UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

With no prior indication our Polo wouldnt start today. Battery was completely flat to the extent dash lights wouldnt even show! I jump started it using our other car and took it for a 10 minute drive and the battery had held some charge as I was able to turn the car off and resart it a few times, use the headlights, radio etc. I assumed I'd just left the parking light on for 48hrs by accident or something.

However, went back out tonight after leaving it standing for 6 hours and its flat again. Dash lights work, but doesnt seem to be enough charge to start the car. The dash makes a clicky sound when trying to start. Now I didnt drive the car for ages today to re-charge the battery, but it started fine a few times after a 10 min drive and shouldnt have any less juice 6hrs later surely!

If the battery was faulty Im assuming I'd have had some warning of starting issues prior to today & Im also assuming it wouldnt charge when driven, which it does. Therefore something must be draining it

As a side note, a few other electrical gremlins have occured lately. Namely the stereo cutting out randomly, and the dash lights not working when turing the headlight switch on (albeit only a couple on times).

Any help much appreciated! Where do I start?

Thanks
Tim

Batteries can just die just like that. Once they are totally flat, unless you take it out the car and put it on a proper slow charger, theres no way to get it back to capacity as the alternator cant provide a high enough amperage

This has happened to me too in my X reg Polo Match. It seems to do it when it's cold; I may leave it for a week (in the garage), then try to start it but I just get the clicking noise. I then charge it up and then it fires first time. The battery I have now is not even a year old and it is a Halfords Calcium with a 4 year guarantee. It happened to the previous battery that was also new, when we had cold weather last February. This was when I changed it for the Calcium type. In the summer I can leave it for 2 weeks and it starts up with no problem. I've checked the battery with a multimeter to check alternator is charging OK and with all the lights, blower, rear screen heater all switched on, the battery is showing approx 14v., so I'm completely baffled.

Well I got a booster to get it going again and went for a 20 mile drive. Its now fine! Been a couple of days now of using it daily again and it seems back to normal! I reckon I might have just left the parking light on and didnt give it enough of a run to get any charge back into the battery the first time I jumped it

Fingers crossed it stays good.