Nalag46

Hi again Gareth,

I have found a reliable local garage that can carry out the battery installation.

I have to apologize but my existing Audi-installed battery, which is enclosed in a soft material case, turns out to be a German-made MLA MOLL 680a 69ah type. I have never had any trouble with this battery until now so I never checked the type properly, but I do have a written note in my owner's manual that a replacement should be the Exide EL700 720ah 70a, except I cannot remember where it comes from or who recommended it?

Are you acquainted with the MLA-MOLL? I cannot find it in any search so I assume it's no longer manufactured and, before I order the Exide, do you think it's the best option up there?

Thanks again,

Tony

17 hours ago, Magnet said:

Sincere apologies Tony - overlooked the Isle of Wight bit! 
Are Westridge a full blown dealership ( where things might be over expensive!) or largish independents? 
Worth a call? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Gareth, Westridge Garage is the main dealer for Skoda and Mitsubishi and they will be the same price as the others. The original Audi main dealer, where I bought my car brand new from, is Esplanade Garage. They dropped the Audi dealership a few years ago after an argument with Audi but they are still dealing with VW, Mercedes, and more, but I wouldn't go back there after the way they treated all of us loyal customers, apart from that, they will be 100% more expensive than anyone else.

I'll make some enquiries and I'll post back if I get a positive result.

Thanks

Tony

2 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Tony,

I feel I’m getting to the point of keeping on here, and it could just be me, but ‘……I will look up a garage with trained mechanics…. ‘ 

You must obviously chose to go wherever you want, but trying to qualify your statement - if it were mine, it would read ‘…..I will look up an independent VAG specialist ……’.

As has been said ‘….garage with trained mechanics ….’ is likely to result in them fitting the best-deal-to-them battery. 
Good luck with this Tony.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth,

I get what you are saying but the fact is, where I live, there is very little if any choice of the type of specialists you mention. Also, what I meant was, that I'll look up a garage with trained personnel to ask if they will fit the battery of my choice that I'll be purchasing from a reputable supplier. Whether that would be accepted or not I can only find out by asking. It can't be that difficult to recode the damned thing with the correct coding tool, surely?

Anyway, I'll see what I find out and take it from there.

Regards,

Tony

Anyway, I'll see what happens and I'll take it from there.

2 minutes ago, Darryl Hill said:

Unless you have VCDS or equivalent to recode the battery details into the correct blocks you will have all sorts of problems throw up on the dash, RING an independent garage and get them to quote to fit it for you, I wouldn't use either of the 2 tyre centres you have had quotes from nor Halfords, as none of them know how to correctly code the battery in, and as Gareth has said, a garage will supply and fit what they get from the local motor factors, unless of course you ask for a certain battery, also garages like shops have to mark up their prices to RRP to make a living, before we had the internet you would only get garage prices, unless you knew where to go to get a better deal, now you can get prices less than RRP online

I appreciate your comments and I think you are right, I have no confidence either in any of the contacts I made and I will look up a garage with trained mechanics for a quote. Thanks again.

Hi Gareth,

I am grateful for the information and advice provided. I will carry on searching for all the info. I still need and then I will decide whether to buy directly from a supplier or go directly to a garage and let them fit it and sort out any problems.

Thanks again,

Best regards,

Tony

39 minutes ago, Magnet said:

So what was Tanya’s Exide quote, and how does it compare with your Yuasa quotes? 
Using the same code as on your current battery??
Not sure I would fully understand that, since the ‘intelligent’ system would treat it as it does with your current ailing battery. 
Confirmation/ true story/ quote  lies with a local independent. 
Perhaps you could let us know on the above Tony. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

The Exide (out of stock) is £118 and the Yuasa £105 plus delivery. A big difference in the garage prices, however, I too am not too confident about the coding workings. My Exide battery is 9 years old and still going, just, so the exact model is El700 Micro Hybrid but the Tayna El700 is EFB, all the dimensions etc, are the same. What I find strange is that no one else mentions changing this type of battery on this forum. Am I the only one trying it?

I do not know what to do and that is why I posted it here to find out from someone who has actually carried out this job.

Cheers,

Tony 

Hi Gareth,

Yes, I have done all of that. I contacted Tayna B. and they were very helpful. They say that by changing my Exide battery with an exactly equal one, all I have to do is use the same code that appears on my battery. I also noted they sell an Exide battery replacement tool but I was told is not needed in this case.

Removing and replacing the battery to its stand location is straightforward. I just do not want to end up with any further complications.

Regards,

Tony

Hi Gareth,

My local tyre centres that also carry out battery replacements are National Tyre and ATSEuromaster. They both offer the Yuasa only as the exact replacement and at the prices quoted above plus the fitting, so I searched Amazon and eBay, and the quotes I got included a 4-year warranty plus free delivery. I haven't been able to trace the Exide but I will try your link. 

My main issue is the coding. If I have to take the car to a garage after fitting the battery myself, it will defeat the object of trying to go to all that bother and having to pay more or less the same price in the end?

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

Tony

Hi,

My car battery is about done and it will need replacing soon. I have found that an exact replacement for the existing Exide Micro Hybrid EL700 would be the Yuasa YBX7096 700a/75ah. Can I change this battery myself without losing/altering the dashboard display settings, and if so, what's the safest method? I have asked at two tyre/service centers and the price is over £200 plus a fitting charge of £27 when I could buy this battery online for just over £120. Any feedback would be most appreciated.

5 minutes ago, Magnet said:

You are very welcome Tony. With a mileage that low, it puts me in mind of a local comedian who said his brother was a long distance lorry driver on the Isle of Wight! 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Yeah! The good IW indeed. 17 miles longest straight line distance and can't do more than 40 miles per hour. Who needs a car here when the local buses can get you from A to B quicker? Once you get "stuck" behind one you risk your life trying to overtake it, so best thing to do, leave the car at home a get on board, lol.

Best wishes,

Tony

14 hours ago, Magnet said:

Sorry Tony, I misread your clear post, and incorrectly thought the car had covered 36K, rather than 15k. 
Although I follow your logic of ‘checking them’, you will almost certainly incur the same ( perhaps even more) labour time as if they were changed. 
If it were mine, I would simply instruct them to ignore the spark plugs, but appreciate that it’s important that you do what suits you, and that which you are comfortable with. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Thanks for the advise Gareth. You may well be right with what's going on with the cost of car servicing these days and I think I will ignore doing anything about it for the time being, as the car is running perfectly and without any issues that I am aware of.

20 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Tony,

I too would suggest NGK, but the need to change them at 36k would be debatable in my book, even if they are 6 years old. We’ve moved a long way on from those good old days as we used to call them, when the recommendation was about 12k. 
Of course, Champion was the make to beat then. Strangely? - I’ve experienced two failures on late with Champion plugs used in garden equipment. Bad luck? Anyway, these were replaced with the NGK equivalents. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Many thanks for the comments. I will ask that they be checked first before replacing as I too do not believe they can be that bad after only 15k miles? The only snug is they have been in the car since 2014 and that is a heck of a long time.

My Audi A3 2014 hatchback has only clocked 15K miles since new. The service manual advises to change the spark plugs after 36K miles or six years. I don't have any issues but have been told to change the plugs at my next service in December.

What is the standard type of plug fitted or what is the Audi's recommendation?

Many thanks.