[NC TRACKRAT]

You wouldn't even need to do that. You could use a small 12v lawn mower battery or a 12v gel cell battery used for electronics. That would be enough to maintain memory settings on all the various devices in the vehicle.

 

[mataa]

When swapping the battery would it be a bad idea to use jumper cable from another car to supply the 12v to the terminal and ground under the hood of the Macan?

Perfect. That's what I did.

 

[Jamshid]

Hi Gordog, would you mind re-sharing your video?I'm about to embark on the same adventure as everyone else before me!

Thank you!

Thank you @gordog for the very helpful video.

I bought at Costco:
Group H8-AGMAbsorbent Glass Mat Automotive Battery
Item # 2387650
Made in Germany

While replacing the battery, I connected CTEK CS Free. All my settings remained intact after installation.

I also used Autel AP200. Initially, I was having trouble because it wouldn't load the service menu but I figured to reinstall the diag-europe.

Serial number: barcode number + spaces (15 characters)

Porsche part number: second line numbers beside the QR code plus space before the last digit F (11 characters)

I noticed after programming the new battery, the float voltage reached to optimum (varies depending on temperature)

 

[mataa]

You wouldn't even need to do that. You could use a small 12v lawn mower battery or a 12v gel cell battery used for electronics. That would be enough to maintain memory settings on all the various devices in the vehicle.

If you use a small battery, ensure that no large consumers of power are switched on.

 

[Jamshid]

Thank you @gordog for the very helpful video.

I bought at Costco:
Group H8-AGMAbsorbent Glass Mat Automotive Battery
Item # 2387650
Made in Germany

While replacing the battery, I connected CTEK CS Free. All my settings remained intact after installation.

I also used Autel AP200. Initially, I was having trouble because it wouldn't load the service menu but I figured to reinstall the diag-europe.

Serial number: barcode number + spaces (15 characters)
View attachment 288832

Porsche part number: second line numbers beside the QR code plus space before the last digit F (11 characters)
View attachment 288833

I noticed after programming the new battery, the float voltage reached to optimum (varies depending on temperature)

I decided to replace my battery (7 years and 7 months) when I had the load switch off 603 even though it never went back after I bought CTEK.

 

[Mechanic]

I think its past time to replace the original battery on my 2015 S. I have almost 80,000km on and have had a few starts lately, where it's cranked a little slow and dash warning msg saying only rear wheel drive available. Drive for 5 mins, pull over and restart and it's gone away. Also, it's taken a couple of days for my CTEK to show fully charged. I generally drive the vehicle about 3 times a week and only ever leave the CTEK on when I'm gone for a month but I realize a 10yr old battery is overdue for replacement. I had a local guy that did all my previous oil changes etc and he had the scan tool but has now retired. Did the last oil change myself and didn't worry about the reminder but sounds like a new battery definitely needs the scan tool use or if I use the same 95Ah battery available at Costco, can I get away without registering it ?

 

[embdenb]

needs the scan tool use or if I use the same 95Ah battery available at Costco, can I get away without registering it ?

This has been discussed in great detail. Short answer. Yes, you can replace the battery without registering in via a scan tool, BUT you risk shortening the lifespan of the replacement battery.

 

[mataa]

This has been discussed in great detail. Short answer. Yes, you can replace the battery without registering in via a scan tool, BUT you risk shortening the lifespan of the replacement battery.

I do not believe that not registering the battery has ever been proven to reduce the new battery's life. The popular but not proven theory is that the battery will be overcharged as the BMS believes that the new battery is limping. But no charging voltage the BMS will deliver will harm any battery, What not registering does do is keep the BMS from allowing disabled functions and equipment from being re-activated as quickly. As the BMS collects new battery performance data, the old data regarding battery health will disappear and systems will be restored - just more slowly.

 

[Mechanic]

I do not believe that not registering the battery has ever been proven to reduce the new battery's life. The popular but not proven theory is that the battery will be overcharged as the BMS believes that the new battery is limping. But no charging voltage the BMS will deliver will harm any battery, What not registering does do is keep the BMS from allowing disabled functions and equipment from being re-activated as quickly. As the BMS collects new battery performance data, the old data regarding battery health will disappear and systems will be restored - just more slowly.

I read a lot of the discussion but still wasn't clear if I could do it without the scan tool. I think I'll just change the battery for now and see how it goes. Not worried if it doesn't last as long as I likely won't keep the vehicle much longer anyway. It has been a great vehicle but I've had it 10yrs and that's the longest I've ever kept a vehicle as it is.

 

[embdenb]

Some time ago a poster decided he would install a battery without registering it and keep us updated. If you are still on this list we would love to hear from you.

 

[iconoclast]

The potential issue with not registering the new battery is not merely a shortened life for that new battery.
It is also potential damage to the alternator & maybe other parts of the charging system.
IDK if true but, vaguely recall reading about that somewhere. Alternator working harder since it 'thinks' the new battery is old & need more charging.

I also would like to hear from some longtime MF members who tell us they changed their battery, did not register it and their battery is going strong at 7 or 8 years!

It would also be nice to hear from some people who replaced their original battery and their new battery failed in 2 years or 3 years, etc. My guess is there are not enough people on this forum who kept their Macan long enough.

The diagnostic tool to register the battery and also turn off the oil change nag screen is not that expensive and the procedure for replacing the battery and registering it is very well documented in this forum.

I recommend "Launch CRB5001" scan tool ...very easy to use & works on my MY 2016 Macan & MY 2019 911.
I had originally purchased Autel Maxi AP200, in 2021, to use with smartphone. It was very cumbersome to use & did work to register Macan battery. But years later, did NOT work for 911. When I called Autel, their customer service was very bad.
When I pointed out that when I purchased it the Amazon listing said and still says:
"Access all modules for your selected manufacturer.”
“For use with all 1996 & newer OBDII Compliant Vehicles”

For my 911 kept getting: “Service: No Sequence Available”
Autel told me will not work on cars newer than MY 2017!
I said:
"Why would you sell a tool in 2021 that would NOT work on the past 3 years of cars?"
He said Amazon is not an authorized dealer and if I would've bought it from Napa auto parts or some other authorized dealer, they would've disclosed that it wouldn't work on any car past 2017.

So Buyer beware if purchase Autel Maxi AP200. Make absolutely sure it will work on your MY car.

 

[mataa]

The potential issue with not registering the new battery is not merely a shortened life for that new battery.
It is also potential damage to the alternator & maybe other parts of the charging system.
IDK if true but, vaguely recall reading about that somewhere. Alternator working harder since it 'thinks' the new battery is old & need more charging.

I also would like to hear from some longtime MF members who tell us they changed their battery, did not register it and their battery is going strong at 7 or 8 years!

It would also be nice to hear from some people who replaced their original battery and their new battery failed in 2 years or 3 years, etc. My guess is there are not enough people on this forum who kept their Macan long enough.

The diagnostic tool to register the battery and also turn off the oil change nag screen is not that expensive and the procedure for replacing the battery and registering it is very well documented in this forum.

I recommend "Launch CRB5001" scan tool ...very easy to use & works on my MY 2016 Macan & MY 2019 911.
I had originally purchased Autel Maxi AP200, in 2021, to use with smartphone. It was very cumbersome to use & did work to register Macan battery. But years later, did NOT work for 911. When I called Autel, their customer service was very bad.
When I pointed out that when I purchased it the Amazon listing said and still says:
"Access all modules for your selected manufacturer.”
“For use with all 1996 & newer OBDII Compliant Vehicles”

For my 911 kept getting: “Service: No Sequence Available”
Autel told me will not work on cars newer than MY 2017!
I said:
"Why would you sell a tool in 2021 that would NOT work on the past 3 years of cars?"
He said Amazon is not an authorized dealer and if I would've bought it from Napa auto parts or some other authorized dealer, they would've disclosed that it wouldn't work on any car past 2017.

So Buyer beware if purchase Autel Maxi AP200. Make absolutely sure it will work on your MY car.

I do not agree. Here's why. The Macan's BMS tracks 23 different battery related parameters. It is designed to use this information to manage battery charging in real time.
Note the first 4 listings below. All are related to the condition and age of the battery. It seems more then a little implausible that the BMS would "willfully" ignore all of this real time data in favor of treating the new battery like an old one.

There is no data I've ever seen anywhere to support the contention that the BMS will harm a new battery and alternator if it is not registered; only supposition.

To further prove the point, hook up a voltmeter or pull up the MFD voltage display and, once the battery is fully charged, you will observe perfectly normal system voltages in the 13v range with a good battery. If the BMS were overcharging, you'd see system voltages in the 14v range or higher.

The complete list of battery data I observed from a scan tool is shown here:

• Battery aging, charge related (%)
• Battery aging, output related (%)
• SPECIFIED battery internal resistance
• Battery internal resistance normalized
• Battery charge condition
• Battery charge condition smoothened
• Extraction charge
• Open-circuit voltage
• Battery detection cancelled
• Battery voltage
• Battery current filtered
• Battery current
• Battery temperature (acid)
• Battery temperature (pole)
• Closed circuit current limit dropped below (permanent)
• Closed circuit current limit exceeded (permanent)
• Watchdog reset status
• Communication status
• Battery sensor status
• Counter voltage threshold 1
• Counter voltage threshold 2
• Counter voltage threshold 3
• Wake-up reason

 

[iconoclast]

You make a good case but, if you are correct, then registering the battery is simply a scam by Porsche & several other manufacturers, just to get more $ from customers who need the dealer to change their batteries so the dealer can register the new battery.

So, have you personally changed a Porsche battery & not registered it?
If so, how old was the old battery & how long have you had the new, unregistered battery in the car?

FWIW, My old Macan battery routinely showed system V on the MFD of mid to high 14s.
Immediately after I installed & registered the new battery, it routinely showed low 13s.

However, my new battery (Made by Clarios, the maker of the OEM Varta)was 95Ah & 900 CCA.
OEM Varta was 92 Ah, 850 A EN. (EN ≠ CCA.)

IDK what the system V on the MFD would have been had I NOT registered the new battery.

 

[mataa]

You make a good case but, if you are correct, then registering the battery is simply a scam by Porsche & several other manufacturers, just to get more $ from customers who need the dealer to change their batteries so the dealer can register the new battery.

So, have you personally changed a Porsche battery & not registered it?
If so, how old was the old battery & how long have you had the new, unregistered battery in the car?

FWIW, My old Macan battery routinely showed system V on the MFD of mid to high 14s.
Immediately after I installed & registered the new battery, it routinely showed low 13s.

However, my new battery (Made by Clarios, the maker of the OEM Varta)was 95Ah & 900 CCA.
OEM Varta was 92 Ah, 850 A EN. (EN ≠ CCA.)

IDK what the system V on the MFD would have been had I NOT registered the new battery.

Though I think Porsche are not completely well-intentioned, I do not think battery registration is a scam per se. Or at least not a complete scam.

First, Porsche direct us to register new batteries. HOWEVER, nowhere have read that Porsche have warned about battery or alternator damage caused by not registering it. Turning the focus back now, where have you read that Posrche have provided this warning? Has anyone seen such a warning from Porsche ? Who has observed damage to a new battery or alternartor ? Anyone ? Without either of these, I suggest we stop making these warnings.

So, what then is the reason for the registration requirement ? From experience we know that:

a) Registration makes it easy for a tech to see when a battery was replaced, its serial number, type and rating without looking at the battery itself. (Not exactly a huge benefit to an owner.)

b) If the battery type is changed (e.g. AGM to Flooded Lead Acid), then it can be useful for the BMS to know this because ideal charging voltages for different battery types can vary and the BMS can lilkely not be able to detect the change. The same may be true when installing bigger or smaller batteries than stock as the increased or decreased response to charging may be misconstrued by the BMS to be an issue.

c) Installing a new battery and registering it will not automatically restore functions that the BMS disabled due to previous poor battery health. Of these systems, the Auto Stop-Start feature is the most commonly disabled system. I have also noted intermittent problems with the distance sensor used by cruise control and emergency collision braking. This fact is interesting. When I replaced my battery with a brand new, fully charged one, and then registered it, Auto Stop-Start still did not work. I was really concerned by this. What did happen is that the car immediately threw an error directing me to drive the car upon starting it up for the first time. After a brief drive, Auto Stop-Start began working again. And my distance sensor has never mal-functionned since the new battery either. My explanation for this is that the BMS knew something had changed because of the registration, but it did not simply take the registration information at face value. Instead, it wanted new data to base its charging regimen upon. Driving the car provided that new data. Another poster described charging the battery after registration and he did not receive the error. I think it's because the BMS was able to collect the data about the new battery's response to charging it needed, without driving.

My working theory is that the BMS constantly collects data but does not react immediately to new data. Registering the new battery wipes away the old data. This speeds up the adaptation to the new one. However, until the new battery is charged (by driving or on a charger) it does not change anything. The BMS needs new data the BMS needs to decide how to behave. In theory, you could have replaced the old battery with a defective one, so it wants to collect and analyze data with the new one before changing its behavior and before re-activating systems. Not registering the new battery simply lets the old data persist for a while until the new battery's behavior can generate new data which is then integrated into the BMS's behavior. In the meantime, nothing shocking is going on. There are no facts to suggest that the BMS will overcharge a new battery. System activation may take a little while longer because the BMS waits to collect enough data to be "convinced" that the current battery is capable of runnig those.

d) This is where Porsche is suspect. They designed this wonderful and very capable BMS system. But that same system NEVER provides a warning to the driver that the battery's health is not good or that systems are being disabled, despite it having access to the same data we collect when we use a stand-alone battery analyzer to determine battery health (internal resistance etc.). Why is that ? Why does the BMS start disabling systems while never alerting the driver to the issue causing this ? It will throw some errors but not about Auto Stop/Start and not about the battery. I am quite cynical about this. I think that Porsche thinks that if owners are alerted to a battery issue, some may try to replace the battery on their own, like I did for <$175. Porsche prefers that you take your car to the dealer and complain about the systems which have been disabled. Once there, they like that the dealer will diagnose the issue and get to offer you a $1,000 battery (with registration). Once you are already at the dealer, they are banking on you rolling over for the abuse you will get, instead of walking away, like I did many years ago.

e) If the dealer performs the work, they will charge the battery or drive the car before it is returned to you. This will restore the disabled systems. And this allows them to claim they did work to get these things going again, or to simply justify the $1,000 battery charge. For $1,000 you deserve something you can observe. A new battery, with no other change in car behavior just does not feel as good..... if a gouging can actually feel good.

 

[grim]

First, Porsche direct us to register new batteries. HOWEVER, nowhere have read that Porsche have warned about battery or alternator damage caused by not registering it. Turning the focus back now, where have you read that Posrche have provided this warning? Has anyone seen such a warning from Porsche ? Who has observed damage to a new battery or alternartor ? Anyone ? Without either of these, I suggest we stop making these warnings.

Porsche warns its users to follow proper breakin for 2000 miles, all their ICE. Some internet “experts” say to drive it like you stole it. Yet a PCA rep at Stuttgart was told exactly why

Porsche Engine Break-In

New Engine Break-in Conundrum By: Ken Koop-The Yellowstone Region (Old Faithful Newsletter)Since I was a young boy, I have always wondered why it takes so long to break-in a new engine--especially those built by Porsche. Most people driving new cars…

yel.pca.org

The damage done by ignoring it is on the buyer. But is not good stewardship because they might dump the car. To know exactly, you need a large enough sample size of those who do, and do not, follow the engineers directions. You will never see that so you need to trust the people who designed and built the car and not the internet “ experts”.

Whenever I see that I wonder if the original owner will pay for the premature damage from the advice they give. Of course not.

The same is true here. Just because you dont understand it, just like the breakin drive it like you stole it crowd, does not mean there isnt a reason.

You dont know what you dont know. I suggest not advising people against what the people who built the cars say to do. Everything is not a conspiracy from “ stealerships”.

 

[mataa]

Porsche warns its users to follow proper breakin for 2000 miles, all their ICE. Some internet “experts” say to drive it like you stole it. Yet a PCA rep at Stuttgart was told exactly why

Porsche Engine Break-In

New Engine Break-in Conundrum By: Ken Koop-The Yellowstone Region (Old Faithful Newsletter)Since I was a young boy, I have always wondered why it takes so long to break-in a new engine--especially those built by Porsche. Most people driving new cars…

yel.pca.org

The damage done by ignoring it is on the buyer. But is not good stewardship because they might dump the car. To know exactly, you need a large enough sample size of those who do, and do not, follow the engineers directions. You will never see that so you need to trust the people who designed and built the car and not the internet “ experts”.

Whenever I see that I wonder if the original owner will pay for the premature damage from the advice they give. Of course not.

The same is true here. Just because you dont understand it, just like the breakin drive it like you stole it crowd, does not mean there isnt a reason.

You dont know what you dont know. I suggest not advising people against what the people who built the cars say to do. Everything is not a conspiracy from “ stealerships”.

A lot of writing on a topic I did not address. I happen to believe that mechanically complex systems with many metal parts rubbing on one another at varying temperatures and under lots of force should be broken in. That does not mean that I simply take everything Porsche write at face value. This is the same company that knowingly and intentionally worked to deceive consumers worldwide, including Porsche customers, with their diesels not so long ago. And it is the company that makes my car which will not allow me to check oil levels after opening the hood unless I drive for 5 or more miles and will not display the correct outdoor temperature unless i drive some distance, who made TC covers that crack their bolts and then watch their dealers to charge $800 for 2 bolts to be installed which may not solve the oil leak issue, etc. etc .In other words, they are not perfect by any means. And they have engaged in pricing behavior that I personally find offensive. Just my opinion, mind you.

I provided my detailed rationale for what I wrote. And I never recommended not registering the battery, anyway. I registered my own, as is plain to read in my post.

What I do object to is fear mongering about harming batteries and alternators based on no facts. In a way we agree. You do not support people who make up things about breaking in new cars and I do not support people who post about damaging batteries and alternators if the battery is not registered.

Happy to have the kind of back-and-forth discussion - on the topic - that this site valued for. But I do not appreciate being lumped in with people who advocate for stupid behaviors as a way of making your case.

 

[grim]

But I do not appreciate being lumped in with people who advocate for stupid behaviors as a way of making your case.

That wasn't the intention of the analogy. The point is You do not know what you do not know. Its that simple.

Sure, PAG has lot of class action lawsuits, many. No argument there. Yet they still remain about the premier profit making auto brand in the world. Its value based pricing and people pay the price. The point here is, Porsche, and other brands do it for a reason. Unless you have insider knowledge of the reason the default position should be that "they" know more than you. Just because you don't know doesn't mean they dont know.

 

[mataa]

That wasn't the intention of the analogy. The point is You do not know what you do not know. Its that simple.

Sure, PAG has lot of class action lawsuits, many. No argument there. Yet they still remain about the premier profit making auto brand in the world. Its value based pricing and people pay the price. The point here is, Porsche, and other brands do it for a reason. Unless you have insider knowledge of the reason the default position should be that "they" know more than you. Just because you don't know doesn't mean they dont know.

Respectfully, No one on the face of the planet knows what they do not know. That does not preclude useful dialog on this site. Simply discounting what I wrote for this reason, including actual observations I have detailed, would seem to run counter to the spirit and usefulness of this site.

 

[NC TRACKRAT]

While I do advocate registering it, common sense tells me that "Start-Stop" causes far more wear on critical components, including the battery, than failing to register it in the BMS. I disabled that "feature" immediately after obtaining our Macan.

 

[mataa]

While I do advocate registering it, common sense tells me that "Start-Stop" causes far more wear on critical components, including the battery, than failing to register it in the BMS. I disabled that "feature" immediately after obtaining our Macan.

I agree. However when you disable the Auto Stop/Start feature you also lose the energy efficient coast function too. This causes the engine to rev higher on deceleration when not needed. So the wear and tear gain is offset to some degree, if not completely. And gas mileage gains are also lost.

Personally, I like the coast feature on the highway and dislike the Auto Stop/start in urban settings. So I have to keep remembering to turn it on and off depending on where I am, which is a pain. That Porsche combined these 2 features together is a shame. Another example of questionable judgement on their part, or simply biasing for gas mileage for their own reasons, without considering their customers preferences.