Thread: Advice Needed on 3.2 Battery Charger/Charging (Battery is dead)

Hi All,

My 3.2 has been stood in the garage for a few weeks whilst i've been working away and when I've come to start it it's completely dead.

With it being a DSG, I cant get it into Neutral with there being no power so we cant roll it out of the garage to jump start it, I also cant access the battery in the boot as the boot relies on the central locking - electrically powered - as well as a special tool for removing the cover!

So, I went down to the local car parts/accessories shop and picked up a battery charger. I've since read that the battery in a 3.2 needs to be charged with limited voltage. The charger I bought charger at 3.5 amps (unsure of frequency) and I've just set it away charging, does this voltage constitute a safe/slow charge or am I putting the car at risk?

The local shop were confident it'd be OK but they probably dont have the knowledge of each individual make/model.

Does anyone have any experience or advice regarding charging the A3 3.2 battery from dead?

Thanks again in advance all

You open the tailgate from inside the boot. There's a lever inside that you can move across using the key. Have a look in your manual for a picture though.

With regards to battery charging basically the slower (i.e. lower amps) you charge a battery the better it is for it. If it's a one-off charge then the one you have bought will be good enough of course but ideally an intelligent charger is the best as it continuously monitors the battery and adjusts the charge as necessary. That's the case for any vehicle battery, not just for a 3.2.

Yep, it will be a one-off re-charge of the battery, it is never usually left this long without being used. Thanks for the info on the tailgate, a mate and I spent a good few minutes cursing the design of the boot release thinking it was reliant on power from the battery - seemed a bit silly considering the battery is situated there!

I'll just keep checking the status hour on hour to see how the car is coping/battery is charging, within 30 mins the central locking and DIS are back in business but as of yet there isnt enough power for it even to begin thinking about starting.

Thanks for the quick response Staz - appreciated.

No probs buddy!

It's worth giving it a good day's charge to be honest mate. It'll need a good recovery

Firstly, charge it enough from the post under the bonnet to open the boot and get it in neutral then jump it. you may even find just connecting the charger is enough to open the boot etc. You shouldn't need to access the battery, its prob fine just killed by the alarm or something.

the reason i say jump it is that sometimes if a bat is completely dead it needs a high amp burst to get it charging again. Battery's that just go flat often have a small short with in thats caused by crud bridging the plates, a high amp boost will often crack the crud off the plates.

Cheers Paddy, you're right, I can now get it in neutral following a little charge from the frontal post. Thanks for the info re: high amp burst.

The reason I wanted to get access to the battery in the boot initially was to jump it as the car was driven forwards into the garage and I was hoping my mate could pull his GTI up behind and jump me, we werent aware of the interior release though. Plus, we dont have the cover release tool :S

I'll give it a few more hours charge and failing that, I'll look to roll it out and jump it tomorrow - dont want to drag a m8 half way across town again for a jump! Plus, I've already started sinking a couple of ales following Newcastle's win so its definately a Sunday job!

Thanks Paddy