MKV FSI w/ DSG died on me while driving! HELP!

[Marccc]

So I started up my 07' FSI and was headed out of town and noticed the red battery light had come on not long after I pulled out of town onto the highway the ENTIRE display cluster lit up and the car would just wind and wind and wind while I gave it gas, and then the entire thing just up and died on me and I was barely able to get off to the side of the road to put my hazards on, mind you it's night time and extremely dark on this patch of road so the fact I wasn't smashed into by someone is a miracle in of itself...I get the transmission into park and try to turn it over and NOTHING. DOESNT EVEN ATTEMPT to turn over. Luckily someone was kind enough to stop and flip around to give me a jump, so we do that and the car starts right up from the jump...the display cluster is still completely lit up and when I go to put it in drive the motor just winds and winds and winds and NOT AN OUNCE OF ACCELERATION WHATSOEVER. So I end up having the local tow yard showing up and taking it to their yard just to get it off the road and I have to pay $200 cash money in a few hours to have it towed to my house. Can ANYONE help me with what I could be dealing with?!?! I just bought the car last August and this is the first issue it has given me. The car has close to 192k miles on it , btw..

UPDATE: I got the car towed home and I disconnected the battery for several hours and then had my roommate jumpstart me with his car, my car fired up and stayed running with the jump cables attached for a few mins and then for several more minutes after I disconnected them. The gauge cluster that was previously going off like a Christmas tree settled down and I was able to actually drive the car around the block a few times, I was even able to go and put gas in it, and I know this is stupidity on my part but I hot pumped it at the station cause I was afraid to turn the motor off...so after topping off my tank I made it home and killed the engine and waited 5 or so minutes and started it again and the RED BATTERY LIGHT is back on...I'm afraid to try and drive it anywhere at this point.

 

[doc280]

Manual or DSG?

 

[Marccc]

DSG

 

[Latron]

Sounds like your alternator has gone out. I just replaced mine a month ago. The red battery light it the charging system fault light. Both times my alternator went out it did that. The batt light came on then all of the electrical stuff on the car starts to do weird things. Also when the battery gets low there isn't enough power to hold the solenoids in the transmission in position so even though you are in drive you are effectively in neutral as it cannot hold the gear forks. Same thing happened to me the first time. Going down the hw and I lost gears. Had to coast to the side.

 

[GTI's]

Make sure you battery connections are good. Break out your Dvm and test the battery with engine off and with engine running. With it off you need to see 12.6v approx and 14v approx with engine running. How old is your battery?? If you need one the dealer has them over the counter for about $150. Know someone with a scan tool they can check you battery state of charge with engine off & running. These car do not like weak batteries or charging systems.

 

[Marccc]

LATEST UPDATE:

HAD AUTOZONE charge the battery to 100%, it was reading 0% when I took it in, got it home and hooked back up and the ignition turned over with ease but IMMEDIATELY the red battery light came back on...sitting here with it in park, idiling looking at this...

 

[GTI's]

LATEST UPDATE:

HAD AUTOZONE charge the battery to 100%, it was reading 0% when I took it in, got it home and hooked back up and the ignition turned over with ease but IMMEDIATELY the red battery light came back on...sitting here with it in park, idiling looking at this...

So do you have a DVM to check the battery while the engine is running?

 

[Marccc]

Unfortunately I don't, since then I've taken the car to grocery store (a few blocks away) and back, driving very very cautiously and the red battery light remains on...

 

[Latron]

If they could charge your battery then it is not your battery. The red battery light is the charging system, not your battery. Take it to an auto parts store and they can check your alternator for you in the car. It checks your whole charging system.