# VW Passat

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-passat/76325>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [December 25, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-passat/76325 "2012-12-25T03:20:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crewchief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@crewchief](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crewchief)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-passat/76325/1 "2012-12-25T03:20:07Z")

</div>

Car would not start, no nothing, dash lites all seem bright enough, battery wont take a charge, but when i open the door the interior lights blink on about every 5 seconds. Put a meter on the battery and it reads 12.87v. Car will not start with a jump either…any suggestions, i feel like the int lites blinking should be some kind of indicator

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-passat/76325/2 "2012-12-25T04:25:08Z")

</div>

You need to check out the ENTIRE starter circuit; the cables, solenoid, starter switch, starter motor. We had a similar problem with my wife’s old Nissan last year. It turned out to be the starter, and a few hundred dollars later the car was OK again.

If you poke the starter hard with a hockey stick or broom handle, and it starts then, you will need a rebuilt unit. Trying to fix an erratic starter is not worth the hassle.

The battery is only one of the starter system components.