If you own a continental car, you probably have heard that you need to do a battery registration upon replacement of a car battery. This applies to only a few car models from a few manufacturers like Audi, Volkswagen. But the golden question is, why it is required?
Battery Management System (BMS) Technology
We are all aware that modern cars are equipped with a lot of features and functions such as the start-stop function along with the seat heating, HUD, navigation system etc. All of these functions demand a significant amount of energy from the battery, thus the introduction of EFB and AGM type batteries.
But the advancement of technology does not stop there. Company manufacturers have come up with the Battery Management System (BMS) for modern cars. The main function of the BMS is for :
- Battery Monitoring : Constantly monitor the battery’s state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) during charging and discharging.
- Battery Protection : Prevent irregular operations outside of it’s safe operating area.
- Battery Optimization : Cell balancing to improve battery life and capacity, thus optimising driving range for HEV, PHEV and BEV cars.
In short, the BMS function is meant to ensure a longer lifespan of the battery.
Battery Energy Management (BEM) Code
With the introduction of the BMS technology, some manufacturers have decided to implement the Battery Energy Management (BEM) Code in their cars. The BEM code is an identification code for the battery, that is required to be ‘registered’ into the car’s BMS with a battery registration tool. It is also known as ‘Battery Registration’.
Why Do You Need To Do Battery Registration?
Battery registration is meant to ‘inform’ the car’s BMS that a new battery has been installed into the car. This will allow the car to adapt its charging and monitoring of the battery for the new battery.
As you know, old batteries would have degradation thus requires longer charging compared to a new battery. Registering the battery into the car would assist the BMS to adjust its charging system and cycle.
There are 2 types of BMS system, open and closed system. An open system does not require a BEM code to reprogram (registration) upon battery replacement. Therefore, the car could install any battery with the same specification. Manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes operate on an open system.
A closed system however requires registration. BEM code, serial number and nominal capacity of the new battery would be ‘registered’ into the car system. Due to this, most independent battery shops are not able to do battery registration due to this restriction. Some manufacturer like Audi, Volkswagen uses a closed system for their BMS.
But worry not, if you are looking for a battery for your Audi/Volkswagen, CARPUT has the ability to perform a battery registration for your car if you purchase a battery with us. Free of charge! You only pay for the battery price and we will perform an on-site installation and battery registration without additional cost.
Can I Replace Battery Without Registration?
Some independent sellers may sell you at a cheaper price without offering battery registration. This may sounds like a good deal, but in the long run, it will cost you more. Some of the consequences of replacing a battery without registration includes :
- May cause electrical problems to electrical components
- Battery lifespan may decrease due to undercharging/overcharging
- Worst case, damage to alternator and the electrical system
Certain electrical module may not work as usual, because the system may still think that you have a bad battery and trying to save it. Some of the common modules are power windows, side mirrors, interior lights or even some modules to start the car.
In the end, you may have to drive to a service centre to perform the registration in order for everything to work as normal, which will be quite costly too.
Reference :
https://www.bannerbatterien.com/en/Battery-knowledge/7-HOW-TO-Correctly-registering-start-stop-batteries
https://batteryworld.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/how-do-i-change-an-efb-or-agm-battery