[Llanigraham]

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

 

[SnowGood]

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

 

[Flintstone]

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.

 

[Llanigraham]

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

 

[The Hood]

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.

 

[FrostyPhil]

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

 

[Trilux]

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

 

[Pidgeonpost]

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) 😌

 

[logiclee]

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) 😌

Being an ex Jaguar owner I've spent a couple of years on the JLR forums and there's quite a few Jaguar techs on the XF forum.
Their advice is there is no need to recode if you fit the same type and capacity as long as the new battery is fitted fully charged and not just as delivered. The BMS will then optimise charge to suit the new fully charged capacity of the battery.

Obviously manufacturers systems will vary

 

[Flintstone]

You're right there. The BMW forums are littered with posts regarding the treatment of new batteries.
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) 😌

The first BMW to need battery coding was the E60 5th-gen 5-series (2004-2010). Those were notoriously fickle. To the extent if the battery had just been disconnected for a short period (not changing it for another unit), on re-connecting it again the car would not run until the various computers had been told what code it was using. Later Beemers are rather less pernickety (I'm told anyway). E90 3-series were certainly less bother.

Took the cover off my E46 BMW today. To give the straight-6 its fortnightly 30-minute run up. And make a start on some of its long list of recommissioning jobs. Including sorting through some of its 12 wheels and tyres to decide which set will go back on when the time comes. Gave its battery a full CTEK reconditioning charge last weekend. Cover back on now though, as tomorrow will be stone chip and winter salt ravages rectification time for the Yeti and the KA.

 

[Urrell]

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).

That is the exact reply I got from Tayna Batteries after being told by them that none of the batteries they sell have BEM codes on them.
But it had to be dragged out of them.

 

[Pidgeonpost]

The first BMW to need battery coding was the E60 5th-gen 5-series (2004-2010). Those were notoriously fickle. To the extent if the battery had just been disconnected for a short period (not changing it for another unit), on re-connecting it again the car would not run until the various computers had been told what code it was using. Later Beemers are rather less pernickety (I'm told anyway). E90 3-series were certainly less bother.

Took the cover off my E46 BMW today. To give the straight-6 its fortnightly 30-minute run up. And make a start on some of its long list of recommissioning jobs. Including sorting through some of its 12 wheels and tyres to decide which set will go back on when the time comes. Gave its battery a full CTEK reconditioning charge last weekend. Cover back on now though, as tomorrow will be stone chip and winter salt ravages rectification time for the Yeti and the KA.

You may remember we had an offline BMW discussion a while back.
The E60 styling had plenty of BMW purists clutching their pearls, though I knew nothing of that when we bought ours.
Although I had to replace the battery a couple of months after buying the car, and disconnected/reconnected it a few times, I never encountered any issues on reconnection luckily. I must admit to being fairly paranoid about touching anything electrical on the car without disconnecting the battery.
Our E60 was an early LCI model and, in contrast with the experience of some owners, it was pretty trouble-free over the 5+years we owned it, though I believe the Pre-LCI E60 could be more troublesome. Perhaps ours was one of the good ones!

 

[Flintstone]

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?