Battery registration
Nowadays, not many car manufacturers let you simply replace a battery. Due to the many sensors, etc., a battery must be registered or programmed after replacement. In a car equipped with a battery with a so-called "intelligent battery terminal", you must register a battery when replacing it, or sometimes even when disconnecting the battery terminal (only if the battery voltage changes in the meantime). We therefore advise you to make sure that the battery voltage remains unchanged when you disconnect the battery terminal and reconnect it later. Not every diagnostic device is equipped with battery registration options. Below you will find a range of equipment suitable for battery registration.
Battery management system (BMS)
The BMS, also known as the battery management system, monitors the battery voltage. If this system detects a different voltage in the battery, without the system having seen current entering or leaving the battery, the battery will automatically be rejected by the system and not recognized by the car. The battery must then be registered with a OBD device in the car. We also call this battery registration or battery configuration. A battery configuration must sometimes also be done when you have used a jump starter (for example when the battery is almost empty after the car has stood still for a while) and the so-called “battery booster point” was not used correctly. When a jump starter is used at the battery booster point, the power will flow via the battery sensor and the battery will not have to be registered again.
Register start/stop batteries
Almost every modern car is equipped with a start/stop system. Such a system includes a special start/stop battery. The computer in the car keeps track of how many times the start/stop system has been used. Each time a start/stop operation has taken place, battery wear will occur. This wear is tracked. With an X number of uses, the car will indicate that the battery needs to be replaced. You can assume that configuring a start/stop battery is always necessary after replacement.
Car brands for which batteries must be registered
There are a number of car manufacturers for which batteries must always be registered or configured. Almost every VAG model (Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW), Stellantis brand (Citroën, Peugeot, Opel, Fiat), BMW and Volvo works with battery registration. When you do maintenance on these brands, it is wise to have the right diagnostic equipment in your workshop for batteries for replacing batteries.
