VW Golf tdi 2000

[effie]

Hi I just joined, looking for some advice please. I have an old girl 2000 Golf tdi and at the moment she's unable to go out of drives very often (my ill health, not hers). I need to keep her going in case there's a medical emergency and breakdown cover is limited re. repeat call outs for the same problem. So I'm pretty desperate. I've been looking for a compatible solar powered battery maintainer. I've read that the AA one that has good reviews but the ad says it's for diesels from 2004 onwards, an EOBD socket is required.  I have no technical nous at all, does anyone know if this would be compatible with the diagnostic socket in the car? Or if not, what would be? My local main dealer has no idea!!  I'd appreciate your help. Thanks in advance. Effie

[Volkswagen Owners Club]

Hi Effie....welcome to the Forum

I too have a mk4 Golf (1999) and until I laid it up it was a great car. However, it was probably the worse thing I did, rather than keep driving it, it has now stood in my driveway for 5 years :-(

I have personally never heard of one charging through an EOBD port and I also would not want to apply any power source through the port (with the exception of a Memory Saver device).

In order to keep a battery topped up with charge, there are several devices out there that could do this...one of which is a solar charger to trickle charge it (see selection below)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xsolar+charger+for+car.TRS0&_nkw=solar+charger+for+car&_sacat=0

Another method (my preferred choice) is a trickle charger like these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xtrickle+charger.TRS0&_nkw=trickle+charger&_sacat=0

Basically, you just plug in and leave it connected until you need to drive it and during this time the battery is conditioned so no sulphation and defective cells.