I own a 88 Golf GT with 184K on it. I recently borrowed a 88 Audi 90 Quattro for about 3 weeks so I didn't drive my Golf. ;DI went to start it yesterday and it wouldn't turn over. Come to find my battery was completely dead. Tried jumping w/out luck. It will barely turn over and then all electrical (lights, clock, etc.)will die. Like it's taking a huge drain to jump my car. I then have to turn the key to off position and then will be able to make it crank over once.
Any Suggestions? Did my car get jealous? ;)
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Check the battery connections and earth straps. Most probable cause is an internally collapsed battery. Try another (See if you can use the one from the car you are jump starting it from) and if it works you know your problem!
Ross
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Or check the alternator belts and ignition coils, you may have a a broken connection
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Definitely sounds like a battery failure. A loose alternator belt could have left the battery weak, but it should then be possible to jump-start it without difficulty. A coil fault will not prevent cranking.
Regards, Adam
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Hello snownskate,
Sounds like the battery, BUT:
1. Have you left any lights on? Check all switches
2. Is there an alarm fitted? This could drain batt.
3. How old is the battery? This will give you a clue as to likelihood that life now up.
4. Are the battery levels OK? Is it maintenance free?
5. As all was OK before, I'd look at batt first. The Zener diode pack in the alternator backplate is responsible for keeping those electrons flowing one way only and one could be faulty, but this is not your first checking area.
6. Was all absolutely OK before, or do you think there might have been symptoms?
Let us know, mate.
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Car was absolutely fine when I drove it last. Checked switches, etc. Unhooked stereo amp cable. Not sure how old the battery is or if it's good at all. I have taken off the terminals from the battery and jumped directly to them, would I still have the problem doing this?
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Bit concerned that jumping wont start the car. I thought that when jumping with another battery, the batteries are connected in parallel, hence it wont matter if the original is screwed. If so, could the problem be with the starter motor?
Or does a "collapsed" battery provide a short for the jumping battery.
More questions than answers - I like lurnin......
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Andy,
Source and Sink.
New battery on jumper car with oodles of electrons. These will take the easiest path. If you have an "empty" battery or a high resistance route to a starter motor, which do you think they'll take?
If you have a complete short circuit in the duff battery you would see boiling electrolyte in the jumper car's battery too.
I've seen folks do this, and they ended up buying 2 new batteries, the radio lost it's power. They didn't have the radio security code....
Misery, or humorous, depending on where you're standing.
I would remove duff battery and recharge it offline
I try a known good battery and go from there.
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Sean,
Lesson learnt.
Sounds like offering a jump to someone in need could be a regrettable and expensive gesture. I normally do this without a thought - is there an easy way to check if the battery is shorted before jumping? Or have you just got to keep an eye on the donor battery for boiling. Could the battery explode?
My wifes car eats batteries and first port of call is always to jump it, so Ive got a personal interest.
Andy
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My previously totally reliable old Golf did the same thing when I was hospitalised and couldn't drive it for a month.
RAC man told me that the an old battery needs to be used continually or it will fail.
New one now fitted for £30 and it works!
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HJ, didnt realise your services extended to spell checking. My incorrect spelling of "lurn" was deliberate and sposed (go on...) to indicate that I had some jot of character. Honest!
HJ, it is possible to care tooo much...y'know (but I like it)
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Hi Andy,
I ticked the box below to email replies...
"Lurnt" is what comes up there, whereas the spellchecker does the biz here. (Biz???, we'll see!)
You have to be unlucky, or careless to explode a battery.
The plates are separated by plate separators. Exploding batteries are either caused by the plates buckling so much that they touch, or by an inadvertent spark above the battery, ie making the last jump lead connection there.
This ignites the nascent hydrogen in the presence of the oxygen, both boiling off from the cells are whizzo, acid everywhere. not usually shrapnel. Batteries casings are designed to just split and the volume above the cells designed not to hold too much gas.
Makes an awful mess of shiny aluminium engines, paintwork, radiators, electrics and folks' clothes nearby.
Plus, pain in the ribs for observers. Can you die laughing?
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Sorry i took so long to finish this up, i got my battery charged, installed it, started up no problem; thanks for the help guys!
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As this was obviously a failure to start due to a discharged battery, and still wouldnt turn over despite being jumped from another car, my thoughts turn to jump leads. Can i suggest you invest in a really good set of jump leads. Really thick cables, well made terminations, and heavily sprung action clamps. I have had cheap sets in the past, and they just cant carry the current required. And as a tip, when i jump start a car (with my good thick cables) I always allow the donor car to run at fast idle first, charging up the dead battery for at least 5 minutes before I attempt to start the dead car with the jump leads in place. (and always keep the donor car running, nothing worse than haviing two dead batteries!)
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I think this point was dealt with above. If you disconnect the broken battery it would probs work fine but leaving the old battry in parallel in the circuit means that the current supplied by the leads takes the line of least resitance into the collapsed battery thus not usefully powering the starter motor
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