My 2001 Passat will not keep a charge after I gave someone a jump. I have replaced the battery. after i get a jump, it will run until I cut it off

Asked by Deborah Barksdale May 29, 2014 at 10:44 AM about the Volkswagen Passat

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

There was ;not problem with starting until I have someone else a jump.  Even after replacing battery, I, now have to get a jump each time after I cut the car off

7 Answers

25,325

you were being nice to someone by giving them the boost but you hooked your car to their car in a bad way. I can't say exactly what you touched to what because I wasn't there; but, that part is in the past and can't be undone. Your charging system isn't working now. isn't there a lite up picture of a battery (or a warning of some kind) on your dash? Get back.

5 people found this helpful.
12,535

It can kill your charging system,if your car was not running at the time they cranked there car,if you jump some one,all ways have your car running.Now go price a new alternator.

5 people found this helpful.
25,325

so you did - and so did I [ almost did]... :)

2 people found this helpful.
785

Most probably a diot is blown and running on a open circuit,your alternator doesnt charge,and after all a alternator is not a battery charger and pushes out either 13.8v or 14.2 to keep the battery on 12v

3 people found this helpful.
44,835

It is a common mistake- using jumper cables with both engines running- the output on the charging systems on both cars (once the 2nd one fires up) will get into conflict, blowing out diodes in either or both alternators- the juice is meant to only run one way- when jumping (which is dangerous enough in so many ways) just leave the engine in the donor car off- look at it this way: a car starts from a battery, anyway- so just hook it to another, good, battery- this gets complicated when the dead battery is really, really flat- then it needs a little charging, AND a jump to crank and fire a modern, fuel-injected engine- complicated? yes, if you are not a mechanic- so I just recommend on this forum: JUST DON'T JUMP CARS! use the other, safer ways to deal with dead batteries- like, have a AAA card-

2 people found this helpful.
25,325

Way to go jamnblues - you just saved whomever reads this from doing a ..."...gets complicated when..."-"....fuel injected engine-complicated" Besides screwing up the car electrically - have you ever been around a battery that EXPLODED?.... that's from Chas an EASOHKer. Call A.A.A. if you don't know 100% what you are doing. And while at that topic (no I don't work for them nor have I ever nor does anybody I know work there) EVERY DRIVER get A.A.A. or C.A.A. it really is worthwhile. It's the only insurance I willingly pay.

3 people found this helpful.

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