Car not starting.....

2005 TDI. Washed car yesterday afternoon, to include a very quick/cautious spray down of engine compartment.

Drove it 100 miles today, stopped/started 3-4 times throughout the day. Ran/started/drove fine.

Until....

Wife and I came out from dinner; I tried to start the car, everything was normal (door open chime, typical start up/warning lights come on) for about 1 second, then

No cranking, no turning over, no headlights, yes brakelights, clock had reset.

Attempted to jump it, got more electricity, still no cranking/turning over. DID get a clackity-clackity-clackity. Tried to start a couple times, not for long periods of time, with same results.

Alternator? Starter? Battery? All?

Something a non-dealer should be able to fix? Will it have to go to the dealer?

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like bad connection on battery terminal. Turn ignition on and headlights on and then use a voltmeter to check for voltage between battery post and various spots on the connector/cable.

Agreed, it really sounds like you have a bad connection at your battery posts or at the grounds underneath the battery. This definitely does not need to go to the dealer - any mechanic can fix this, or you can do it yourself.

For starters, I would take the cover off the battery, it just lifts right off, take off first the negative battery connection and secondly the positive. Use a wire brush to clean the posts and connectors -- better yet, get one of the round wire brushes sold at auto parts stores made just for the purpose of cleaning posts and connectors. If you can do it, you can remove the battery from the plastic case, then remove the plastic case by removing the 2 bolts holding it in the bottom. Below this are grounding posts for the car - these can also be cleaned up. Put it all back together and check to see if the problem is solved. Post back here with your results and we can help you further.

oh, and welome to the club! glad to see some fellow mexicans (new) here.

After posting this, I talked to my dad, who said EXACTLY the same thing you guys did.

Ran back out there........auto parts stores were closed, so I used some sandpaper.

The connections on top were pristine; definately no rust, maybe and I mean MAYBE a little dust.

Did not hit the grounding posts.

Car did the same thing it did before. I will go back out tomorrow afternoon and try the grounding posts.

Crescent/box wrenches should be adequate for this, right?

Bring a voltmeter. It may be as simple as a failed battery. Jumper cables will not carry enough amperage to start a tdi unless battery is functional. Put voltmeter across terminals and attempt a start. If volts stay around 12, then electrical problem. If volts drop to near zero, battery problem.

Went out early this am; removed the battery from it's box.

there were four screws attaching the box to the vehicle; one of them recesses for the screws had a about 1/4 teaspoon of water in it. Removed the water and all 4 screws; no rust, but a very slight greenish tint to all 4 screws.

There is another screw behind the battery box that I could not get out, hence I could not remove the box.

Will go back after work to get the battery test and a proper/long socket to get that remaining screw out

1. Were those 4 screws the grounding posts? Or, just screws to hold the plastic box thingy in?

IIRC, and if this is like my '06, 4 bolts holding the battery box in place.

There is one main battery ground on the chassis, near the left strut tower.

Tony

Sounds like a bad battery. How did you jump it? Sometimes those jumper packs just don't have the guts... Make sure you've got good jumper cable connections to a strong and running vehicle. You're description sounds exactly like a battery that has turned into a capacitor.

I wouldn't discount the notion of a bad connection. Your light washing in the engine compartment may have tipped a marginal connection over the edge.
It doesn't take much of that green corrosion to spike the resistance on a connecting point. Check the connections and grounds.


p.s. did you check the belt tension on your alternator?

Well, nothing worked, so I took it to a local mechanic who......

Put a new battery in, and said that everything else (alternator) was fine/good to go.

Battery had 5 years/102,000 miles on it.

Started it three times since then, driven about 10 miles so far....runs and starts fine.

1. Do batteries just do this?
2. Or should I still pursue a hidden problem?

and

3. If this car runs/starts fine for the next couple days, should I take it on a 600 miles work trip next week?

Thanks

I hope they picked the right battery...

Right Battery????????????

Please explain.......

konkapot said:

Well, nothing worked, so I took it to a local mechanic who......

Put a new battery in, and said that everything else (alternator) was fine/good to go.

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What battery did he put in? Not so much the brand, but the group number? Most people who are thinking in 'common vehicle' terms will install the common type of battery. However, due to high compression of diesel engines, and cold (when temps are <40F) star ting needs, they require more battery than the average car, or even the average Jetta.

I also assume he did a load test on the alternator/charging system? If so, I think everything else is OK.

konkapot said:

Battery had 5 years/102,000 miles on it.

Click to expand...

That is EXCELLENT life from a battery. In Metro phoenix, 110F summers kill a battery in 2-3 years.

konkapot said:

1. Do batteries just do this?

Click to expand...

Well, yes. A car battery is actually 6 2volt cells connected in series to make 12volts. Essentially, there was a weak or dead cell in the battery that just decided to give up the ghost. Typically, weak cells will pop up either during the coldest time of winter, or in the hottest time of summer.

konkapot said:

2. Or should I still pursue a hidden problem?

Click to expand...

The only other issue to chase would be the charging system, and it sounds like it passed that test.

konkapot said:

3. If this car runs/starts fine for the next couple days, should I take it on a 600 miles work trip next week?

Click to expand...

Based on what you've said, I wouldn't hesitate to take it on the trip.

konkapot said:

Right Battery????????????

Please explain.......

Click to expand...

See above.

HTH

Tony

konkapot said:

Right Battery????????????

Please explain.......

Click to expand...

Here in DFW, both NAPA dealer and Honda dealership say they see batteries lasting 3-4 years. The Honda dealer replaced my wife's with about 34K miles on it, 2.7 years old... They say they see that alot. We had no sign that there was a problem. They said they saw that it was weak when they did a test during the OC.

The NAPA they gave me for my Golf came with a 3 year replace, prorated after that...Hopefully don't have to use that.

Has anyone had good experience with BatteryMinder products? They claim to "desulfize" the battery to keep it healthier. Kind of like taking a NiCad to 0V to break up the large crystals that form...??? Or was that something in "The Dark Crystal"???