Your new 95AH battery will never receive full charge,…….untill you code it in.

 

Curious. What evidence, or, failing that,what logic supports your assertion?

 

If you put it on the CTEK would it not get a full charge? I replaced my battery but can't find a way to 'register' it free.

 

CTEk may charge it….but the BMS thinks it has a 92 , right?
If you have ever looked at a VAL for these cars……the amount of code lines for BMS is incredible. It’s complex.

 

Also curious. How does the BMS evaluate amp-Hour capacity and then how does it decide to stop charging based on that as opposed to voltage ? What basis do you have for this assertion ?

 

"EN A tests are more rigorous and require a battery to perform at its best for a longer period of time. This means that a battery's EN A rating will be lower than its CCA rating."

(5 second Google search)

CCA	EN
500	480
550	520
600	540
650	600
700	640
750	680
800	760
850	790
900	860
950	900
1000	940
1050	1000
1100	1040

CCA and EN Ratings on Car Batteries Explained

Both CCA and EN are measures of the starting (‘cranking’) power of a battery. CCA = Cold Cranking Amperes EN = European Norm CCA and EN ratings are not equivalent.

growenergy.com.au

In order to replace a Varta 850 EN A battery with a CCA battery, 900 CCA is the closest equivalent (~=860 EN A, so slightly more powerful)

If you assume CCA=EN A, & replace your 850 EN A Varta with an 850 CCA battery ...you are downgrading the power to ~ 790 EN A.

 

I just checked the battery out of curiosity on my newly acquired 15’ Macan and found a BMW battery installed with a date of 2017’ and 90AH.

I was not aware our cars can use OEM BMW batteries as well? I’m assuming it’s probably not a bad idea to get a fresh battery in just to be safe?

 

The fact that its a BMW battery is irrelevant in my opinion. As long as the battery meets the specs that your vehicle requires it is OK.
Changing a 2017 battery ASAP might not be necessary as these batteries when managed by the charging system can last a long time.

 

There is an EXCELLENT thread here that discusses how the BMS keeps the battery a little DISCHARGED just so its available for regenerative charging. i.e. Porsche values this feature more than your battery and certainly more than your wallet. This might be a good place to pick up the thread... https://www.macanforum.com/posts/2791805/ It's also possible that it is discussed earlier and later than this. Bottom line, the best way to protect the life of your battery is to keep it on a maintainer, if convenient.

And the only way to know if a battery should be replaced or not is to measure its SOH, out of the car, without the influence of other components, or by reading out the appropriate field in the BMS with a scanner. I believe that <75% SOH, BMS starts disabling things. Less of an issue in warm climates, but a warning sign in cold climates. What is bizarre is that the BMS never explicitly warns of a low SOH even though it could. It seems that it would "prefer" to lurk in the background disabling things instead and then cause you to go to the dealer for resolution and a $1,000 battery swap. I do not have any other explanation for it.

 

What maintainer is recommended?

 

CTEK 7002, read the other sticky ymmv

 

Be wary of all the 4.3V chargers. The optional Macan battery is 105AH, vice the standard 92AH battery, The original Porsche Charge O Mat, CTEK 3300 (3.3V) will not charge these batteries. The newer 4.3V will, barely, limited to 110 AH. They will but could take up to 28 hours.

 

It's true that these smaller units are not ideal for recharging a very discharged battery, but if you are having to do that, you may need a new battery or to have the charging system serviced, and not necessarily a different charger. CTEKs are programmed to throw an error if they do not achieve a certain charge level in a certain period of time. Unplugging and re-plugging the unit will often see it complete the charge cycle successfully on a bigger battery if this happens and the battery is a fundamentally healthy one.

CTEK claim the MXS 5.0... "Charges batteries up to 110AH. Maintains larger batteries up to 160AH." CTEK MXS 5.0 While a completely flat battery might take 28 hours, a completely flat battery is not likely to be a common use case for most drivers as their cars would have stopped functioning long earlier.

I have not seen a Macan owner need a 105 Ah battery nor have I read of one here, though I do not claim that that is 100% the case. Mine is fairly contented and has never struggled with the 92/95 Ah models.

p.s. I think you mean 3.3 Amp for the CTEK 3300 and 4.3 Amp for the MXS 5.0 ( a little "creative" rounding + marketing on their part).

 

I have not seen a Macan owner need a 105 Ah battery nor have I read of one here, though I do not claim that that is 100% the case. Mine is fairly contented and has never struggled with the 92/95 Ah models.

p.s. I think you mean 3.3 Amp for the CTEK 3300 and 4.3 Amp for the MXS 5.0 ( a little "creative" rounding + marketing on their part).

Yes, A, not V

My original battery was replaced free under warranty and the dealer threw on a 105AH without asking. They knew very well the batteries die easily. When its 0F, night after night, you can use all the CCA you can. Its 580 DIN 950EN. The dealers tests in DIN, not CCA or EN. There is no CCA marking. The larger capacity helps on the cold winter mornings.

CCA provides an essential measure of a battery’s ability to start an engine reliably in cold climates, making it a crucial consideration when selecting a battery for vehicles operating in such conditions.

ctek conversion chart

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/userfiles/PDFs/product%20information/CTEK%20products/CTEK%20Conversion%20Table%20from%20DIN%20to%20CCA.pdf

roughly 1020 CCA. Its about the cold, not about capacity. Its always smart to get the greater CCA the alternator can handle if in the snow belt in any car.

 

Yes, A, not V

My original battery was replaced free under warranty and the dealer threw on a 105AH without asking. They knew very well the batteries die easily. When its 0F, night after night, you can use all the CCA you can. Its 580 DIN 950EN. The dealers tests in DIN, not CCA or EN. There is no CCA marking. The larger capacity helps on the cold winter mornings.

CCA provides an essential measure of a battery’s ability to start an engine reliably in cold climates, making it a crucial consideration when selecting a battery for vehicles operating in such conditions.

ctek conversion chart

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/userfiles/PDFs/product%20information/CTEK%20products/CTEK%20Conversion%20Table%20from%20DIN%20to%20CCA.pdf

roughly 1020 CCA. Its about the cold, not about capacity. Its always smart to get the greater CCA the alternator can handle if in the snow belt in any car.

Having grown up in a climate where the back of my clutch pedal once caused the Rubbermaid winter floor mat to shatter into smithereens one very cold morning, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

 

Well I did this.
-Physically installed ✅
-Registered the change with PIWIS 3 ✅
-PIWIS 3 confirmed all ok ✅
All is good, it seems, but how do I verify fully that the car now knows it has a new battery?
Where, if at all, is the evidence? In P3 that is. Anyone know which screen view to look at?

 

I tried, like you, to confirm the installation I did with an iCarsoft POR V3 and it can not be done directly. iCarsoft tech support, if you want to call it that, could not provide any help with this. That said, when you look at the internal resistance the BMS reports you will see a much lower value with a new battery, clearly proving that the BMS is at the very least "appreciating" the new battery. I'd have to pull values from my old and new (2nd one i use rarely for a different purpose)) battery, both of which I still have out of the car, to be able to report what to expect.

 

You just need to trust that it worked.

 

How much did that battery cost and where did you buy it?

 

It is listed in the VAL. As well as a million other parameters on the BMS.

 

yes, I see under PIWIS, V mode, Gateway, Actual Values, there's some battery parameters, so I'll try validate my later.

 

Current Data Points:

2016 Macan Turbo 29k miles.

Had a couple of sluggish slow cranking starts on the car so I figured it was time. Had a good run with OEM battery [Varta 7P0 915 105 C - 92Hh] all things considered.

Purchased a Interstate Battery from Costco $179 item # 1624801. H8 (49) 95Ah 900CCA 36mo Warranty.

Will register the battery via iCarsoft this weekend.

Noticed immediately that the Auto S/S was working again after being dormant for years.

 

Are you still not seeing any issues since installing the new battery without doing the registration?

 

My battery seems to be working fine since I installed it end of Nov and didn't have a scan tool. Was planning to replace the vehicle with a newer GTS that the dealer said was coming in but missed out so just picked up a POR V2 from Icarsoft as I have an oil changed due soon. I think I will go in and update the battery specs for the replacement. I didn't see a part # on the battery I picked up from Costco H8-AGM Energizer, 900CCA, Itm# 2387650, 160 Reserve and 95 Ah. The original battery was a Varta 92AH and had the part # on the back so do I just use the part# from the old one ?

 

The part number is useless, practically speaking. Put anything you like there. As long as you respect the number of characters used the BMS will accept it. (11 characters with no spaces and all numbers). If you want your dealer to think you have a Porsche supplied battery if they ever look, use a Porsche part number for your battery (e.g. 95861109221 for the 92 AH version).

 

Update.
Following my new battery and registration via PIWIS 3, as above, I’ve noticed the car seems to run often at elevated voltages, c14.5V and above, which is a bit of a surprise. I’d expected a fall maybe to 14 ish.
So, I decided to look in the Gateway module, see if I could prove that the registration worked. I can see an ageing parameter is at 100%, but, unfortunately, otherwise, it’s not clear that it knows that a new battery is present…
Does anyone out there understand more about this?

 

FYI - I used an Autel MD808 Pro scanner to register new battery and it said "successful" but like you when I go back in to look at data, I cannot confirm nor find anywhere where it shows new battery was installed??

 

I have a 2017 S that I purchased used CPO roughly 4 yrs ago. Original battery is 8.5 yrs old. The MFD went from 14.7-14.8 now a constant 15. Collision warning acting funny sometimes. Figure it's time to replace as best my CTEK can charge it to is 79% SOH and 676CCA. Replaced with Interstate H8(49) for $179.99 from Costco. Before charging 12.48V and 919 CCA. After charging for 7 hrs. 13.04V
and 962CCA. Rated at 1000CA and 95Ah. Went with this as averages $60/yr for the 3 yr. warranty. Local dealer wanted $537.06 for just the battery.
My question is, isn't it more important what the alternator can put out rather than 92,95 or 105 Ah battery? The battery eventually will only be charged what the system can put out.

The plug instructions and picture of where the vents are (one each side) are attached. I hope to install this weekend with my Autel 808 Pro. Will update on how the registering goes. If successful, if anyone is in the Raleigh NC area and wants to do this themselves, I'll help.

 

Good job on sourcing an identical battery to the Porsche marked up one, for much less !

The battery and the alternator perform overlapping but also different functions.
Batteries are needed in the system for when the engine is not running or for when the power draw exceeds what the alternator can generate.
The alternator produces power when the engine is running at a voltage determined by the BMS in order to power connected devices and also to (re)charge the battery.
You need both and both are important in their own way.

The battery's Amp-hour (Ah) rating defines how long a battery can supply its voltage at a particular amperage (flow rate) when not being charged by a power source like an alternator. Higher Ah ratings mean the battery can provide its power longer. Higher Ah batteries also provide a higher level of instantaneous short duration current flow, needed for engine starting and particularly for starting in cold weather when batteries are less efficient at delivering power and engines are harder to turn over.

A given alternator can charge any battery of the correct voltage as long as it is connected long enough to fully charge that battery. Bigger batteries simply take longer to charge. So, it is not a matter of what the alternator is "putting out" , as much as for how long it is charging the battery. This logic holds within certain limits. The alternator must also be able to provide enough current flow at its voltage to make charging possible in a reasonable period of time. An under powered alternator (current) will take forever to charge a large battery, but when forever comes, the battery will be charged.

 

Just got done replacing and registering the battery. 1hr job but that included updating the 808Pro. All systems work but MFD still showing 14.9 on my test run but 12.7 with the car off which is better than before as it was 12.2 and dying. Interstate battery looks identical and was made in Germany. Hardest thing was putting the bolt back in the hold down bracket.

 

After starting the car, did the MFD give you a message asking you to drive the car ?

My working theory is that it will do this because registering the battery wipes away the old battery's history and the BMS now needs some information to decide whether to turn disabled systems back on. Driving the car let's it measure the new battery's behavior. In my case, a 5 or 6 mile drive was enough to accomplish this after which Auto Stop/Start began to work again.

Remember that the 14.9v you see is the total system voltage, not the battery's voltage. With this range of voltage the BMS thinks your battery needs some charging. It may be correct - that your new battery is a little low, or that it simply does not have enough information to allow it to drop lower.

 

No message to drive the car as I had my CTEK 7002 supply power during the swap.

 

Interesting. It does not have anything to do with keeping the car on the CTEK (hope you used Supply mode) while performing the swap. That just ensures that car programming remains intact. Did your Autel confirm proper registration ?

 

No. It is garaged. It is my DD but I work mainly from home and barely do 6k per year. I used the CTEK about once a month which I think is why the original lasted 8.5 years

 

You wrote about charging to 79% SOH. Charging will not materially change the SOH because internal corrosion and mineral deposits are largely to blame for a reduction in battery health. Charging can not reverse all of this. It obviously affects SOC which can be 100% even with a battery in poor health. But that charge will not last long in use.

Porsche consider 75% SOH to be the minimum. In southern climates I suspect that you can go a lot lower and still have a workable battery, but the BMS will definitely start disabling systems. You likely experienced that when you wrote about the "collision warning acting funny". That and Auto Stop/Start being disabled are definite signs of a low battery SOH. I went 7 years with very low mileage and long periods of non-use while never charging my battery and was at 75% SOH when I removed it. I never had the first hint of a starting problem. You did a little better and went a little longer with your periodic charges. I'm keeping my battery on the CTEK most of the time now because it is really easy for me to do with my setup. It will be interesting to see how long my battery lasts with this regime.

Try charging your battery and then starting the car to see how quickly the MFD displaye voltage stabilizes around 13+ volts. If it does not do this within 5 minutes for a new fully charged battery, check clamps for tightness and, if you did not already, remove them and brush the posts and clamp interiors lightly to remove surface corrosion.

 

Driving the car to work today and I guess the car adjusted to the new battery. 13.1 to 13.5 and going up to 14+ when braking. Also downshifts 2 gears when put into sport mode. Did not notice that before.

 

Okay I saw everywhere saying it would okay to use aftermarket battery if I just register it. My scan tool is capable but it is asking for part numbers and other stuff that is on a OEM but not on aftermarket. I tried to trick it by putting the information from the original battery but now have more lights on my dash than most people have on their tree at Christmas.

 

Use same part number just change the last digits from the serial number.

 

Can someone on this post answer the original question?? When you change the battery, do you need to have it registered? I’m thinking about changing my battery myself, but I’m worried that it needs to be registered to the car??

 

yes, you need to register the battery and certain numbers from the battery label to do it correctly. I used an Autel MD808 Pro scanner to accomplish it. Also, you need to use an OEM battery or the car/scanner won't complete the battery registration. If you do the work yourself, any local import mechanic (or the dealer) can do the registration for you for a small fee.

 

Still waiting on the list member that was going to not register his replacement battery and post regular Updates