Can't start vRS. NOT battery

[Adenuf]

....yet it appears to be the battery!

 

Dash lights all on, but not perhaps as bright as usual.

Everything else appears to be working

Charged it up, took it out, had it checked and it's fully charged. Just clicks in the usual flat battery style.

 

 

Boot won't open either if that's a clue?

 

Sons AA  Home Start beckons if I can't find a solution.

Edited 20 June, 2016 by Adenuf

[giandougl]

Try using a second battery using jump leads and see if starter engages.

Some starters in the past I have seldom experienced, become what they call hungry, needing more and more power to turn engine over.

Get battery checked for holding charge, and alternator output charge, then finally the starter itself/ pre-engaged solenoid.

Edited 20 June, 2016 by giandougl

[Adenuf]

Try using a second battery using jump leads and see if starter engages.

Some starters in the past I have seldom experienced, become what they call hungry, needing more and more power to turn engine over.

Get battery checked for holding charge, and alternator output charge, then finally the starter itself/ pre-engaged solenoid.

Wouldn't really explain why the electronic boot release won't work though would it?

That just whirs and clicks too.

Edited 20 June, 2016 by Adenuf

[Breezy_Pete]

Checked for loose battery terminal clamps?

[Adenuf]

Checked for loose battery terminal clamps?

Yup. Had battery out and back in again too, so double checked that one.

 

How can stuff just fail when everythingwas just fine and dandy last time I used it? 

[Adenuf]

Going to try jump starting it as gaindoug suggests later when son comes home to help me push it out of the back garden car port space.

My head and previous experience really does point towards a duff battery this, but it's only 18 months old and is seemingly fully charged.

Edited 20 June, 2016 by Adenuf

[Adenuf]

is there a main relay or whatever somewhere just after the battery that feeds EVERYTHING?

Edited 20 June, 2016 by Adenuf

[Adenuf]

I hate electricity.

I'd swear it was invented and is run by aliens.

[mogwye]

Check the battery Earth to chassis on the top front suspension turret on the passenger side.

 

DB.

[Adenuf]

Check the battery Earth to chassis on the top front suspension turret on the passenger side.

 

DB.

Good point. Will do, tar.

[Adenuf]

Check the battery Earth to chassis on the top front suspension turret on the passenger side.

 

DB.

Nah. Tight. Never been off tbh. Looks rust free too.

[mogwye]

They can look 100% perfect but can cause problems, after trying to start the engine, does the connector (where it bolts to the chassis) get warm, if it does it's telling you it's a bad connection and needs undoing, cleaning with a wire brush, smear some vaseline on and re-connect.

 

DB.

[TMB]

They can look 100% perfect but can cause problems, after trying to start the engine, does the connector (where it bolts to the chassis) get warm, if it does it's telling you it's a bad connection and needs undoing, cleaning with a wire brush, smear some vaseline on and re-connect.

 

DB.

 

Yes, just looking at it is not enough.

[rum4mo]

Try using a second battery using jump leads and see if starter engages.

Some starters in the past I have seldom experienced, become what they call hungry, needing more and more power to turn engine over.

Get battery checked for holding charge, and alternator output charge, then finally the starter itself/ pre-engaged solenoid.

 

I know what you mean, I've been there done that with Fords, starter not turning fast enough, if keeping car fix it, if not replace the battery as it is cheaper, normally the root cause is a failing starter motor bearing, but the better battery can mask it for a while!

 

This is the point when I might suggest the OP buys a cheap voltmeter as a cheap as chips moving coil volt meter stuffed into the cigarette lighter socket before and while trying to crank the engine, could tell you a lot. Ie, was the battery voltage okay initially and does the voltage die off below sensible level while trying to crank - or even not drop at all?

[giandougl]

Wouldn't really explain why the electronic boot release won't work though would it?

That just whirs and clicks too.

Not enough juice to trip solenoid..

[wilsonian]

I had an issue very similar. Turned out the lead that goes to the start motor had broken free of the crimp. I think you have to remove the battery and it's tray (so air box as well) but the lead to the starter motor is a known issue as it's fair tight fitting.

 

HTH.

[VWD]

Starter end clicks when starting. Why not try a logical approach to finding the problem. Starter motor is clicking, because ( as been suggested) it's not getting the right voltage with enough current . SO, first point of call is to connect meter across battery and try to start. Battery voltage drops dramatically- suspect battery. if not, then if could be a bad high resistance connection in either the earth side or the battery feed. Negative meter lead on battery -ve , connect +ve to engine block. Try starter - little or no volts shown- chances are that earth side is good. Meter + to battery +, -ve to solenoid battery lead. Try starting, and again, there should be no reading ( or very low). All that's left then is the solenoid contacts or the starter motor /brushes.

[giandougl]

If all possibilities are tried/ tested then the only thing left will be the problem : ?

Edited 26 June, 2016 by giandougl

[Adenuf]

Jumped it from my sons battery last night, and finally I got it started..

 

Just tried it under its own battery power this morning, and it's all fine and dandy again.....for now?

[Adenuf]

Well that took a few months to sort out, but got there eventually.

 

Took it in to my local VAG specialist, and they did a drop test, bad earth  etc.

Nowt wrong there.

 

They suspected the starter motor, so I authorised replacement.

Instantly it was turning over much quicker, so that seemed to be that.

 

The nearly 3 year old battery was causing scratching of heads though.

It was showing fully charged, but was not regaining lost power or something (too electrically technical for me to understand, soz), but the alternator was pumping out the normal power to it.

 

They fully charged it anyway, but within 3 days, it was a flat as a fluke again

 

Whizzed it out, took it to LVW Factors where I purchased it, and they tested it there and then.

 

 

The screen showed fully charged, but 'not serviceable' came up on the screen.

Instant no quibble replacement, JUST inside the warranty period.

Broken cell probably they reckoned.

Excellent speedy  service anyway.

 

My VAG specialist wondered if the failing original battery might have contributed to some damage to the starter motor btw, as even when fully charged, it wasn't turning the engine over as fast as it should have.

Nearly 12 years old, so absolutely no grounds for complaint.

 

Sorted! :sun:

Edited 31 October, 2016 by Adenuf

[rum4mo]

Sounds like you had a good warranty on that battery, I've only heard about small values of money being handed back for a battery failing within its warranty period - like you normally only get refunded what is left of its original warranty (service life), I hope my 5 year Bosch battery warranty is the same as your one!

[vRSAnt]

I've got one still probably good (Exide EA770), only replaced because I assumed after 4 years (warranty life) it would be battery problem by then.

£67 delivered from Tanya, wouldn't bother with anything else as I doubt its anything better.

 

- Well it wasn't it was the broken wire to the solenoid problem, very intermittent if it would start or not and finally traced to the sodding wire after I'd already bought a 2nd EA770 !

 

So I've got a 2nd battery that was working sitting about in my convervatory as a spare

That is the best kind of warranty - one on a product so good, you don't even need it.

[rum4mo]

Quote:- "That is the best kind of warranty - one on a product so good, you don't even need it.​"

 

I agree, that is the only version of warranty that works well - especially with a car battery where you need to change your plans and get that "will not start car" dud battery with the "amazing" warranty back to where you bought it to get a replacement!

[Xoij]

if it doesn't attempt to start it will be the common issue with the solenoid wire snapping on the starter motor. Had this issue last week, easy fix battery out, add some well needed wire, solder heat wrap.