battery scam?!?

Okay, here's the problem:

A while back I changed out a dead battery on my 1998 Jetta and when I started it up again, the car began idling heavily. I ended up taking it to the dealer (very difficult, it was close by luckily). They had to "reset" the computer and radio (for an inconvenient $50) and told me that if I ever have to change the battery, I'll have to get my car towed. I was truly not happy...

So here I am again with a dead battery and I want to know if there is any way around this reset issue? Will it always idle? Did I miss something in my manual? Get it towed just to change the battery?!? Huh? It just seems very odd that VW would foist such an obvious defect on an unsuspecting public. Someone say it ain't so!

Okay, I found the answer myself and I'll post the link for all of you interested. It isn't a scam, but man... if it isn't a real pisser.

http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/oct2003/techtips.cfm


See ya at the dealership...

hmm...does this apply if you disconnect the battery to work on something? I disconnected mine to install my stereo a month or so back, and I had no problems like that of which you speak...