Did I mention I hate VW's?

[Verio]

So... the car I'm hoping to trade in, when my Camaro arrives is this POS 2004 Passat. Well, I'm guessing she can sense her impending doom, and decided she isn't going to start anymore.

Car works fine last night.

Car wont start this morning.

No lights were left on, no accessories, nothing.

Now, I'm not the most savvy gear head around, but something like this just screams lots of $$$$ coming out of my pocket.

Should I start with a simple battery replacement or should I go straight for the alternator? Tips? Suggestions?

[hollywoodGU]

check your connections make sure they are tight, if that doesnt work jump it drive it around for an hour or so then see if it will start by itself.

[Verio]

Originally Posted by hollywoodGU

check your connections make sure they are tight, if that doesnt work jump it drive it around for an hour or so then see if it will start by itself.

I drove her 20 minutes to work. Shut off the car, and attempted to start her back up. This time it was worse. It made about 2 revolutions and finally came to life, but it barely made it. I had to give it a lot of gas.

[68 Z/28]

Originally Posted by Verio

I drove her 20 minutes to work. Shut off the car, and attempted to start her back up. This time it was worse. It made about 2 revolutions and finally came to life, but it barely made it. I had to give it a lot of gas.

sounds like it could be either battery or alt. jump it then pull off the neg. bat. cable and if it stays running your battery is the problem , if it stops , prob. the alt.

[68 Z/28]

Originally Posted by 68 Z/28

sounds like it could be either battery or alt. jump it then pull off the neg. bat. cable and if it stays running your battery is the problem , if it stops , prob. the alt.

Did you check if the alt. belt is tite ?

[Mindz]

Batteries stop holding charges after a certain time. Could be that. I replaced my 2001 Saturn's about 8 months ago.

[68 Z/28]

I'm you say you are trading your VW for your Camaro when it comes in , but in your other thread you say you are taking the Camaro to Myrtle Bch. Do you have itt or not whats the story

[Verio]

Originally Posted by 68 Z/28

sounds like it could be either battery or alt. jump it then pull off the neg. bat. cable and if it stays running your battery is the problem , if it stops , prob. the alt.

I will try this. Thank you!!

[Verio]

Originally Posted by 68 Z/28

I'm you say you are trading your VW for your Camaro when it comes in , but in your other thread you say you are taking the Camaro to Myrtle Bch. Do you have itt or not whats the story

Headed to Myrtle Beach mid August. I got my VIN for my Camaro yesterday... so I'm hoping within 1 month I will have my Camaro to take to Myrtle Beach

[Verio]

Originally Posted by Mindz

Batteries stop holding charges after a certain time. Could be that. I replaced my 2001 Saturn's about 8 months ago.

Just overnight like that? It's like 1 day it works fine, 8 hours later, it doesn't.

[MLL67RSSS]

Originally Posted by 68 Z/28

sounds like it could be either battery or alt. jump it then pull off the neg. bat. cable and if it stays running your battery is the problem , if it stops , prob. the alt.

I'm no genius auto mechanic but I have heard that is not a good thing to do. It can damage the diodes in a good alternator due to reverse voltage spikes created when the load is removed when the alternator is spinning creating current.

A lot of times a sudden problem like that can be caused by a bad battery/shorted cells. In a lead/acid battery there are six cells that provide 2 volts each. When I lived in Phoenix the heat just killed batteries, was lucky to get three years or so out of them in my and my wifes car. Car would start fine one day, next day turn the key and boom, cell shorts. One time I had two cells short at the same time. When I put a volt meter on the battery, car off no load/lights etc., read 8 volts so two cells were shorted. My S-10 did it here in Indy not too long ago, one day fine next day won't/barely cranks. Measured battery voltage, 10 volts = one cell shorted.

If you have a volt meter and can measure your battery voltage with car off and no loads it should read 12 volts, with engine running if the alternator is functioning properly it should read about 14 to 14.5 volts. Alternator is three phase with a diode rectifier for each, if one diode is bad so one phase gone it will read somewhere between 12 and 14 volts. That can gradually cause the battery to loose charge but generally not a one day fine/next day not thing. Also if you do have a shorted cell you want to get a new battery right away before the excessive load on the alternator overheats it causing it to fail. I suspect you have a bad battery, if you are unsure you could remove it and take it to an auto parts place and have it load tested.


P.S. BTW if you don't know, ALWAYS remove the negative cable from the battery first. Ever seen the end of a wrench melted off in an instant when someone put it on the positive and the other end hits grounded metal somewhere? With the negative cable off battery is isolated so no current can flow if the wrench touches something when removing the positive cable.

[MTron]

Originally Posted by MLL67RSSS

.

If you have a volt meter and can measure your battery voltage with car off and no loads it should read 12 volts, with engine running if the alternator is functioning properly it should read about 14 to 14.5 volts. Alternator is three phase with a diode rectifier for each, if one diode is bad so one phase gone it will read somewhere between 12 and 14 volts. That can gradually cause the battery to loose charge but generally not a one day fine/next day not thing. Also if you do have a shorted cell you want to get a new battery right away before the excessive load on the alternator overheats it causing it to fail. I suspect you have a bad battery, if you are unsure you could remove it and take it to an auto parts place and have it load tested.


P.S. BTW if you don't know, ALWAYS remove the negative cable from the battery first. Ever seen the end of a wrench melted off in an instant when someone put it on the positive and the other end hits grounded metal somewhere? With the negative cable off battery is isolated so no current can flow if the wrench touches something when removing the positive cable.

Quick way to narrow it down

Grab your volt meter as suggested above, read the voltage between each terminal of the battery. If the battery is still "good" it will read 12 or so volts (11.7 or so - 12.3 or so)

Now while still taking a voltage measurement, have someone start the car. If you see the voltage drop below 10 the battery is probably going. If it drops below 9 then your battery is likely shot.

Now, let the battery charge for a while and retest. If its fully charged, and you still get voltage droop your battery is probably gone, see below. If at a full charge it works fine, then it could be your alternator.

If its a refillable battery, then really hot temps can have the battery fluid evaporate over time, to refill it CAREFULLY (ie wear gloves, there is sulfuric acid in there) open up the caps, and check the levels, if its low (ie not filled to the top) then fill it up with distilled water ONLY. Recap it, and let it charge overnight, and test it in the morning.

if not refillable, and you still have the voltage drop...time for a new battery

[MLL67RSSS]

Very good advice MTron. If is isn't a "maintenance free" battery and has caps you can open, the fluid should not be all the way to the top of the caps, should just be touching the top of the tabs that stick down inside the cap hole. If it you can see the tops of the lead plates and they are not covered you need to add distilled water. Distilled water because the impurities in anything else will cause the lead plates to short together and ruin the battery.

[shevyman]

well i will correct two people and let you know first mtron and ml67rsss both are wrong about the voltage. take the voltage meter check the battery if it reads12volts you are 60% charged which is bad, the battery does have 6 cells but they are 2.1 volts each which makes the battery 12.6 volts when you check the battery anything below that means you are low

Now also if the battery is from the dealer car was brand new they do come with a sealed maintenance free battery which are interstate batteries and have a little clear dot on them that are green when good and yellow or red when bad,

If you can get into the battery then yes check the water/acid level if low yes fill up then put on a charger over night with 10amps no higher you don't want to quick charge it is bad for the cells heat does kill them, so let charge if still low after 12 hours let charge for another 5 if the same on voltag battery is shot, now if the volts do go up and you do put into the vehicle and it starts but struggles then you have a bad cell.

also agree with other people if that is not the problem then check alternator o yeah and i should have mentioned that a slight loose connection could be the problem to so yes also check connections and for any corrosion on the terminals, if thats not it then the car loves you lol.

p.s vw's are known for electrical problems