDI
i finally replaced my battery after about 90K miles and 3.5yrs of ownership on my 2015 GSW. after some research, i decided to go with the bigger Group 48 size battery and also wanted the better AGM type. decided on Odyssey, as it was readily available at Autozone, which tends to be everywhere.

 
Last edited:

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
You also chose to use way too big high resolution pictures. Please resize them to 800x600 or so so they don't blow the margins out on this page. You can post a smaller picture that is linked to the larger one if you want. Posting overly large images makes the page hard to read as you have to scroll back and forth. Please be considerate.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Is the added cost of AGM worth it for longevity?

Say FLA vs AGM group 48 size, must have a 10-30% increase in cost, but in theory are you gaining a year or two of life from it?
 

Oldboatdriver

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Location
MD
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI, 2015 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Thanks for the (detailed) pics. I guess the battery is too big for the OEM battery blanket? I guess that's not a big deal as I've never had a car that had a blanket til now.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
Is the added cost of AGM worth it for longevity?

Say FLA vs AGM group 48 size, must have a 10-30% increase in cost, but in theory are you gaining a year or two of life from it?
I'm skeptical AGM offers better longevity for our purpose. They're only good for specific conditions, which don't exist with our TDIs.

I made this mistake years ago in thinking more expensive or newer tech was just automatically "better." I spent hundreds of dollars on an AGM for my audio, which actually were used in audio comps, but I then used it for my normal battery in a different vehicle. It was ruined in under a year.

I have read that the newest non-TDIs use AGM batteries but that's because they are using stop/start technology.
 

JM Popaleetus

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
Signature.
It doesn’t matter if you go flooded or AGM. As long as you get an H6 for the Mk5-7 or H8 for the NMS, it’ll have the minimum 70Ah VW recommends for TDIs. I personally went with an AGM since it had the best warranty, CA, and CCA.

For the Mk7, you’ll want to use your VCDS to teach the car your new battery type since it can now regulate charging voltages more accurately.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
I agree with Ol'Rattler's underlying points, but in this case the 2015 battery is undersized compared to previous years. The dealership will replace the one you have with a similarly dinky one. If you're comfortable with that, he's right that they really aren't that much more expensive if at all.
Really great point. If you can find a flooded cell battery rated in AH I have no problem replacing a factory battery with with a higher AH rated battery. The trouble with most after market batteries is they are not rated in AH so you are comparing apples to bananas. as far as actual ratings go.

Give Us a link to the battery you bought. I would certainly buy after after market if I could find batteries rated in AH.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
i finally replaced my battery after about 90K miles and 3.5yrs of ownership on my 2015 GSW. after some research, i decided to go with the bigger Group 48 size battery and also wanted the better AGM type. decided on Odyssey, as it was readily available at Autozone, which tends to be everywhere.

Awesome. you paid $259 for the wrong type battery for you car. The only time an AGM is better is when the car charging profile is set up for it from the factory. The only dub I'm aware of that comes from the factory with at least one of it's two batteries being an AGM is the Phaeton.
 
Last edited:

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
One thing to keep in mind if you buy it from the dealership, you'll have to pay for installation for the full warranty (and I'm not sure what that would be). If you buy it as a part over the counter you'll only get the 12 months part warranty. Or I could have that wrong, it might be like a 30 day part warranty and 12m installed warranty. Point is to call your dealership and clarify the warranty terms if you choose to go that route.
Warranties are such a crock. I have never warrantied anything. I just make it a point to not buy garbage parts. Warranties work out great for places that sell Chinese garbage parts. The way it works is that they figure you will get tired on replacing their garbage parts and just go away.

It never occurred to me to have the dealer install something as easy as a battery. I have no clue on what could go wrong with a battery installation that you would have to submit a warranty claim.
 
Top