Hi everybody, first post so go easy.

To change the battery on a Passat you need to:-

1. Pull of the weather seal that goes along the back of the engine bay

2. Remove the plenum cover. That's the large plastic panel covering the battery, pollen filter, etc

3. Undo battery leads and clamp

4. Unclip wiring harness from plenum chamber to make room for battery to come out

5. Lift battery up and towards the pollen filter. The battery comes out at an angle as the plenum widens over the pollen filter.

6. Fit new battery in the time honoured reverse order

The battery is heavy and a bit awkward to manouver but it worked on my Passat.

No need to remove the panel at the base of the windscreen

Hope this helps.