Yesterday, my Tiguan would not start. It is a 2016 AWD base model with 12,000 miles (Yes I am retired & the grocery stores are only 2 miles away). OK, I had no prior symptoms of a declining battery but it would not begin to turn over. Out comes my battery jump starter that had no problem jumping my V8 Touareg. Nothing, as it only caused the dash lights to go blinking nuts. OK, out comes the charger but after 5 minutes it shows fully charged. Now, in my past 60 years of auto & motorcycle experience I should be able to turn the starter over with the charger hooked up to the battery. No, the dash goes nuts again & security alarm goes off. I call the dealership & service tells me that the electronics will not allow my car to be jump started. I never heard of such a thing. Was he just BS'ing me?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anush,

If you don't have a specific reason as to why the battery is discharged in the first place, then the battery probably needs to be replaced. If you literally only drive two miles to the grocery store and back, you aren't putting back into the battery what was taken out when the car was started.

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Originally posted by trapper189:
If you don't have a specific reason as to why the battery is discharged in the first place, then the battery probably needs to be replaced. If you literally only drive two miles to the grocery store and back, you aren't putting back into the battery what was taken out when the car was started.

very likely true, but has nothing to do with the question that Anush asked.

Sorry Anush, I don’t have an answer for you either. I have been told that because of all the electronic stuff, a newer car should not be used as a “donor” for jump starting another vehicle, but I have no idea whether that’s true, nor is it an answer to your question.

Maybe egregore will be along, he would probably have an authoritative answer for you.

Might try disconnecting the battery cables to charge the battery.

If I go back to basic electrical flow. Jumper cables are attached to the battery posts. The electronics are downstream of the battery posts. How would the electronics sense that 12vDC (+/-) is coming from a battery or jumper cables?

Note: I am not advising one to jump a car if the owners manual recommends against it. Incompetent connection of the jumper cables would likely fry electronics.

The flashing dash lights and alarms and lack of cranking are telling me the battery is dead, all right.

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I call the dealership & service tells me that the electronics will not allow my car to be jump started.

I can't say for sure, but with German cars, this is not out of the realm of possibility. What is very likely is that, paradoxically, the battery may be too dead to charge. Sometimes they will have an internally shorted cell or cells or a connection between the cells bad, and they can't be charged or jumped. Trying to charge - especially to "fast" charge with 20 or more amps - or jump start a battery in this condition can possibly be dangerous; they have been known to explode. I assume your charger, since it has a state of charge indicator, and maybe your jump box, are "smart" or "intelligent." These chargers can't tell the difference between a dangerous battery and one that is simply discharged, so they go apeshit and shut down.

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I had no symptoms of a declining battery

Sometimes you don't.

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2016 with 12,000 miles

Lots of short trip driving with many stops and starts is the hardest kind of service on a battery, and other parts of the car as well. I'll bet if you look at the maintenance section of your manual, you'll find this under "'severe' service."

Could be a lose terminal/connection.

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Originally posted by arfmel:
Might try disconnecting the battery cables to charge the battery.

This is what I was thinking. I’d like to hear if what he was told by VW is correct since I can’t think of how it couldn’t be jump started .

There are jumping terminals under the hood of my Touareg (2015 model) put specifically there for jumping cables. Not sure about the Tiguan. In my case the battery is under the drivers seat! While I like knowing where the basic components are for all my vehicles, I have yet to see this battery.

A call to the service department will tell you whether you can jump start the vehicle. Then again, that inch thick manual in the glove box might tell you too.

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Originally posted by Chris42:
...In my case the battery is under the drivers seat! ....

My 1998 MB E430 has the battery under the back seat. It is supposed to help balance the weight. It also allows the battery to be very low in comparison to high in the engine bay.

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There are jumping terminals under the hood of my Touareg (2015 model)

I owned a 2005 V8 Touareg & had no problem jumping with a dead battery. My V8 Touareg had the battery under the drivers seat & one had to remove seat bolts (need proper Star socket) & lots of stuff to replace the battery. My Tiguan has the battery on top next to the firewall. Very easy to remove. Just one 13mm clamp bolt & the plastic cover. Terminals face the front & are pointed upward for easy removal (10mm nuts) & it took only 5 min to install a new battery.

I wonder what these discount parts stores that advertise free battery installation do when a car has to have its interior disassembled or wheel taken off to replace the battery. Yes, there's a "most cars" disclaimer in the fine print, but how many people read that? Or when the terminals are seized up or eaten away with corrosion, or the battery is covered in acid.

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I wonder what these discount parts stores that advertise free battery installation

Yesterday late afternoon I removed the Tiguan battery & a friend drove me to Autozone where I purchased a new battery. The old one "tested 65%" so with my confidence in "testors" at a low point I decided on a new one. The Tiguan started with the new battery so I should be good to go. I still wonder why I could not jump the car.

Autozone is my go to place. With the Touareg I would take everything off. Re-tighten the rear seat bolts, drove to Autozone, & removed the rear bolts. They replaced the battery, I tightened the seat bolts & drove home. At home I removed the seat bolts again, put all the plastic covers, rail covers, carpet pieces & other shit back on (minus some plastic fasteners I broke in the process). I have no problem going to a professional like you but in Nashville we do not have that convenience. Only Walmart, Discount Tires, Costco & dealerships. To find good independent shops one has to drive past the burbs to Franklin, Nolensville, Columbia, Etc.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:

very likely true, but has nothing to do with the question that Anush asked.

Has everything to do with the question asked. A completely dead battery won't store any electricity and the gauge of his jumper cables is likely too small to allow enough current through.

Anush,

What gauge are your jumper cables?

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A completely dead battery won't store any electricity and the gauge of his jumper cables is likely too small to allow enough current through.

I was using a battery jumper. I only have one auto so jumper cables are not usable.

Anush I have a couple of cars that I 0nly drive on occasion and have been using a battery maintainer like this with very good success...

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-G3...o%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-4

You just have to connect it and forget about it..(except when you want to drive off!)

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Originally posted by Anush:

I was using a battery jumper. I only have one auto so jumper cables are not usable.

Ah. Same issue as with jumper cables. The car's battery was too dead to accept current from the battery jumper and it wasn't able to supply enough current to start the car by itself. That's assuming the battery jumper is working properly.

I don't believe what the person at the dealership told you to be true. What does the manual say about jump starting?

Neat thing about living where it gets cold in the winter is you get advanced warning that your battery is failing. Battery works fine all spring, summer and fall, then at the first overnight cold snap, your car cranks slowly. Down here in Florida, my last 9 car batteries worked fine until they died. The last one in my wife's car couldn't be jumped from my truck that has two new 850 CCA EACH batteries and a 300 amp alternator. The cheap cables I had were 4 gauge. I left my 00 cables in Michigan by mistake.

We have new Volkswagen vehicles and atlas and a pass at. For regular maintenance I usually Google which leads to Volkswagen dealers who post you tube videos. There are two dealers that posted about jump starting, neither mention that any models or newer vehicles not being able to be jump started. I would say your dealers service department is full of crap.

egregore,

With the way members talk about you, I assume you have an extensive background in automotive electrical systems.

In your experience, is the cold or heat worse on car batteries?

Years ago I had a 2003 Corvette Z06 that couldn't sit for more than 10 days or so or the battery would be dead. I got around it by driving it or with a trickle charger when I had a garage. Never got around to finding what was drawing power on that thing.

Have your battery tested. It sounds like the battery has a direct short or is completely shot. If completely shot, the charger will charge it briefly and it will show a surface charge, thinking the battery is full charged the charger stops charging. But there aren't enough cranking amps in the battery even with a booster or charger to turn the engine over.

Also the best thing you can do for that car, is once a month take it out on a 40 mile drive on the highway.