Computer shutdown by itself

[Sparky]

This morning is the second time this has happened in a week. I go out to the car and find that it is completely shutdown. I manually unlock the door, reshut the door and the horn beeps one time, then everything turns back on. The trip meter, the clock, and the radio are reset. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

 

[DaveFromSiberia]

Huh. Man, that's freaky. I'm with Powder Hound on the 'bad battery connection & condition' concept... but the horn. Perhaps this is a VW-only feature, but generally when you disconnect, then reconnect the battery, the horn stays silent. However, could it be a theft feature, or a low-battery signal of some sort? Keep me posted on this... seems SO weird that the car beeps the horn. What's the owner's manual say about that??

 

[Powder Hound]

Makes it sound like the battery was disconnected. Any cranking problems when starting? Any driveability problems (sudden power loss, cold start problems, slow cranking, dim lights)?

If murphy's law applies here (maybe you're exempt - I'm not) then it will behave perfectly for the dealer.

What year is the car? Is the battery leaking or displaying any other signs of trouble?

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"I love the smell of [burning diesel] in the morning. It smells like ... victory!"

 

[garrettp]

could it be a loose fuse? or some other connection? next time just open the hood and jiggle the battery box. if that don't work, take the lower dash off and then enxt ime get under there and start jigglein'. sounds wierd but it could narrow down the problem. something must be loose or bad obviously right.

g

 

[Sparky]

All connections appear tight. I'm crossed between the idea that maybe some plates in the battery might be cracked at the connection or an anti-theft mode in the alarm has been set. I've set off the alarm by accident before, but usually reset it before finding the full extent of its protection. Both times the system shutdown, the temperature was around 18 to 20 deg. F outside. A hairline crack between plate connections is a more probable answer.

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1998 Jetter TDI
1994 Ford Exploder (189K miles and no problems yet!)

[This message has been edited by Sparky (edited January 05, 2001).]

 

[DEZLBOY]

Normally each morning, before you touch anything, the red blinking light next to the drivers door pin will be blinking. The manual says if you leave your car locked for 30 days, the light will stop blinking so you don't use up your battery.

My guess is....maybe not only does the door alarm lite stop blinking, but to save battery juice the radio and trip OD stop being fed "maintain" voltage. And...maybe the sign of the "system" coming to life is - when the door is opened and closed - the car beeps to tell you it has turned those items "back on".

So....maybe the piece (chip?) that counts down the 30 days, is losing count intermittently and shutting down.

Or....if the 30 days is really an estimate, maybe the "time" is based on the battery voltage decreasing a certain amount (estimated to be a 30 day period) or to a certain low level.

Therefore, maybe the above posters are correct. It is your battery....faking the car to think it's been sitting longer.

Just a guess.....