I have a 98 vw beetle & I have to literally move my battery from side to side in order to get my car started & it's been like this on & off since the battery was replaced.
Asked by Clio_421 May 07, 2015 at 10:09 PM about the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle 2 Dr STD Hatchback
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I replaced the battery about 3 yrs ago the
most & when this started happening I
brought it back to them & they said they
saw nothing wrong or did nothing wrong,
but I never had the problem before the
battery was replaced, unfortunately it's not
easy having to constantly having to get out
of the car to move the battery around to get
the car started. If anyone could help me I'd
appreciate it. Thank you
4 Answers
Have you tried removing the clamps from the posts and cleaning them up and making sure there is no corrosion on the battery post or clamp and applying a small amount of petroleum jelly to the posts then re clamping the connectors onto the battery? I would think they would see that if it were the problem when you brought he vehicle back but you never know what kind of mechanic you're dealing with.
Hi, thank you for getting back to me, but I did try removing the clamps & cleaning the posts & that didn't stop the problem. It was an mechanic who worked on it, it was Interstate Battery. I purchased a new battery from them & they installed it. Unfortunately after having it installed the car died 1 hr later & when I called them back they insisted it was my starter, which it wasn't. I had my car jumped & brought it back & a worker told me that the battery was initially installed wrong & they would fix it. Then about 3 weeks later I had to start moving the battery back & forth to start the car, but they claimed nothing was wrong with the car & they did nothing wrong. So, I'm trying to see if someone else had the same problem or could help me out before I had to take it to a mechanic and get charge some ridiculous price & still no ans. I want to thank you for taking your time to help me out I really appreciate it.
ok first off was the mechanic you brought it to was he a vw specialist? if not never do this as most joe blow mechanics have not got a clue what they are doing with vw's. Also replace the battery at your local vw dealer and have them put it in. A new battery at vw will run you no more then 125$ Canadian and it is guaranteed or replaced again free of charge. I am guessing the battery has a dead spot or empty cell and this is why when you rock it it produces the proper charge to run the car.
Christopher answered 8 years ago
I'd say there's a bad ground next to or beneath the battery. Moving it around temporarily would be making a better connection.
