2018 Volkswagen Jetta - can I jump it?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

my car sat in a lot for 8 months while I was deployed. It’s low mileage, 2018 make. It won’t start. Tried to jump the battery for a good ten minutes but it still doesn’t start. Is there a way to revive it so I can drive it over to a mechanic 1 mile away?

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2

Buy or borrow a power pack. I started my car a month back with one and drove to the auto parts store where they replaced the battery. Take the power pack with you just in case.

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I doubt a jump pack will work. You would probably be better off to replace the battery where it sits or have it towed to the mechanic. I suspect the battery is well and trully dead and cannot be recharged but I could be wrong.

A one mile tow should cost less than a new battery or a jump pack but you get no continuing value for that.

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I agree with the tow to a shop . Why take a chance on causing electrical damage that could cost hundreds when a shop can replace the battery and start the car properly .

5

You hooked up jumper cables and no crank after 10 min? The motor does turn over? Any security lights on dash?

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I’d just get a new battery and replace it. After 8 months of no use, the current battery has prob gone bad.

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I just hope for the OP’s sake that his VW doesn’t require the new battery to be “registered” with the car’s electronics, as some other German makes require.

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Ten minutes is nowhere near long enough for a severely drained battery. Put it on a charger and leave it connected for several hours. If it won’t take a charge, that’s the time to worry about replacing it.

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Never attempt to jump start a car with a battery that is nearly or fully discharged. Always disconnect the battery cables, and recharge it with a charger first. I have found that the best and safest way to recharge a discharged battery is with a trickle charger, which will take 24-48 hours, btw. Rapid charging can boil off the electrolyte and ruin the battery.

This is the one I use:

I have used this trickle charger to successfully recharge car batteries which were pretty much dead, and the batteries worked fine afterward. Unlike fancier models, this will power on and begin to charge the battery, even if the cells are fully discharged. It does have protection in case the battery is internally shorted or connected backwards.