# Battery

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** audi, a4\
**Created:** [October 17, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714 "2011-10-17T12:04:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shepard1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Shepard1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shepard1)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/1 "2011-10-17T12:04:55Z")

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Is it recommended to purchase a battery for an Audi from the dealer instead of someplace else? I was told I may have issues with certain things (e.g. radio) if I don’t.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/2 "2011-10-17T13:37:12Z")

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I think those issues wouldn’t be caused by the battery. Instead, it’s how the battery is changed. If an installer doesn’t use something to maintain the voltage during the swap the radio can lose its presets, and maybe require a code. Other installers can do this, check before buying.

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/3 "2011-10-17T13:46:07Z")

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A battery is just a battery.

As texases said, its probably that allowing the PCM to lose power during a battery change will cause problems. This is easy enough to take care of using any number of things that are made to keep memory devices powered up while the battery is changed.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/4 "2011-10-17T13:48:41Z")

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I’ve heard people say that if you don’t buy tires from the dealer you’ll have problems…or if you don’t buy windshields from the dealer you’ll have problems…

Buy the battery where ever it’s cheaper…

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/5 "2011-10-17T13:50:54Z")

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I think its also dangerous to have anyone but the dealer wash & wax the car.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery/68714/6 "2011-10-17T16:13:38Z")

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Just make sure you know the radio reset code…That’s the only issue…Most service techs are smart enough to maintain system voltage when they replace a battery in fussy cars like Audi’s…