VW ESC Error after Battery Replacement – Why?

Modern cars rely on batteries more or less as you rely on air. If they are disconnected, things may go unexpectedly bad. This is one of the reasons a lot of manufacturers started introducing auxiliary batteries. Even if you disconnect the main 12V battery, there is still the auxiliary one that keeps the electronic control units in your car running.

ESC error message highlights

• Common reasons:one of the stabilization system components is bad, battery is low
• How to fix:check the battery, read the codes
• Possible consequences:no stabilization feature when driving
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$200-$750

Why is battery replacement so harmful to your VW?

When you disconnect the power source from your modern vehicle, no matter what brand it is, the electronic control units immediately lose the ability to remember the settings. They are reset to defaults. Sometimes, this reset is so significant that the units just forget basic settings and need to be relearned.

While the ECU will keep all the settings as it should, the BCM and some other modules may need some help. For example, the steering wheel angle sensor may not communicate properly with the BCM and this will cause a steering system malfunction with several other error messages and warning lights, including ESC.

Here's what happens:

• once you disconnect the power, there is nothing to send electricity to the control units;
• they are reset to the defaults and are ready to start from scratch once they get power;
• when you connect the new battery, they get the power and launch their operation;
• but now they can't understand the position of the steering wheel or brake pads;
• you need to start moving the steering wheel and pressing the brake pedal so that everything can come back to normal;
• unfortunately, sometimes, more than just several minutes of driving is necessary to relearn all the modules.

Modern cars are packed with control modules and all of them are dependent on the sources of power. That's why disconnecting the battery leads to some problems. But you can usually solve them without going to the dealer - this is good news!

Can you actually harm your car when changing the battery?

Of course! If you don't know how to disconnect and connect the battery, you may fry things in your car. Actually, when people change 12V batteries in their cars on their own and then start the cars to see the Christmas-tree-like dash with several warning lights, they may be pretty scared.

To avoid frying the ECU and other modules, here's how you should deal with the battery replacement in your VW:

• first, make sure that your vehicle is completely off, nothing works in it;
• locate the battery and make sure you know which terminal is negative and which is positive (there are plus and minus signs on the battery);
• disconnect the cable from the negative terminal and locate it so that it couldn't touch the terminal by chance;
• disconnect the positive cable and take the battery out of its place;
• place the new battery there and make sure it's fastened properly;
• connect the cable to the positive terminal first;
• then connect the negative terminal.

Now, your car is ready to start. But you still can see some warning lights and messages on the dash. Don't be afraid of them! Later in this article, I will tell you how to cope with this problem.

Also, make sure the battery has the proper parameters like voltage, size, capacity, and cranking amps. It's not required to buy the OEM battery or exactly the same battery as your car was initially equipped with. Just make sure the parameters are in the proper range.

Why does the ESC warning light up after battery replacement?

Your Volkswagen ESC system relies on several sensors like the wheel angle sensor, wheel speed sensor, traction control system, ABS, etc. While some of these systems have their own control units, other ones rely on the BCM (Body Control Module). It's exactly the BCM that suffers a lot after battery replacement.

Actually, if the BCM is faulty and can't turn on properly after battery replacement, any dealership will tell you: "Oh, friend, you are in trouble. We'll help you, but this will cost you N thousand dollars!"

No, that's not the best way to solve the problem. In the majority of cases, you can easily deal with this issue on your own spending just ten minutes of your time and zero dollars. Here's how!

Solving the problem with the ESC in your Volkswagen

Please note that the methods I will tell you about further in this article will only help you cope with the ESC problems if they were triggered by the battery replacement. There are other reasons why the ESC light may go on the dash, so be careful.

Here's what exactly you will need to do:

1) Start the car and let it idle for a while.

This will help you make sure that all electronic control modules are OK now. Also, make sure that the battery warning light is off.

2) Roll the windows all the way down and up

This is the first step of testing the BCM. At this step, the BCM may catch the problem and reset itself. Even if this doesn't happen immediately, you will get the automatic windows back.

3) Turn the steering wheel all the way left and then right

By doing this, you are showing the BCM the actual position of the steering wheel and calibrating the sensor to send the proper data. At this step, usually, the ESC warning will go off.

4) Have a short drive

Drive for 5 minutes and see if all the warning lights go off. Even if something was still illuminating on the dash, during these 5 minutes the problems should be gone completely.

5) Use a scanner and clear the error codes

Another option is to clear the codes with the scanner. Some codes may be permanent after battery replacement and they will stay there for quite a while unless cleared.

Can you change the battery without this stress?

Well, there is one way to change the battery without seeing those warning lights. It's going to the dealership and asking them to do the job. Unfortunately, you will pay a hundred or two hundred dollars for something that you can do for 5 minutes on your own. Also, you will buy the battery from a dealer 50% more expensive than it costs in any online store.

So, yes, you can change the battery without this stress, but I strongly recommend learning how to do that on your own - this will save you some time and money.

What if the warnings keep staying on the dash of your VW?

If you are in a situation where you have done every single thing I told you about in this article but the warning lights still stay on the dash, things are not so good. You will need to ask for professional help. It's not always the worst possible scenario and the fried ECU, as many car owners would think.

Maybe, the battery doesn't have the needed parameters. Or there is some sensor that failed during the connection process. Also, the BCM may need relearning with a scanner (let's say, it should be properly reset).

Or there is the most obvious reason: your car needs battery reprogramming every time you disconnect and then connect the battery. This is pretty common for all modern vehicles and this is yet another way to take money from car owners.

Here's how the mechanic will do that in the dealership:

• they will connect the scanning tool (they have the professional one);
• then, they will reset the battery settings with basically one press of a button;
• and then they will check that everything works well;
• the final step - you will get the bill for a hundred dollars or more.

The natural question is if you can reprogram the battery on your own. Yes, you can. But for this, you will need a pretty expensive scanning tool and software that is made solely for your car model.

Final thoughts

So, if you fail to reprogram the battery on your own by implementing all the steps that I've shown you in this article, you will still need to go to the dealership and pay some money. But anyway, this will be much cheaper than having the battery replaced by them.

Also, you have a very high chance of automatically setting the new battery just by driving a car for a while.

Also, make sure your battery fits your vehicle and you know how exactly to replace it. If there are any other questions, please write them in the comments below!