Flat Battery.

[alang498]

Hi All,

Due to my enforced temporary immobility (broken ankle), my 1998 VW Passat 1.9 TDI is sitting on the drive for at least 6 weeks.

I was told to start the car once each week and let her run to normal operating temperature and that this would charge the battery.

Regretfully, from when I last used the car on a Thursday, there was nothing remaining in the battery on the following Tuesday to the extent that the car cannot be entered as the central locking will not work.

Due to the battery loosing charge in such a short time and the age of the battery, I am assuming that I need to replace it, but my dilemma is: How do I get into the car ?

Due to the age of the car/non use of the door lock, the front passenger door lock is seized and does not work, except via the central locking.

I have managed to get the boot open, but now it will not relock due to the flat battery, and the rear passenger seats are locked in the upright position from inside the car.

I have subsequently been told that the car will be OK without being started and that now I should just leave it until I am mobile again.

Could anyone advise if I would need to get a locksmith to open the doors, and can I expect any other problems due to the battery being completely flat ?

Many thanks, in advance, for any information.

[KrashBandiKoot]

First of all, with respect to your battery in this damp cold weather batteries tend to lose charge very quickly. Ideally you'd need to give it a full charge then put it on an Optimiser, (which is basically a tricklr charger that will supply current to keep the alarm system going and will top up the battery), which could be a plug in one or a solar powered one. They're cheap enough at about £40 for a solar powered and about £60 to £70 for a plug in Optimiser.

As for getting in the car, spray the lock with some WD40 or Maintenance Spray and leave it for a while. Start working the lock with the key gently until it starts to turn the lock. It will take a bit of time and effort to free up the lock but it will unlock eventually.

As far as other problems, you may find the windows don't work properly and you may have to arm and disarm the alarm/security system a couple of times to get it back on line. Other than that it should all be good. But when you get to the battery do yourself a favour and charge it off the car. Sometimes chargers send too many amps so can screw up management systems and security systems.

[Doctle Odd]

You can jack her up and connect jump leads, live to the big terminal on the starter and the other to a good earth, that will allow you to open her

[zollaf]

^^^^^^ wot he said^^^^^^^

it takes a good run to put back into the battery what starting t takes out. me, i would either fit a solar charger, connect it to an optimate or ctek charger or remove the battery and stick it in the shed or garage. better still, find someone else thats insured to drve it and get them to take it out once a week for a run, save the brake discs rusting up . they could even take you out in it, save you going stir crazy stuck indoors.

[alang498]

Thank you all for your kind replies.

I feel more confident about the situation now.

Best wishes.

[alang498]

Update:

Before the current situation, I had a problem with the boot lock and just thought that I would try the key in that and it opened !

So now I am in the boot but still cannot get in to the passenger cabin as the rear seats are locked in the upright position.

I have noted the 12 v outlet in the boot and am just wondering if there is a possibility to get a charge into the battery via that ?

Otherwise, I am, tempted to try and rig up some sort of hook on a stick and try to thread it from the boot through a gap between the rear seats and try to pull a rear door handle open.

[Doctle Odd]

Yes if it's "always on" no if you need to turn the ignition to on or acc

[KrashBandiKoot]

DO NOT attempt to use any other outlet to try and charge the battery as you have no idea at all where it leads and what it's running to before it gets to the battery. This MAY result in the engine management system frying or may cause an electrical fire.

At best nothing will happen as the outlet will be dead without the key in the ignition and set to the accessories position to make it live.

The stick and hook idea sounds the best approach to take on this one. If you believe this outlet is live all of the time, the best course of action to take would be to hook up a charger to it and then try unlocking the car either with the remote or with the key.

However, I'm unsure why you can't unlock the car with the key? Does it not have any key holes on the doors? Even with deadlocks engaged the key would still open the car manually on the operating mechanism inside the door. It's just an actuator which pulls the lock across another notch to deadlock it but there will still be a bar attached to the lock itself which will disengage the deadlocks.

[Rob69]

Be V careful trying to backfeed via accessory socket - reverse polarity potential !

Try your hooky stick - sure to keep you ( and neighbours) entertained.

[alang498]

Hi All,

Maybe I wont do anything with the 12 v outlet.

Prior to the battery going totally flat ( but not having enough charge to start the car ), there was just enough charge left for the doors to open when inserting the key in the drivers door lock and turning.

Since the battery has gone completely flat, when inserting the key in the door lock and turning, nothing happens at all.

I cannot try the front passenger door lock as that seized years ago, probably as it was never used. Recent attempts with WD40 have failed to loosen the lock/barrel.

Likewise, the remote central locking has not worked for several years, and as mentioned, the boot lock seems to do its own thing.

Looks like I will try some fishing from the boot before resorting to an auto locksmith or the AA. but if all fails I have wondered if it is possible to remove the small window glass at the rear side of the car, in order to either reach in and pull the inside door handle, or unlock the rear seats, so that they could fold down and enter via the boot.