Our Certified Volkswagen Technicians can help. Stop by our Denver VW Service Department for a battery inspection. 

What does it mean if your engine cranks, but doesn't start?
If your engine is turning over, but won't start, it's likely that the battery is the problem. Don't let this symptom be mistaken for a bad starter or an alternator problem. Keep in mind that your battery may read as "good" under amperage, but it's voltage is compromised by what your vehicle needs to run efficiently.

When you find that your car won't start, you'll want to use jumper cables to get your vehicle running again. Follow that by letting it run for at least 30 minutes.  After the 30 minutes, the real test comes: Turn off your engine, wait a minute, then start it again. Do this two or three times to make sure the next time you stop you won't be stranded with a dead battery. Assuming it passed this test, most batteries will recharge from the alternator and be fine for a day or two--use this time wisely and drive your car into Larry Miller Volkswagen to replace your battery.

What does it mean if there are no lights, no starting, or cranking?  
If your vehicle doesn't even have the juice to work the lights, crank, or turn over, it may be a combination of problems involving your alternator and battery. 

What does it mean if one minute it starts, then the next minute it won't?
Also referred to as an intermittent problem, it may be a sign that your battery terminals are loose, broken, calcified, or corroded. Let us check your battery for free, even if the terminals are just a little loose it can still wreak big problems.
Don't let your battery get past it's prime. When in doubt-- let us check it out!

What do I do with my old car battery?
Car batteries contain lead, acid, and plastic, and are dangerous to both you and the environment if disposed of incorrectly. By law, car batteries must not be disposed of with household waste.

They are collected at garages, scrap metal facilities and many civic amenity and recycling centers. We responsibly recycle the batteries we replace for our customers. 

How do I jump start a battery?
  • Pull the car with the good battery next to the vehicle with the dead battery, or in a place where the cables will easily reach from the battery of one car to the battery of the other. The cars should not be touching and both ignitions should be shut off. Prop open the hood of each vehicle.
  • Visibly locate the batteries and their terminals. Each battery has two metal terminals. One is marked Positive (+) the other Negative (-). There are also positive and negative cables in the jumper set. The red one is positive, the black one is negative.
  • Click on the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery to connect the positive clamp.
  • Click on the positive terminal of the "live" battery to connect the other positive (+) clamp.
  • Now you need to click on the negative (-) terminal of the "live" battery to connect the negative clamp.
  • Now click on the vehicle metal ground to connect the other negative clamp. The ground can be the engine block or another metal surface of the vehicle away from the battery. This is the final connection.
  • Start the car providing the jumpstart. Wait a moment, then try to start the car with the dead battery.
  • Wait a few moments and try again. If it doesn't start, you may need a new battery. Or your battery's cable connections could have corrosion, if so, you will need to clean them. Every time a battery is discharged and needs to be jumped, it weakens the battery. After a few jumpstarts, you may want to consider buying a new battery.
  • Now remove cables in the reverse order that you put them on.
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