What is the procedure to replace the battery on a 1999 VW Beetle Turbo 5-Speed?

Answer 1

locate the battery. unscrew the gound (black) cable from the battery. Then the Live (red) wire. then you should be able to just lift the battery right out. (do NOT tilt the battery it will leak on you or your nice paint job.)

AnswerCareful! Just pulling the battery out of your bug can lead to disaster. The Beetle, as will all modern VW's, is equiped with an onboard computer. Important settings such as idleing values are stored in volatile memory on board. In other words, just disconnecting the battery means your bug wont start after its reconnected!

To curb this, purchase a computer memory saver (15-20 bucks) that plugs into the cigarette lighter. This will keep current flowing in the system as you change the battery, and will ensure that your idling values/etc stay put!

The easiest way to change the battery is to remove the air filter top plastic cover, for this you'll need a decent pair of pliers to squeeze the clamp for the main air intake pipe. Remove the bottom part of the air filter box (2, 10mm bolts) Behind the battery are 2,10mm bolts securing the plastic bracket assembly that holds the wiring to the fusible link box on top of the battery. Remove them. Lift the battery cover to expose the battery terminals. You should disconnect the negative terminal first, (it's a bit of a squeeze to get at) move the terminal away from the battery & then do the same to the positive. I used a bungee cord to pull the fusible link box away from the battery towards the windscreen direction & hold it out of the way. To the front of the battery is a plastic shroud. Remove the 10mm bolt on the left hand side that secures the shroud to the battery tray & pull the shroud out. It's held in with a fairly strong clip on the right hand side just below the battery & it needs a decent tug to unclip it. You can then remove the fabric battery cover ( the velcro thingy) Remove the battery clamp & lift out the battery. Installing the new battery is the same procedure in reverse & the whole process should take you about 20 minutes to do. Tools used, 13mm socket, 10mm socket, 250mm extension & ratchet. 1/4 or 3/8 drive is best. 250mm swan neck pliers & a longish Philips screwdriver A useful tip for installing nuts & bolts in hard to get at places is to tear off a piece of news paper, place it over the socket & push the bolt head into the socket. It'll prevent the bolt from falling out & still be easy to remove the socket from the bolt so you don't leave the socket stuck in a hard to get at place