Welcome.
Exactly what OBD11 unit have you bought?

(I have suggested this needs to be moved to the Technical section)

 

Rather than OBD Two Generic reader, I believe the OP is saying they have an OBD Eleven.

Apps and Features

Apps and Features

obdeleven.com

 

Hi FrostyPhil, welcome to the site. I would suggest that if the car starts in warmer weather, I would look at a few other things before worrying about the coding.

Quite a few of us use a plug in socket voltmeter similar to:

12V/24V Motorcycle Car USB Charger Power Socket Plug ON/OFF Switch Voltmeter UK | eBay

Universal for car, RV, ATV, motorbike, boat and marine etc. Output Current: DC 5V 3.1A, 9V 2.1A, 12V 1.5A. USB Port: 1. With ON-OFF switch, no need to worry about the issue of draining power. Power Input: DC 12V-24V.

www.ebay.co.uk

.

They come in different types, some with useful usb sockets and others with thermometers or just the plain voltmeter.

The first thing would be to check what voltage it is showing, once the engine is running. It should show more than 14 volts initially if your charging system is working.

If that is OK, check the voltage after you turn the engine off and then again the following day. You would expect it to be over 12 v then.

These two checks will tell you if the problem lies with the charging system or the battery.

Are you getting these problems when the car has been standing for more than a week or are you doing short journeys? You may need to think about getting a good intelligent battery charger.

If after all that, you think it is a coding issue, the following may help; If a battery is replaced with the same type, generally it will not need to be coded in. When a different type is fitted, the central electrics unit can become confused and hence that battery needs to be coded in, To do this, you will need VCDS or the get it done on a VAG Odis device. I don’t know if Carista will do it, but you are unlikely to fix it with most of the ordinary OBDII devices.

 

Hi FrostyPhil, welcome to the site. I would suggest that if the car starts in warmer weather, I would look at a few other things before worrying about the coding.

Quite a few of us use a plug in socket voltmeter similar to:

12V/24V Motorcycle Car USB Charger Power Socket Plug ON/OFF Switch Voltmeter UK | eBay

Universal for car, RV, ATV, motorbike, boat and marine etc. Output Current: DC 5V 3.1A, 9V 2.1A, 12V 1.5A. USB Port: 1. With ON-OFF switch, no need to worry about the issue of draining power. Power Input: DC 12V-24V.

www.ebay.co.uk

.

They come in different types, some with useful usb sockets and others with thermometers or just the plain voltmeter.

The first thing would be to check what voltage it is showing, once the engine is running. It should show more than 14 volts initially if your charging system is working.

If that is OK, check the voltage after you turn the engine off and then again the following day. You would expect it to be over 12 v then.

These two checks will tell you if the problem lies with the charging system or the battery.

Are you getting these problems when the car has been standing for more than a week or are you doing short journeys? You may need to think about getting a good intelligent battery charger.

Hi thanks for the information. I was thinking about getting something like that.

 

OK, Has the pro version got that facility yet? I thought it was still under development. Either way the plug in voltmeter might be an easier way to guide you in the right direction, initially.

 

OK, Has the pro version got that facility yet? I thought it was still under development.

OK, Has the pro version got that facility yet? I thought it was still under development. Either way the plug in voltmeter might be an easier way to guide you in the right direction, initially.

Hi Trilux . I have seen a few walkthrough for battery coding on VW Golf 7 but I don’t see the same options that they do. Maybe Skoda have different software. OBD11 just suggest I ask in the forums. They don’t seem to offer technical support.

 

OK, have you checked the code on the battery and is it the same as what you have on your OBD 11? If it is the same, it will already be coded. If it is different, you will need to replace the number on theOBD 11 with the one on the battery. You will also need to put in the name of the manufacturer.

 

Yes Trilux you are quite right. The battery is not factory fitted in fact it has a larger capacity than the standard battery and I should recode for it. Unfortunately the option does not appear in the software.

 

Have you tried over writing the number on the OBD11?
I am assuming that you have stop/start?

Edit. Just looking at your post #10 again, have you tried altering the battery part number first? On VCDS you need the three things: battery make, battery part number and the code. I would imagine it has to be the same on yours. Try inputting those things in a different order. Who knows? 🙂

 

Have you tried over writing the number on the OBD11?
I am assuming that you have stop/start?

Yes I have. In fact changed the last digit to a 2. It was accepted by the system ok and apparently tells the system that a new battery has been fitted.

 

Have just done an edit on my #13, have a look at the bit about the three pieces of info. I think you might be getting close.

 

Yes Trilux the three pieces of information. Can be entered with VCDS but I don’t have the option with OBD11. Maybe I am not using it correctly. If anyone has successfully used OBD11 to code a new battery please step forward.

 

On the subject of BEM codes I have been thinking I may need a new battery shortly so have looked at the Tayna batteries website and think the Varta looks good, the same make and almost the same capacity as the original I have fitted but could not see the BEM code on the picture so I emailed them several times back and forth to be greeted eventually with none of our after-market batteries have BEM codes, it's only the OEM batteries that have it!
Also our local VAG workshop have said the Yeti does not need battery coding, and while looking round on the web it seems it is just there so Skoda know if it's still the original battery fitted whilst under guarantee.

 

Well that suggests that who ever you spoke to doesn't know what they are talking about! I had a new battery fitted to my last Yeti by the tyre place in Newtown and they knew all about the codes and how to deal with them, when fitting an after-market battery.
And it certainly isn't just Skoda that require recoding when a new battery is fitted to certain cars.

 

You're right there. The BMW forums are littered with posts regarding the treatment of new batteries. The rule that applied there, and NOT necessarily here, was that if you replaced a battery of the same type (ie lead acid with lead acid or AGM with AGM), and it was the same capacity, then you just had to register the new battery with the car.
If you changed the type of battery and/or you you change the battery capacity, then you should both register it as a new battery and code the new values. Bit of a nightmare or what, especially if you don't know whether the existing battery (if a replacement) was ever registered and/or coded when fitted?
Some of the US BMW forums had dire warnings about sticking to the rules, others dismissed them and said just stick a new battery on and drive it!
(I do miss that straight six) 😌

 

Is it possible that only AGM batteries have the markings? Wouldn’t seem a lot of point on other types if not fitted to stop/start enabled cars, which assumedly do not have battery monitoring?

 

Is it possible that only AGM batteries have the markings?

That would make sense and that is what I wanted but the reply I got from Tayna was none of their batteries had the code marked on them as they were after-market.
Something I found that I was not aware of is that vehicles with energy recovery do not charge the battery to full so it leaves room for that happening.

 

My understanding is that it is only AGM and the slightly cheaper equivalents that have the coding. Lead acid ones dont.

 

The EFB battery I had that failed and was replaced under warranty certainly had a BEM sticker.

 

The EFB battery I had that failed and was replaced under warranty certainly had a BEM sticker.

Yup. I found the same on the EFB batt's fitted to both the Fiat 500 and the Ford KA in my "fleet", each had/have BEM code stickers. Then, EFBs are frequently fitted (at factory) to cars with stop/start. As a cheaper alternative to AGM batts. So BEM codes would be more relevant to them.

Both cars have S/S. (Although disabled by me). And have battery management modules fitted to the top of the battery negative post (integrated with the earth cable). Being identical to each other mechanically (other than the KA having A/C).

I suspect it's just traditional / regular / old tech batteries that don't have (or need?) codes? That's what I understood Graham was saying in #21. He didn't mention the acronym "EFB", just the words "slightly cheaper equivalents" (to AGM), meaning EFB.

 

Correct Henry, but I couldn't remember the acronym.

 

The original battery in my Yeti had a BEM code sticker on the top, I can't remember if the replacement did, I don't think so.

 

Hi from my research around the forums I think they have stopped issuing BEM codes. The latest batteries don’t have them. Not sure why

 

Interesting that. Have just copied this from Carmechanics.proboards:

For most newer VAG group cars we have been buying and selling TPS supplied batteries (Varta or Yuasa) with BEM code stickers and coding them via VCDS. Had few hours in VW dealership today to learn - these BEM codes having nothing to do with battery management and more to do with warranty (to prove the battery you are claiming for was actually the battery on the car in question). I have fitted aftermarket good make batteries to VAG group cars - Exide and Bosch with no problems at all - we have always fitted AGM for stop start applications. Done a bit of research - if you put any 11 digit number in - the battery management system will think it has a new battery and if you don't - after 2 to 6hrs of vehicle use it will self learn and will sort itself out. Only thing I can add to the above - you want to buying a battery with the same CCA and AH as the one you have removed. Learn something new every day... www.remmington.info

trickydicky Tea Maker Posts: 691 Sep 3, 2020 at 10:28pm via mobile remmington likes this Quote Post by trickydicky on Sep 3, 2020 at 10:28pm We just use 1111111111 and we swap any EFBs to AGMs and change it to VAO/AGM in the set up page Newer VAGs we have to select "gateway" to do battery matching

remmington Apprentice Posts: 3,528 Member is Online Sep 7, 2020 at 7:08am trickydicky likes this Quote Post by remmington on Sep 7, 2020 at 7:08am Sep 3, 2020 at 10:28pm trickydicky said: We just use 1111111111 and we swap any EFBs to AGMs and change it to VAO/AGM in the set up page Newer VAGs we have to select "gateway" to do battery matching I plugged my own 13 plate Passat estate in with VCDS - to find you had been at it before (TeeHee). It had for a BEM code for an Exide AGM stop/start battery: 096 TU3 1111111111 096 being the battery size and TU3 being the code for Exide from VCDS drop down menu. I am learning something here about VAG BEM codes - sort of a "little home study cource". Thanks trickydicky... www.remmington.info

 

Indeed! That’s what I thought it OK to mention BMWs in reply. For non aficionados, the E60 5-series, was the first designed by American Chris Bangle. It featured a radical departure in both interior and exterior styling. Compared to BMW’s previous very “evolutionary” styling. The BMW Supervisory Board had been particularly stung by magazine test driver and media criticism of the previous E39 5-series, that it was almost indistinguishable from its own predecessor, that the hacks reckoned they could hardly tell the E39 apart from its predecessor. So vowed that the E60 would be different. Hence they brought in Bangle to shake up the design. The Z4 was another of his early BMW designs. Also a bit of a “Marmite” car.

When The E60 appeared though, real world buyers were horrified by its “flame edged” styling, that they stayed away from showrooms in their droves. Buying more conservative (at the time) Mercedes instead. Meanwhile 12-month old E39s were fetching more than original list price, second-hand E60s had to be heavily discounted to get them out of showrooms. For the relatively rapidly introduced facelift version, and every subsequent 5-series since, they have gradually moved back the styling to be more of a direct styling descendant of the E39. Bangle toned down some of his later designs, before moving on to form his own consultancy. Currently doing work for Samsung, according to Wikipedia.

I mention all this, because the story has close parallels with the Yeti. Which was similarly slammed in the press when first released, for its “quirky and old fashioned” styling. Hence why Skoda abandoned the Yeti heritage when they replaced it. Despite having found so many buyers. Making the Karoq much more bland and similar to every other small cross-over on the road.

Ironically, to this day, many BMW enthusiasts still recognise the E39 5 as “the best car BMW have ever made”. Not just due its styling, but also its silk smooth straight six engines, bomb-proof ZF transmissions and legendary Munich build quality, not found on more modern BMWs. Not to mention more easy to live with electronics, with an absence of over-complicated battery management. Again, parallels with the Yeti perhaps?