[JimD]

I think telling the car you replaced the battery is a good idea but I don't think it's as big a deal as some seem to think. I still am using the original battery in my 2009. No sign of trouble yet. That's pretty good life but it's hard to know how much of it is due to a better than average battery and how much is due to a better than average charging system. But in case it is the latter, letting it do it's thing seems worthwhile.

You'd have to make the battery last twice as long to justify a $200 coding fee, however. That doesn't seem like a safe bet. I have a cable and NCSExpert so I can code a new battery without additional cost. I haven't coded in over 5 years at this point so it will take me awhile to get the new computer set up but it seems like a worthwhile expenditure of time.

But my plan is to replace when the car shows signs of needing it and code it when I get around to it. If I use the car a few days, or few weeks, until I get around to it, I don't think the battery will hardly even know it.