Battery Dead? How to Check & Fix It.

Hi,

'Since my Golf 3 1Z has been sitting unused in the garage for about six months, I'm now having a small problem: the battery is dead! I thought about buying an automatic battery charger from Conrad, which I did, but it's not charging, or if it is, it's only for a short time!'
How can I tell if the battery is dead? With a voltmeter? And what voltage should it have?
When starting with a dead battery (and of course, it's freezing cold right now).
'It might glow for about 10 seconds, then the light goes out, and I try to start it, but: the starter motor only turns very slowly.'
I once tried jump-starting it, but after a few days, the battery was dead again! The electronics are drawing too much power.
Schadet dass dem Motor wenn ich zulange orgel? da ja der Diesel nicht verbrennt, der in den zylinder gespritzt wird, nicht dass ich da jetzt auf einmal 1,9L Diesel in meinen Zylindern habe damit würde ich ja 30Km weit kommen! Messy

Thank you for your responses.

Markus.

Hello,

How long was the charger connected to the battery? If you're unlucky, the battery may have been completely discharged. Sometimes it can recover during charging, but most of the time it sustains permanent damage.
Try leaving the charger connected to the battery for a few days; it might help.
The safest way to test a battery is to check each individual cell with a hydrometer. This measures the density of the battery acid and determines the state of charge of the cell. You can find such a device at automotive supply stores for a few euros.

Regards,

Eike.