Bad Battery or Gelled Fuel?

Mass. Wine Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2001
Location
Ipswich, Massachusetts
TDI
5-speed, 2015 Golf S 6-speed manual; 2015 Golf Sportwagen SEL 6-speed manual
It was a handheld little thing that described the state in words; excellent, good, etc. This is an extremely excellent TDI specialist I’ve taken my car’s to for many years.
 

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
It sounds like a digital one. I've proved them wrong on several occasions, as they don't put a true load to the battery like a carbon pile does. I'd either test it with a carbon pile, or replace it if you feel like it's going out.
 

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Some stores have them. I know the Napa I live next to has one, and I had to show them how to use it lol

Pretty much it simulates a load like a starter, has two gauges. Pretty much you turn the knob on it until the one gauge reads half of the CCA rating of your battery and watch the volt gauge. The volt gauge should have a green/red zone on it if it passes or fails.

I have a carbon pile at home I can upload a photo of it later if you want.
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Should I just get a new one?
The "acid test" is to stick a voltmeter across the battery and crank. It should not go under 11V while cranking. If it does then the battery is likely toast OR the starter has a shorted winding or similar, and is drawing ridiculously-excessive current. If it does NOT then the wiring or starter is likely bad.

To isolate the latter measure between the big post of the starter and engine block (ground for the starter) WHILE CRANKING (CAREFUL, shorts there are VERY, VERY BAD as that big cable IS NOT FUSED!) If you do NOT see full battery voltage (identical to that seen at the battery) while cranking the wiring or solenoid contact points are bad.

EVERYTHING has to be right for a start in extreme cold temperatures; if you can't make cranking RPM it will not fire, and making cranking RPM means sufficient current supply, good cabling and connections to get it to the starter motor and a starter motor that can efficiently turn that into rotational energy. Fail anywhere along the line and you get no-start. Older starters often fail here either on the windings/brushers/commutator or due to pitting on the solenoid contact points and while they're fine in the summer when it gets cold they just can't generate enough rotational speed for the engine to fire.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Another method to test the battery, little used since the introduction of load tester.
Clean the case
Top off electrolytes
Nice long trickle charge
Measure specific gravity in each cell with a hydrometer
https://www.freeasestudyguides.com/graphics/hydrometer.png
Like most issues like this, you want to troubleshoot the charging/starting system complete. Older cars like these often suffer from simple stuff like wires and connections.
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
One test I use to do was take the battery caps off, turn on the blower fan to full, and the head lights.
If white smoke came out of any cells that cell was bad.
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
Most parts houses load test batteries, heck they even charge them for you to make sure they get a good reading.
Clean all connections, especially ground connections on engine and under the battery.
Then check voltage on the battery with the car off, hopefully it's 12.65, or higher. Check voltage work the car running, hopefully around 14V-14.65V. Then as said before check while cranking, hopefully it doesn't drop below 11V as stated.
Then run the same tests with the positive on the battery and negative on the engine, you're looking for the same numbers, if they're not the same the grounds, or battery cables, are showing too much resistance.
Before you get a dry cell battery, get a deep cycle battery. They have the same stated benefits without the charging difference.

Sent from my Armor_2 using Tapatalk
 

Mass. Wine Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2001
Location
Ipswich, Massachusetts
TDI
5-speed, 2015 Golf S 6-speed manual; 2015 Golf Sportwagen SEL 6-speed manual
Am I right in thinking that even “sealed” batteries have caps where you add water?

There is no way I’m messing with a wire across the battery. I’d kill myself.
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Before you get a dry cell battery, get a deep cycle battery. They have the same stated benefits without the charging difference.
I strongly recommend against that. A deep-cycle battery has fewer but thicker plates, and can be discharged more-deeply without (as much) damage. HOWEVER, the trade-off for this is a LOWER peak current delivery capacity -- which is exactly backwards if you want to start the car when its -20F outside!

Am I right in thinking that even “sealed” batteries have caps where you add water?

There is no way I’m messing with a wire across the battery. I’d kill myself.
Yes, for conventional batteries. They may be under a sticker or similar but they're present, and you both can and should check and if necessary top them off (with DISTILLED water only!) every few months. As with any flooded battery if the electrolyte level gets below the top of the plates the battery will be severely and permanently damaged.

AGM batteries have NO caps as there is no liquid electrolyte in them; the name ("Absorbed-glass mat") is an accurate description -- the electrolyte is absorbed into the structure of the cell (in what is basically fiberglass) and thus there is no free liquid in the cell you could top off even if you wanted to.
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
I strongly recommend against that. A deep-cycle battery has fewer but thicker plates, and can be discharged more-deeply without (as much) damage. HOWEVER, the trade-off for this is a LOWER peak current delivery capacity -- which is exactly backwards if you want to start the car when its -20F outside!


Yes, for conventional batteries. They may be under a sticker or similar but they're present, and you both can and should check and if necessary top them off (with DISTILLED water only!) every few months. As with any flooded battery if the electrolyte level gets below the top of the plates the battery will be severely and permanently damaged.
More correctly, an appropriately sized deep cycle would be difficult to fit in the original battery position and often requires relocation. This requires larger battery cables also.

Sent from my Armor_2 using Tapatalk
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
You'll never fit a deep-cycle battery with the same maximum cranking amps in the place where a starting battery with the same maximum cranking amps was placed. For the two with the same group number (thus they will fit) the deep cycle will have fewer cranking amps available.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
A truly sealed battery (like AGM) has no caps. On "maintenance free" flooded cell batteries the caps are underneath the stickers on top.
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
The "maintenance free" flooded batteries have caps, but they have recombiners in them. Provided they're never overcharged they shouldn't "use" water, but often they do anyway, and if they do and you don't peel back the stickers and check one or more cells will be destroyed when the plates become uncovered...
 

Mass. Wine Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2001
Location
Ipswich, Massachusetts
TDI
5-speed, 2015 Golf S 6-speed manual; 2015 Golf Sportwagen SEL 6-speed manual
It was stamped Jan. 2015 and failed to start on two very cold mornings. Four years of New England winters is a good run for any battery. Got a new one.
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
Four years of New England winters is a good run for any battery.
Sadly that may be true of any battery currently available.

One of the original factory Varta batteries in my 2003 TDIs lasted though 10 Canadian winters, the other one died in the middle of it's 12th winter.

Simon
 

TDIFan1989

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2013
Location
Toronto
TDI
2000 Mk4 Jetta TDI (Black)
I have an AGM and had an oil pan heater plugged in for Canada's colder day (15F) and even then, I still had to boost the battery to get her started. Locks were cycling as I was cranking too. I would suspect it's just too damn cold for things to operate normally.
 
Top