german_cargo
Active member
My Jetta was labouring quite a bit when it started, and twice now in the last year it wouldn't crank at all -- all I would get was the starter click sound. I brought the battery in to get trickle charged and cleaned the battery to alternator connection and ground connection under the battery tray. It started cranking again - albeit hesitantly -- so I thought I figured out the problem and that it was still a laboured sounding start because it was still below freezing outside and wasn't driving it daily. Then, yesterday I got stranded at a parts store picking something up for one of my other vehicles. I went to drive away and got the dead battery click.
I brought the battery in and got tested it and surprisingly it was in good shape. It was at about 85% capacity according the tester but that should have been plenty to get the engine at least cranking in +10 degree weather.
Turns out the starter and / or starter solenoid was worn out. I swapped out the starter in the parking lot and now it starts effortlessly. The new starter came with the solenoid.
The key was testing the battery -- this eliminated the battery itself as the problem, and it also eliminated the alternator not charging the battery being the issue.
The TDI is that much happier now. On to the next thing!
I brought the battery in and got tested it and surprisingly it was in good shape. It was at about 85% capacity according the tester but that should have been plenty to get the engine at least cranking in +10 degree weather.
Turns out the starter and / or starter solenoid was worn out. I swapped out the starter in the parking lot and now it starts effortlessly. The new starter came with the solenoid.
The key was testing the battery -- this eliminated the battery itself as the problem, and it also eliminated the alternator not charging the battery being the issue.
The TDI is that much happier now. On to the next thing!
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