Short version...
Had the car a few months and with the exception of a minor niggle with actuator rods it's been great.
Thursday evening, went with the daughter to get a little shopping, car started fine as normal but there was a slight hiccup when first pulling away leaving supermarket car park. (Same issue as I always have btw - park it in the middle of nowhere after getting fed up with being blocked in by ***** leaving me 2" to open my door. 10 mins later my car is surrounded by Zafiras with dented doors and child seats, ggrrrrr). Daughter noticed the 'misfire' too. 30 yards later, out onto main road and it cut out blocking a set of traffic lights and a zebra crossing - oh, the stares and comments were fantastic...
Fault lights - just about everyone I've heard of - beep, PTM - beep, PASM - beep, ABS. Then a few others I hadn't heard of. I waited a min, ignition back on and everything fine. Started, move forward (to a less dodgy place to stop) and it cut out again with the same routine of various faults.
After reading on here I suspected the battery even though there's been no signs of impending death (my previous Carrera showed signs with slow cranking etc). It's a Bosch S4 but unsure of age -there's no mention in the paperwork I got with the car.
So, onto the AA and this is where it becomes a comedy classic.
A nice lad turns up, asks if I've put diesel in (errr, no), pops bonnet and checks battery volts - 11.9 but that means little. He checks other various things, then decides to remove negative battery terminal, waits for a minute then reconnects. Nothing. Then alarm sounds. Loudly.
Once this stops sounding he shits the bonnet.
Oh yeah. Key not responding, no ignition lights, alarm going mental every time a door is opened and he shuts the bonnet.
3 hours have now passed. Drivers window fully down, passenger half down and the rain starts. Torrential and horizontal.
My car, my fault and my issue but I'm now getting pissed off with the world.
Give him his dues, he soaked (as are we) and on his hands and knees trying to get a live feed to the fuse box to pop the bonnet.
It won't open.
A second AA Van turns up and gives us a lift home (only 10 mins away) so I can take shopping home (luckily on the rear seats) and get my second car to return and wait for the outcome.
Second AA van leaves, I grab the keys for the Golf and........it won't start, flat battery.
So, into my daughters Ka which hasn't moved for 6 months (she's learning to drive and lessons are with the instructors car). Fires straight up. Excellent. Heat, dry and a seat to wait the outcome.
First hiccup occurred around 7PM, car dies around 7.01.
It's now 11.30PM.
Gets down to stranded P&J.
He's jacked the car up, removed inner coverings and says there is no emergency pull cord as described on google.
I spend a few mins helping him find the missing torx socket that rolled into the dark and wet.
Nothing more he can do, has to leave, recovery on the way, sorry. As it was his fault for shutting the bonnet he'd arranged for recovery to secure location then onwards to the specialist I use the next day.
Ok, ***** happens, thanks for trying.
An hour later recovery turns up. They had not been told the car was immobile, stuck in park, towing eye in the (locked and unable to open) bonnet.
So, plastic skids - drag it onto the low loader!
Oh, it 4 wheel drive? I need four skids. I only have a pair....
Wait a while and his mate turns up in second recovery van with his pair.
I'll cut all the rest of the stuff that happened for the next 90 mins to say it was a joy to see it finally being dragged onto the low loader, backwards with straps attached to something sturdy underneath (I honestly didn't want to look).
They depart and I return home around 02.30.
Up for work at 06.00.
I get a text from the AA saying delivery to speacialist arranged for 09.30. Rang the specialist to explain things and everything is fine.
4PM, car still not arrived but they'd be in contact with specialist asking secure way to get car to them. I suppose that's better than just dragging it any old way.
5PM, specialist closed, car not arrived.
Should be here Monday.
They've used plastic to secure car where glass should be.
Sorry for the long post but I have two questions for those with more insight than myself.
Actually, three questions.
1. Could this simply be a case of knackered battery and a new one will solve it all?
2. Why the hell would you close a bonnet on a disabled car when you know you need access in around 30 secs to do a full check on the battery?
And 3.
Emptied the shopping bags and wondered where are the chilled and frozen products were. Can you guess?
Had the car a few months and with the exception of a minor niggle with actuator rods it's been great.
Thursday evening, went with the daughter to get a little shopping, car started fine as normal but there was a slight hiccup when first pulling away leaving supermarket car park. (Same issue as I always have btw - park it in the middle of nowhere after getting fed up with being blocked in by ***** leaving me 2" to open my door. 10 mins later my car is surrounded by Zafiras with dented doors and child seats, ggrrrrr). Daughter noticed the 'misfire' too. 30 yards later, out onto main road and it cut out blocking a set of traffic lights and a zebra crossing - oh, the stares and comments were fantastic...
Fault lights - just about everyone I've heard of - beep, PTM - beep, PASM - beep, ABS. Then a few others I hadn't heard of. I waited a min, ignition back on and everything fine. Started, move forward (to a less dodgy place to stop) and it cut out again with the same routine of various faults.
After reading on here I suspected the battery even though there's been no signs of impending death (my previous Carrera showed signs with slow cranking etc). It's a Bosch S4 but unsure of age -there's no mention in the paperwork I got with the car.
So, onto the AA and this is where it becomes a comedy classic.
A nice lad turns up, asks if I've put diesel in (errr, no), pops bonnet and checks battery volts - 11.9 but that means little. He checks other various things, then decides to remove negative battery terminal, waits for a minute then reconnects. Nothing. Then alarm sounds. Loudly.
Once this stops sounding he shits the bonnet.
Oh yeah. Key not responding, no ignition lights, alarm going mental every time a door is opened and he shuts the bonnet.
3 hours have now passed. Drivers window fully down, passenger half down and the rain starts. Torrential and horizontal.
My car, my fault and my issue but I'm now getting pissed off with the world.
Give him his dues, he soaked (as are we) and on his hands and knees trying to get a live feed to the fuse box to pop the bonnet.
It won't open.
A second AA Van turns up and gives us a lift home (only 10 mins away) so I can take shopping home (luckily on the rear seats) and get my second car to return and wait for the outcome.
Second AA van leaves, I grab the keys for the Golf and........it won't start, flat battery.
So, into my daughters Ka which hasn't moved for 6 months (she's learning to drive and lessons are with the instructors car). Fires straight up. Excellent. Heat, dry and a seat to wait the outcome.
First hiccup occurred around 7PM, car dies around 7.01.
It's now 11.30PM.
Gets down to stranded P&J.
He's jacked the car up, removed inner coverings and says there is no emergency pull cord as described on google.
I spend a few mins helping him find the missing torx socket that rolled into the dark and wet.
Nothing more he can do, has to leave, recovery on the way, sorry. As it was his fault for shutting the bonnet he'd arranged for recovery to secure location then onwards to the specialist I use the next day.
Ok, ***** happens, thanks for trying.
An hour later recovery turns up. They had not been told the car was immobile, stuck in park, towing eye in the (locked and unable to open) bonnet.
So, plastic skids - drag it onto the low loader!
Oh, it 4 wheel drive? I need four skids. I only have a pair....
Wait a while and his mate turns up in second recovery van with his pair.
I'll cut all the rest of the stuff that happened for the next 90 mins to say it was a joy to see it finally being dragged onto the low loader, backwards with straps attached to something sturdy underneath (I honestly didn't want to look).
They depart and I return home around 02.30.
Up for work at 06.00.
I get a text from the AA saying delivery to speacialist arranged for 09.30. Rang the specialist to explain things and everything is fine.
4PM, car still not arrived but they'd be in contact with specialist asking secure way to get car to them. I suppose that's better than just dragging it any old way.
5PM, specialist closed, car not arrived.
Should be here Monday.
They've used plastic to secure car where glass should be.
Sorry for the long post but I have two questions for those with more insight than myself.
Actually, three questions.
1. Could this simply be a case of knackered battery and a new one will solve it all?
2. Why the hell would you close a bonnet on a disabled car when you know you need access in around 30 secs to do a full check on the battery?
And 3.
Emptied the shopping bags and wondered where are the chilled and frozen products were. Can you guess?
