Door panel removal requires battery disconnected?

[beam_panhard_tdi_2013]

So I got the used vent glass from ebay with two broken clips, for my broken rear door (http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=428135)
I'm wondering what I should pay attention to when removing the door panel. I heard battery removal would turn radio into anti-theft mode and cause many other reset/re-program issues? But would there be any harm (e.g. air bag deployment) if my battery is connected when I'm working on removing the rear door (LH side)?

 

[Ol'Rattler]

A thing of the past. Unless you move the radio to a different car, the radio won't lock up, IIRC, the presets will still be there. when you reconnect the battery.

When you re-connect the battery, the trip meter will reset to zero, the clock will reset to 12:00 and your electromechanical steering and ESP will flash some lights and act sort of confused but both will re-adapt after driving a block or two and the pinch protection on all the windows will have to be reset.

You reset pinch protection by rolling the windows down, holding the switch down for an additional 5 seconds after the window stops and then rolling the window up and holding the switch for 5 seconds after the window stops.

Disconnecting the battery shouldn't be necessary when removing the door card since you will only be unplugging the window switch and the door lock switch.

A VG reason to disconnect the battery when removing something is to prevent DTC's (faults codes) from being set, except if you are unplugging/removing ANY airbag component or anything that will expose hot wires, always dis-connect the battery.

 

[beam_panhard_tdi_2013]

Thanks so much Ol'rattler for the detailed information. So I would just keep the battery connected when removing the LH rear door panel.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Correct. You might have to unplug the speaker, as well. I can't remember if it mounted to the door card or not.