Disconnect and Reconnect the Battery

The Transporter T6 does not keep its battery in one obvious place — depending on how the van was built it can be in the engine bay, under the driver’s seat, or paired with a second battery in the load area. Here is how to find it and disconnect it safely.

Disconnect and reconnect the T6 battery

1. Switch off every electrical consumer, turn the ignition off and remove the key.
2. Wait about one minute for the control units to power down before you touch a terminal.
3. Locate the battery. On the T6 it sits either in the engine compartment or under the front-left (driver’s) seat; twin-battery vans have an additional battery in the luggage area.
4. Disconnect the negative (−) terminal first, then the positive (+). On a twin-battery van, do the main battery before the additional one.
5. To refit, connect positive first, then negative, and tighten both clamps.
6. Switch on the ignition, then let the van relearn its idle over the first few miles.

If you jump-start or charge the van, use a solid unpainted chassis earth as the ground point rather than the battery’s negative post.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is my T6 battery?

Lift the driver’s seat base first — that is the most common spot on the T6. If it is not there, check the engine bay. Camper and twin-battery conversions add a leisure/second battery in the load area.

Will I lose settings?

The clock, radio and some convenience settings reset, and the engine relearns its idle. A one-touch electric window may also need re-initialising by holding it fully up.

Which terminal first?

Negative off first and negative on last — that prevents a short if your spanner brushes the bodywork.

If a warning light stays on after reconnecting, look the code up on autodtcs.com.