MK 2 Golf cuts out + flat battery

[wadihalfa]

Hi Folks,
I have a 1988 mk2 Golf. For no apparent reason, the engine cuts out, whether moving or stationary and when I try to re-start, the battery appears to be totally flat. After waiting a while it will decide to play again.
This evening, I was driving in the dark, the lights went incedibly dim, I could hardly see with full beam on. Then the engine cut out. Wouldn't re-start. Got the wife out to come and give me a jump start, it started, I drove 50 yards up the road and cut out again.
Towed the thing home and replaced all the HT leads, rotor and distributor and the coil (a job I had been meaning to do for some time) whilst doing that I put the battery on charge. When finished, car started up first time and was ticking over beautifully. Then suddenly the engine stopped as if it had been switched off, no coughing or spluttering. I turned the key again and there was absolutely nothing there apart from 2 red lights on the dash. What the hell is going on? I'm about due for a nervous breakdown.

 

[Jimmyjaffa]

Sounds like the alternator has gone or you have a bad earth cable.try and follow the black lead off the battery and check it has a good connection on the year box.

 

[Peter.N.]

The first thing to check is that your battery is charging properly, connect a voltmeter across the battery with the engine running, you should have at least 14 volts, much less and either your alternator is faulty or the belt is slipping, on the other hand it could be a dud battery.

Peter

 

[Peter.N.]

Just beat me

 

[Jimmyjaffa]

We both speak the same language chap.

 

[wadihalfa]

Thanks guys, will give it a go.

 

[Biguns]

My sons Golf was doing this last year. Baffling. After some time I wiggled the battery leads at the battery clamps and the positive came out of the crimping on the battery clamp. It had sheared the copper cable in the clamp, probably vibration. Fitted new clamp, everything OK

 

[wadihalfa]

Thanks Snugib, I did that a couple of months ago and it seemed to go ok for a while. Its back with avengance now.

 

[Mursal]

As above, also check the positive wire on the starter it may be loose. I think that alternator is on rubber so make sure the earth strap from the alternator to the engine is not broken or frayed.

Bad connection on the large + terminal on the alternator?

 

[Burnerman]

I do suspect, like the others, that you have a problem with the main battery cables or their connections.
However, VW had real problems with their ignition switches around this time which could certainly cut the engine out. It wouldn't however cause the battery to become flat.
John

 

[wadihalfa]

I've managed to get the thing going now. Sometime last night during my woes, the alternator belt disappeared. I've put a new one on, checked all the connections - found a wire on the bottom of the gearbox housing had come off. Everything seems to be ok for the moment.
When I said earlier that the battery was flat, I'm not sure it was. I checked with a volt meter this morning before it would start and it showed 12v and dropped to 3v when I turned the key. The starter motor made no sound - absolute silence. I'd love to know what the problem was/is for future reference. It only took me 7 hours to sort it and I still don't know what was wrong!

 

[Burnerman]

If your battery dropped to 3v then it was (is) totally flat....normally when cranking you don't want the voltage to drop to less than 10v. At 3v no wonder the starter was quiet!
Stick a voltmeter across the battery when the engine is running. It should read about 14.4v. Now try it with the lights and HRW on - the voltage shouldn't drop any great amount.
John

 

[wadihalfa]

Cheers Burnerman. Exactly as you say 14.4 across the battery.

 

[birkee]

A 12 Volt battery is a 12 Volt battery,..... non optional.
Any less than 10.5 volts off load, and it's gonna be scrap.
(I'm a retired automotive battery laboratory testing technician.)

The problem of a flat battery isn't indicated by the voltage "off load", but by what happens to it ON load.
A GOOD battery (The battery is actually charged at 14.7 Volts, but will reduce to around 13 Volts or so OFF charge) will droop from 12V very slightly when a load is applied (depending on whether you use a lamp, or a starter motor!) and the voltage "on load" is a truer reflection of its "state of charge".......12 Volts "off load" means nothing, it could be as dead as a Dodo as a car battery.