You sure that replacement battery from the dealer is another Varta?
I could be wrong, but thought I read that the replacement batteries stocked by dealers are made in North America, and not the same Vartas that came as OE in the car from Germany.
6
Battery Replacements?
- Thread starter forwardlean
- Start date
You sure that replacement battery from the dealer is another Varta?
I could be wrong, but thought I read that the replacement batteries stocked by dealers are made in North America, and not the same Vartas that came as OE in the car from Germany.
NotMoneyGuy
Ready to race!
No, I don't know and thanks for the info. Here is a pic of the new OEM from VW's website https://owners.vwmodels.ca/parts/batteries/
My "Plan B" would probably be to try to cram in the below Kirkland H6 bad-boy from Costco. Hopefully lots of time to find out more, if there are issues or drastic price changes with the OEM.
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I have replaced my battery last year after about 6.5 years. And I had the same thought process of going with OEM since the one I had lasted very well.
However, after some research, and actually calling different dealers and asking what batteries they are selling, the OEM here is NOT Varta. Varta is only available in Europe, and is made By Johnson Controls (same guys behind Interstate, Kirkland, EverStart) and although some dealers supposedly carry Interstate, the ones I called said that all they have is Exide in stock. And their warranty was pretty bad by comparison. I forget the details exactly, but it was something around 1 year full replacement, and somewhere up to 2 years pro-rated. Exide also makes the batteries for Canadian Tire.
Based on my research, Johnson Controls seem to be the best choice, while Exide... not so much. That being said, Interstate and Kirkland DO NOT have the correct size for the MK6 GTI. The ones they do have are for the TDI IIRC, but they WILL fit in the GTI, you just won't be able to use that insulation that covers your battery atm. And since they're larger, they are also a little heavier, and I didn't want any more weight upfront. So I ended up going with Walmart's Everstart (made by Jonson Controls) since it is the right fit for the GTI, and comes with a decent warranty of 5 years - pro-rated. Not as good as Cosco's, but still decent.
The battery you need is Group 47. In the pics above you show 48. Again, it'll fit, but it is a tad larger.
Just my 2 cents.
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NotMoneyGuy
Ready to race!
Isn't the also mentioned Costco Kirkland # 1114556 Kirkland Fitment Code 32, H5, 650 CCA, $114.99 a direct fit then? (With regards to Group Size, I assume that DIN H5 is the same as BCI 47.)
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NotMoneyGuy
Ready to race!
Here is some battery info from Canadian Tire from yesterday, Dec. 15, 2017:
forwardlean
Go Kart Champion
Those Eliminator ones seem really nice on spec. It would be cool to see a guy like AvE do a review on these. The CCA numbers are good, but is this one of those specs that battery guys inflate?
Any reason the dealers don't stock the batteries that come with the car?
Any reason the dealers don't stock the batteries that come with the car?
:thumbup:
Great info, you research very well !
I go with Walmart for all my batteries.
I’m thinking it just doesn’t make economic sense to ship a heavy battery all the way from Europe when there are plenty of batteries being made in North America. Any battery that’s the right size will do, so may as well source the cheapest/closest ones.
Not sure what I’ll do when mine dies. It’s almost 8 years old now and still going strong, even in the cold weather recently.
I put one of those Motomaster Eliminator AGMs in our SUV a few years ago and it’s been fine so far. There’s a Cdn Tire down the street, so I’d probably go that way again if the GTI’s dies unexpectedly and I need a replacement quick.
If it dies slowly and I have some time to shop, I’d probably rather go to Costco for the replacement.
Lesson Learnt ...
The morning I posted my last post, the temperature outside was like -31 celcius with wind chill, when I turned the key nothing happened, I was sure reading this thread the night was a Jinx, i thought the worst but after hooking up my charger with a Start function the same thing happened, there was more to the problem.
After trying a few times I noticed a German message starting with Kom..... flashing up, I pushed the clutch all the way to the floor and she fired right up.
Lesson Learnt !
The morning I posted my last post, the temperature outside was like -31 celcius with wind chill, when I turned the key nothing happened, I was sure reading this thread the night was a Jinx, i thought the worst but after hooking up my charger with a Start function the same thing happened, there was more to the problem.
After trying a few times I noticed a German message starting with Kom..... flashing up, I pushed the clutch all the way to the floor and she fired right up.
Lesson Learnt !
I replaced the Varta last year and researched our options (available in Canada) pretty thoroughly – at least within reason.
My first pick would've been the OEM Varta - but the handful of dealers I called at the time weren't selling the exact one. It served me well and I like the construction/build quality. Totally impressed that you can check water level from the opaque sidewalls.
Second choice was the Eliminator Ultra AGM. Loved the specs, that it was AGM, the 5 year warranty and certified Canadian cuz let's be real.. -30, -40s ain't "normal."
Ended up picking the third option though, Costco's AGM. I found it to be the most cost-effective AGM. But as mentioned.. it's one of the batteries that fit but not exact. The slight increase in weight didn't bother me much, however, the fitment did for a while. Groups size is 24F. The two main issues:
a) the terminals are not sunken down/embeded like the H5/H6 (see photos below). You won't be able to clip/lock the hard box cover. Around the height of the MAF plug.
b) the lip at the bottom edge of the battery is not as prominent. Make sure the metal bracket used to hold the battery down (left side towards intake) is secure.
I believe it was $170 all in ($180 after tax plus $10 back when you return your old batt. That's $70 less than Eliminator ($260 after tax and $20 return). Not a huge amount, I agree, but considering you can get Costco's H6 for $125 all in.
I quickly contributed the savings towards other mods
Consumption: P3cars Multi-gauge, RVC, but mainly front/rear dash cam with parking mode (module to control voltage drain). No garage, so out in the elements year-round.
My first pick would've been the OEM Varta - but the handful of dealers I called at the time weren't selling the exact one. It served me well and I like the construction/build quality. Totally impressed that you can check water level from the opaque sidewalls.
Second choice was the Eliminator Ultra AGM. Loved the specs, that it was AGM, the 5 year warranty and certified Canadian cuz let's be real.. -30, -40s ain't "normal."
Ended up picking the third option though, Costco's AGM. I found it to be the most cost-effective AGM. But as mentioned.. it's one of the batteries that fit but not exact. The slight increase in weight didn't bother me much, however, the fitment did for a while. Groups size is 24F. The two main issues:
a) the terminals are not sunken down/embeded like the H5/H6 (see photos below). You won't be able to clip/lock the hard box cover. Around the height of the MAF plug.
b) the lip at the bottom edge of the battery is not as prominent. Make sure the metal bracket used to hold the battery down (left side towards intake) is secure.
I believe it was $170 all in ($180 after tax plus $10 back when you return your old batt. That's $70 less than Eliminator ($260 after tax and $20 return). Not a huge amount, I agree, but considering you can get Costco's H6 for $125 all in.
I quickly contributed the savings towards other mods
Consumption: P3cars Multi-gauge, RVC, but mainly front/rear dash cam with parking mode (module to control voltage drain). No garage, so out in the elements year-round.
forwardlean
Go Kart Champion
I purchased one of those smart chargers during the cold snap and my original battery is still working like a hot damn.
NotMoneyGuy
Ready to race!
Long story bro....
My original 480 CCA 5K0915105D Varta survived the worst of the winter too, but now at almost 6 years 4 months of use, I preemptively swapped it out today with the 730 CCA H6 from Costco.
Reason for this "earlier than needed" expenditure was that I was heading to the dealer for my slightly overdue 120,000 km DSG transmission oil/filter change this morning and called them up on the way and asked if they would be willing to throw in a "brand new customer supplied" battery as the battery needs to come out of the car anyways for the DSG filter change.
They were OK with this, so I hit Costco on the way down and picked up the now ten dollar more expensive $129.99 Costco #24 Kirkland Signature 270552 in H6 size. Managed to get a fresh one with a "1/18" green sticker (January 2018).
The revised VW OEM one (now at 540 CCA) had gone up in price too, now at $148 and $147.14 at a couple of dealers.
The insulation blanket - as expected - would not fit, so it is now stored in the garage along with my original "not gone yet" Varta as I got my hands on a free dead Interstate battery to surrender instead for my Costco $10+HST core deposit refund on the way back from the VW dealer.
I had planned to change the battery late fall of 2018, but with the old one out today, I acted early. Feels good to have gone from a 6+ year old 480 CCA one to a fresh 730 CCA one.
I liked this DSG service video on a 2012 GTI that had some info on the battery out and in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ink6ZpYqPQk
My original 480 CCA 5K0915105D Varta survived the worst of the winter too, but now at almost 6 years 4 months of use, I preemptively swapped it out today with the 730 CCA H6 from Costco.
Reason for this "earlier than needed" expenditure was that I was heading to the dealer for my slightly overdue 120,000 km DSG transmission oil/filter change this morning and called them up on the way and asked if they would be willing to throw in a "brand new customer supplied" battery as the battery needs to come out of the car anyways for the DSG filter change.
They were OK with this, so I hit Costco on the way down and picked up the now ten dollar more expensive $129.99 Costco #24 Kirkland Signature 270552 in H6 size. Managed to get a fresh one with a "1/18" green sticker (January 2018).
The revised VW OEM one (now at 540 CCA) had gone up in price too, now at $148 and $147.14 at a couple of dealers.
The insulation blanket - as expected - would not fit, so it is now stored in the garage along with my original "not gone yet" Varta as I got my hands on a free dead Interstate battery to surrender instead for my Costco $10+HST core deposit refund on the way back from the VW dealer.
I had planned to change the battery late fall of 2018, but with the old one out today, I acted early. Feels good to have gone from a 6+ year old 480 CCA one to a fresh 730 CCA one.
I liked this DSG service video on a 2012 GTI that had some info on the battery out and in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ink6ZpYqPQk
NotMoneyGuy
Ready to race!
Just to complete this previous post, here are a couple of later pics from Feb. 18/18, possibly of some use to those considering going with the slight up-size H6 from Walmart. (EverStart, MAXX-H6, 730 CCA, 900 CA).
Lös Gehts
Ready to race!
My original 480 CCA 5K0915105D Varta survived the worst of the winter too, but now at almost 6 years 4 months of use, I preemptively swapped it out today with the 730 CCA H6 from Costco.
Reason for this "earlier than needed" expenditure was that I was heading to the dealer for my slightly overdue 120,000 km DSG transmission oil/filter change this morning and called them up on the way and asked if they would be willing to throw in a "brand new customer supplied" battery as the battery needs to come out of the car anyways for the DSG filter change.
They were OK with this, so I hit Costco on the way down and picked up the now ten dollar more expensive $129.99 Costco #24 Kirkland Signature 270552 in H6 size. Managed to get a fresh one with a "1/18" green sticker (January 2018).
The revised VW OEM one (now at 540 CCA) had gone up in price too, now at $148 and $147.14 at a couple of dealers.
The insulation blanket - as expected - would not fit, so it is now stored in the garage along with my original "not gone yet" Varta as I got my hands on a free dead Interstate battery to surrender instead for my Costco $10+HST core deposit refund on the way back from the VW dealer.
I had planned to change the battery late fall of 2018, but with the old one out today, I acted early. Feels good to have gone from a 6+ year old 480 CCA one to a fresh 730 CCA one.
I liked this DSG service video on a 2012 GTI that had some info on the battery out and in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ink6ZpYqPQk
Just picked up the same Kirkland battery. as my second battery purchased 3 years ago from the dealer had died, I chose this as I found the second battery didn't last as long as the original, didn't know they weren't the same battery just assumed that the dealer sold the original ones. I'll give this a go and hope it lasts longer, it has a better warranty too! oh and i had no problem fitting the insulation back around the Kirkland H6 just put in on before connecting the terminals. Cheers