MK7 Golf TDI won't start

[peq]

I left the car for about a month this summer.

Upon my return I started the car 2 or 3 times to move it in the driveway but haven't driven it.

I did notice it started a bit slower than the usual start during those quick moves but I thought that's normal give how long it stayed without being driven.

This morning I was planning to go for longer drive, however I could not start the car at all.

I seem to have electric power from the battery. There's fuel in the tank (although I did not fill it up before leaving the car - tank is a bit over half full as you can see in the videos below). What else could the problem be?

Here are a couple of quick videos where I recorded my attempts to start the car this evening:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[pebjr]

I would check the battery and charge it since it was sitting for a month. Battery will drain down over the course of time do to the electronics in the vehicle.

 

[peq]

I would check the battery and charge it since it was sitting for a month. Battery will drain down over the course of time do to the electronics in the vehicle.

Even though there's clearly some electricity? It's not enough?

 

[Lightflyer1]

Some power may not be enough. There has to be enough to power up everything and still spin the engine over at greater than 900 rpm IIRC. Remove the battery and fully charge it with a good charger. How old is the battery? They don't take well to going dead much either.

 

[oilhammer]

Charge the battery up, it's dead. May need to be replaced.

 

[peq]

Thank you! Charging the battery fixed this. My batter charger (I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXWDFSC for this purpose) showed the batter had 20% charge at the beginning and it took several hours to fill it, as expected.

I don't know how old the battery was. I don't recall or find any records of replacing the battery. The battery says: Manufactured for VWoA. Perhaps it's original? My car has100K miles now since when I bought it in 2015.

I did get a check engine light. I found an old OBDII unit that I used to read the code but the light disappeared by itself (I don't think I cleared it with OBDII) before I can read it.

The OBDII reader did show a "P0562 System Voltage Low" code though. I guess related to this, although I'm not sure IIUC. Here are the details:


CONFIRMED: P0562 System Voltage Low
PENDING: P205B Manufacturer Defined
PERMANENT: No trouble codes are detected.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) status Off
Freeze frame DTC P0562
Distance traveled while MIL is activated O miles

Otherwise, the car runs perfectly, like it always did.

 

[hskrdu]

Low battery will often cause lots of codes, but VCDS is your best bet for diagnostics (and pays for itself quickly).

If there is no date sticker on the battery, there may be a code stamped on the plastic which includes the date code, often the 2-digit week of the year and 2-digit year. There may also be a part number, which might be helpful in figuring out age, but if it's original it has survived well past the average.

 

[peq]

Low battery will often cause lots of codes, but VCDS is your best bet for diagnostics (and pays for itself quickly).

If there is no date sticker on the battery, there may be a code stamped on the plastic which includes the date code, often the 2-digit week of the year and 2-digit year. There may also be a part number, which might be helpful in figuring out age, but if it's original it has survived well past the average.

(I thought I responded a couple of days ago bu looks like I didn't post it - maybe only clicked "Preview"?)

Here's the battery:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

(can't include this as an image here for some reason)

The label on the battery says: "000 915 105 DE". Is that what you're referring to?

I don't have VCDS but I have an old OBDII reader and also OBDeleven.

OBDeleven shows this:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Battery terminal recognition: Open circuit
Fault code: U141100
Status: Intermittent
Priority: 1
Malfunction frequency counter: 24
Unlearning counter: 187
Mileage: 94755.38 miles
Supply voltage, terminal 30: 14.2 V
Terminal 15: On
Unknown ambient data
Date: 2023-12-29 12:18:10

I'm at 100K miles now, not sure if this is relevant.
I see other faults with OBDeleven but they are all old. Perhaps I should clear them all and start fresh?
Not sure why OBDII and OBDeleven are showing different content.

 

[hskrdu]

I can't open the dropbox pictures, but you'd be checking for a date sticker (often comes off), a date stamp on a terminal (not always there) or a date code (week/year) in a series of numbers imprinted in the plastic. I can't remember all the running part numbers for the battery, but IIRC the one you listed is not the original H5 or H6 from 2015. Make sure it's an 72ah H6 sized battery, and if you clear the codes, charge the battery, and don't see any issues return, the primary problem was that the car sat for a month. We have 4 or 5 good threads on the battery for a Mk7 GSW, see post #3 in the thread below for pictures of a 72ah H6 battery that has a date sticker 8/20, date stamp 46/2019, and additional info stamped in the black plastic above the part number.

Battery upgrade DIY

Hello people, The battery in my wife's 2015 GSW S finally kicked the bucket, stamped date 12/15 which means this is the original battery fitted. I've read this thread, but the part numbers seemed confusing...

forums.tdiclub.com

 

[peq]

I can't open the dropbox pictures, but you'd be checking for a date sticker (often comes off), a date stamp on a terminal (not always there) or a date code (week/year) in a series of numbers imprinted in the plastic. I can't remember all the running part numbers for the battery, but IIRC the one you listed is not the original H5 or H6 from 2015. Make sure it's an 72ah H6 sized battery, and if you clear the codes, charge the battery, and don't see any issues return, the primary problem was that the car sat for a month. We have 4 or 5 good threads on the battery for a Mk7 GSW, see post #3 in the thread below for pictures of a 72ah H6 battery that has a date sticker 8/20, date stamp 46/2019, and additional info stamped in the black plastic above the part number.

Battery upgrade DIY

Hello people, The battery in my wife's 2015 GSW S finally kicked the bucket, stamped date 12/15 which means this is the original battery fitted. I've read this thread, but the part numbers seemed confusing...

forums.tdiclub.com

This link works for you, right?

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

It has all my pictures in it including the battery.

I don't see a date sticker.
The stamp on the negative terminal seems to say 48/19 (does this mean 48th week of year 2019?)
The imprinted numbers on the plastic are: H2C959223 0207 54627

The battery seems to be in good shape right now and I don't know if it necessarily needs changing? I'm not sure how to watch it's health exactly either...

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Looks like a VW replacement battery, unless you can remember or find a receipt with a date less than 5 years old it's suspect. Charging voltage can be checked with a simple cheap tool called a VOM or Volt Ohm Milliammeter, every tinkerer has one in their toolbox.

 

[BobnOH]

Battery can be tested, most parts stores will do that. Or you can do it your own self with a hydrometer and a charger.

 

[hskrdu]

This link works for you, right?

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

It has all my pictures in it including the battery.
I don't see a date sticker.
The stamp on the negative terminal seems to say 48/19 (does this mean 48th week of year 2019?)
The imprinted numbers on the plastic are: H2C959223 0207 54627
The battery seems to be in good shape right now and I don't know if it necessarily needs changing? I'm not sure how to watch it's health exactly either...

The pic link worked this time.
Yes- the date code is stamped on the terminal: 48th week of 2019. I'd expect Mk7 batteries to last between 4.5-6.5 years, but ymmv.
* Note that your battery is the 61ah, probably H5, originally fitted to some Mk7 TDIs (and then replaced with the same 61ah battery because "that's what was in there"). Please see the threads about installing the correct sized 72ah H6 battery.
Otherwise the battery doesn't need home charging if your system is working and you are driving the car such that the battery charges.
You can get a 12v power port (USB, etc.) that shows voltage, but the battery often reveals its demise through slower starts, etc., and then gives up.