O3 Passat runs like e36 M3 after jump start.

Try bump starting it?

I usally plug my ears and walk away when someone starts asking me about electrical problems in VAG products.

Sweet! We can answer his question before he asked it.

disconnect battery. recharge. polish connections. reassemble.

belteshazzar wrote: Sweet! We can answer his question before he asked it.

Stupidly, I left the key in the "On" position for about six hours today. Whoopsie-daisy. When I went to go somewhere, the battery was nearly dead; the engine wouldn't start. So I did what guys have done for generations--I jump started the berkleying thing.

The engine started, but the airbag light's on all the time, the lights were VERY dim, the throttle wouldn't work, and when I put 'er in reverse and let the clutch out, it stalled. When I tried to restart the engine, all the warning lights--even ones that never show up--were lit and in the "start" position, nothing happened. It acted like I hadn't put the clutch in far enough to allow the starter to engage.

What the hey? What's causing the car to run so e36 M3-ily: that the battery's so low, or did I wreck the car by jump starting it?

I don't know how my question appeared below all the answers. Is GRM.com a VAG product?

In any event, I think the 5-year-old battery's junk. A pretty serious prospective buyer came and drove the car before this happened, so hopefully this poopchunk will be outta my hair shortly.

W126 300SE, here I come!!

Disconnect the battery, touch the two cable ends together for a while, reconnect a fully charged battery to the system, and see what happens...

Never jump start a car with a dead battery. Hook up the cables from the running vehicle and let it charge the battery in the dead car for 10 minutes or so. European cars particularly, since the Euros have way too many electronic engineers coming up with new, stupid ways of doing things.

Its possible you may have to get your car to someone with VAGcom so they can re-educate everything in the car.

In reply to Streetwiseguy:

Thanks, man. Your 10 minute advice was the key. I did that, and she started immediately, and with no mystery-warning lights or weird running characteristics--so far. I let it run in the driveway for another 15 minutes or so, and just shut 'er down to go into the house.

Strathclyde wrote: I don't know how my question appeared below all the answers. Is GRM.com a VAG product?

daylight savings change!