Ok i own a 1986 Golf 1.6 N/A nothing is power on it and i just replaced the voltage reg on it.I live in Northwest Ohio and right now it is in the high 30's most of the time.The problem i am having is with Advance auto parts and their batteries i got one and then it turned out to be bad that is when i cheak the voltages reg and seen it need to be replaced so i did so which i got form the same store.And i was having problems with the 2ed battery starting it in the cold after some cranking it was start to run and then the damn battery would die and then i took it back to the store to have it tested and it came back bad i had this battery tested before i left the start to make sure it was good after the frist one was found to me bad.I am now on battery number 3 which is yet to be put in the car.The battery is a Autocraft Titanium with 813ca's and 650cca's the battery there computer tells them is for my car which is the same for my Sicrocco.I tried tell the store manager it does nto have enfone CCA's for my car and he did not belive mwhen i told him the compression ratio was over 20:1 he tried to tell me is was only like 16:1.I also told him that most of you my fellow VW diesel owner's say to get a battery cloes to or over 1000CCA's.I need some addvice to set this guy stright and to prove him wrong on this and get ether my money back and go eles where or upgrade me for free for the hasle of all this.So any info will be grate and the more offile it is the better liek for VW it's self.Thanks for any help
Is it a group 41 or a group 42 battery? The 42 is the smaller one that came in most gas cars. The group 41 is the bigger battery that the diesels call for and will also fit in the gas cars. I beleive it did come in some of the gas cars though. If well charged, the group 42 will also start a diesel with no problem though.
Have you tested the voltage at the battery while the car is running and the battery light is off?
OK well i think it might be 4 bad glow plugs so i am going to get some new ones form Auto Zone they are the only parts store that has them in store does anyone know of hand if they are fast or slow and if so do i have to change out the relay for what they are?Thanks for any help.
I'm pretty sure the 86 should be slow glow. When you turn on the ignition does the light stay on for ~6 seconds or is it longer? If it is longer then they are slow glow. You can upgrade to fast glow by putting in the gast glow plugs and replacing the relay with the fast glow version.