[brasscupcakes]

Hi everyone: I am hoping someone here can give me advice on what to tell AAA Customer Care on Monday needs to be done.
The two AAA service guys that came yesterday ostensibly to replace the battery AAA sold me 2.5 years ago said they can't replace it without removing it to test it and seeing the "replace battery" test result.
But they can't remove it for warranty replacement because whoever installed the battery for AAA stripped the connectors? (Are they called bolts? I'm guessing they're some kind of proprietary VW part that has a specific name?)
Apologies for my ignorance. I am not a car hobbyist -- that's my brother and he is on the other side of the country working. I'm not an idiot mechanically (can fix small appliances, pcs, the odd phone) but I'm hopeless with cars -- I can barely open my own hood!
It's very frustrating as this is the third time the battery failed in three months and instead of fixing the problem, it seems as if AAA has radically compounded it at a time when I am out of work due to illness. The service guys yesterday were super nice but the best they could do was take some pictures and advise me to open a case with customer care.
I thought I might communicate this issue better if I had some idea of what I was talking about!
Many thanks for your help. Best wishes, Amy

 

[brasscupcakes]

Neither guy came with the right tools at all (both had to use Youtube Videos to find the battery) but I had a ordered a set of the tools to remove them from a VW parts dealer a few years ago and that's what they ended up using to remove one of the two seat rail bolts. s.

The Tool Part # is WKZ-TSQKT12PC, see photo. Are they the right tools? Also, he said there was rust used a whole lot of some max strength liquid wrench/WD 40 type stuff -- it didn't help at all.

If the seat rail bolts are worse than they look in the photo and need replacing, is that something my regular mechanic could do, or VW dealer only? Can I order the parts online and bring them to a regular mechanic?

I will absolutely try to find the right person to do this, but I'm limited right now in terms of money and mobility (no public transport here, I'm awaiting surgery, and my two 14-year old dogs are chronically ill with a vet 30 miles away). So if AAA takes responsibility, I'll have to let them have a go before eating the cost myself. Thank you again!

I

 

[brasscupcakes]

Yes, going by memory, it should be a 10mm, but it needs to engage properly in the bolt, so all crud and debris needs to be blown out of the head first.

You can buy replacement bolts at the dealer... Doubt you'd find them at a random parts store. You'll find them online I'm sure, if you prefer that.

They are the butchers that damaged the bolts so don't eat anything yourself.

Well, I don't want to eat the cost, but I am already looking at 30 bucks in cab fare to one medical appointment on Monday, so every day the car doesn't run it probably costing me more.

I don't prefer buying online but there aren't any dealers nearby and I'd have to cab it. (I did have friends I could call for rides where I used to live, but I got sick shortly after moving here for work and what with being sick, broke and COVID I'm on my own).
When you say "blown out," do you mean I should clean them with an air gun? If I don't have an air gun, would a wire brush work, either using by hand or with a drill? I also have muriatic acid and other solvents if they would be of us.
The guy from AAA is stopping by on his own time tomorrow to pick up a rebounder I am giving away for his son, so if I succeed in cleaning this crud you refer too, maybe he can loosen it tomorrow.
Thank you -- this is a pain, but I thought you were going to say something scary about it being a zillion dollar VW bolt so you have already eased my mind.

 

[brasscupcakes]

I am almost sure they removed that stuff first, but I will ask the technician. It would be great if the stuck bolt isn't what needs to come out after all.

Thank you all for your help, I will let you know how it turns out!

 

[brasscupcakes]

Wow, thank you. I hope I can get them to do it!