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Hi folks,
Can anybody tell me if there is anything I need to know before I change the battery on my 1.2 TSI Roomster (2015). I used to do it on my old Citroen, but this was in the days before onboard computers etc. Do I need a memory saver? If I do not use one, will I have problems with the radio? Will I have to get it to 'relearn' engine settings etc?
I guess it is similar to a Fabia.... if anyone has experience with a Fabia as well.
My son's had his battery disconneted for ages on his Fabia 2015 (blown engines due to tuning) whilst he fitted a new engine - no issues with stuff getting forgotten.
Connect a trickle charger to the +ve and-ve battery cables and be careful. Alternatively let it go into sleep after 15 minutes or however long, and do it the old fashioned way. Your radio should still be fine although you'll lose your stored mpg and trip mileage if that upsets you? It upsets me, hence the trickle charger. You'll need to spin the steering lock to lock to recalibrate the steering angle sensor as well.
Your radio is coded to the ECU, same as on my Fabia. You can just disconnect the battery and put the new one in, as long as it's less than 5 minutes of disconnection time so make sure you have all your tools ready. If you do take longer than 5 minutes then it'll just cause the engine to run in 'safe' mode (ie worst case on fuel and air quality) until it recalibrates. Then just go for a drive for 10-15 minutes and the ECU will then recognise the radio again and the various other electrical bits will be fully up to speed too. I never had to do the steering sensor recalibration but then both times I have disconnected the battery have been at my parent's house and I have had to do a 3 point turn at the bottom of their lane after reconnecting so maybe that did the trick.
Thanks!
If I did decide to get a memory saver, would one of those which connect a small 9v battery to the cigarette lighter be sufficient?
I don't think I'd leave a charger connected without a battery, dirty/spiky supply could damage the car without a battery to smooth it out. Similarly you should never disconnect the battery whilst the car is running.
The exception of course is if the charger has a specific memory save function.
I changed the battery on my 2016 1.2 Fabia recently, no issues to report. I did do it in a few minutes but there's no reason for the battery to be disconnected for long at all