Replacement Battery -- Interstate MTP48/H6

[Matthew 53]

2012 Passat TDI 38,000 miles. Battery done. Could not get to the dealer for an OEM replacement.

1. Got and had installed an MTP48/H6 Interstate battery. Car starts and runs fine. Passat owners manual (p. 265) says to only use batteries meeting standards TL 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. As far as I know, this battery does not officially meet those standards. Should I have have any concerns about continuing to use this battery?

2. There does not appear to be any battery venting kit/tube. (Battery is in the engine compartment.) Is this correct?

3. When I first started the car after the battery replacement, every kind of warning light and message displayed/flashed on the MFI. Drove around the block. Re-started the car. No warning lights. No warning lights and driving fine ever since (been 3 days). Should I be concerned?

My 4th TDI -- and by far my favorite.

Matthew

 

[tditom]

Matthew-
Is the Interstate battery the same physical size as the OE?
What were the specs on the OE and what are on the Interstate?

 

[vw_norm]

2012 Passat TDI 38,000 miles. Battery done. Could not get to the dealer for an OEM replacement.

1. Got and had installed an MTP48/H6 Interstate battery. Car starts and runs fine. Passat owners manual (p. 265) says to only use batteries meeting standards TL 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. As far as I know, this battery does not officially meet those standards. Should I have have any concerns about continuing to use this battery?

As long as it fits in the holder, same dimensions and cold cranking amps, it should be just fine, and possibly better than OEM. Interstate batteries are pretty durable IMHO.

2. There does not appear to be any battery venting kit/tube. (Battery is in the engine compartment.) Is this correct?

All batteries are vented. The vent system is cleverly hidden under the cell caps.

3. When I first started the car after the battery replacement, every kind of warning light and message displayed/flashed on the MFI. Drove around the block. Re-started the car. No warning lights. No warning lights and driving fine ever since (been 3 days). Should I be concerned?

No, this is 'normal' behavior once power is completely disconnected. However, if you have access to vagcom, do not be surprised by the amount of error codes that are currently residing in your modules that are related to the battery being disconnected.

My 4th TDI -- and by far my favorite.

Matthew

38K....hmmmm....just past warranty....that sucks, but then again diesels are pretty hard on batteries due to the high compression engine.

 

[Matthew 53]

Matthew-
Is the Interstate battery the same physical size as the OE?
What were the specs on the OE and what are on the Interstate?

tditom: Yes, Interstate battery is the same physical size. As for specs comparison with OE, that's the problem. It's not the same metrics. Intelligent dealers will say something like "Group number batteries are not used in your car. We don't use Cold Cranking . . ., we use something else." Experienced after market battery guys will say something like "the dealer just wants to overcharge you for an inferior product. The Interstate Battery database says that this is the right battery for your car."

Matthew

 

[Matthew 53]

As long as it fits in the holder, same dimensions and cold cranking amps, it should be just fine, and possibly better than OEM. Interstate batteries are pretty durable IMHO.



All batteries are vented. The vent system is cleverly hidden under the cell caps.



No, this is 'normal' behavior once power is completely disconnected. However, if you have access to vagcom, do not be surprised by the amount of error codes that are currently residing in your modules that are related to the battery being disconnected.



38K....hmmmm....just past warranty....that sucks, but then again diesels are pretty hard on batteries due to the high compression engine.

vw norm: Thanks for putting me at ease. For the avoidance of doubt -- regarding the venting, are you saying that nothing needs to be attached to the battery -- i.e., that it vents itself from under the cell caps, the installer needs to do nothing, and the gasses are released into the engine compartment without risk to car or human?

Don't think they would have covered the battery even if under 36k, but you never know. Texas heat was also very hard on the battery in my previous TDI.

 

[Rico567]

I have used Interstate Batteries for years, and am quite pleased with their power and reliability. There is one in our truck now. The only reason our '04 SAAB has a NAPA batter is that we were in the same position as the OP when the OE battery died: had to have a battery right then. It's good to know that Interstate makes a size that will fit in our Passat, because that's surely what I'll buy when the OE battery gives out.

 

[oilhammer]

The "H6" is a DIN type battery designation. That should be the correct 72Ah unit for your car.

Interstate (JCI) makes many of the OEM batteries as well as the dealer branded replacements. They are often even delivered to the dealers on an Interstate truck!

There are Group 48 size batteries that are NOT the correct one, but the MTP (MegaTronPlus) 48 is also the heavier duty H6 so you should be fine provided that was what was in the car. The battery you took out should have the Ah rating on it.

 

[GD]

I know that I tried to swap my battery from my A4 Jetta into my A6 Jetta and it wouldnt fit.

 

[vw_norm]

vw norm: Thanks for putting me at ease. For the avoidance of doubt -- regarding the venting, are you saying that nothing needs to be attached to the battery -- i.e., that it vents itself from under the cell caps, the installer needs to do nothing, and the gasses are released into the engine compartment without risk to car or human?

Don't think they would have covered the battery even if under 36k, but you never know. Texas heat was also very hard on the battery in my previous TDI.

Our OEM batteries are vented in the same manner, under the cell caps into the engine bay. All batteries are vented to the engine bay or wherever they are mounted, even if they don't look it. So called gel cells, AGM, valve regulated, lead acid are all vented. The only exception to this that I know of is some caddy's with the battery under the rear seat. They come with a venting tube that fits on the proper size group battery and vents to under the car through a seal in the floor pan. It appears that the VR6 Passat has a vent tube with the battery in the trunk.

 

[oilhammer]

I know that I tried to swap my battery from my A4 Jetta into my A6 Jetta and it wouldnt fit.

The A4 diesel Jetta uses the larger H7, the A5, A6, NMS, as well as the New Beetle use the smaller H6.

 

[compu_85]

The only exception to this that I know of is some caddy's with the battery under the rear seat. They come with a venting tube that fits on the proper group battery and vents to under the car through a seal in the floor pan. It appears that the VR6 Passat has a vent tube with the battery in the trunk.

My Audi had this too, and I also noticed it on the current VR6 Passat.

-J

 

[GD]

The A4 diesel Jetta uses the larger H7, the A5, A6, NMS, as well as the New Beetle use the smaller H6.

Thanks!