03 GTI LE RFI Neg Battery Wire Melting / No Start

[coffeymd]

When the key is in (engine not on), the wire starts to get so hot that it even melted the babbitt casing on the old battery.

Now with the new battery it still gets hot with the key in, but won't start. Plug the key in -- get two solid beeps, and a 4 beep reminder -- but when you hit the ignition button -- all power goes off (can hear a click from the engine).

Any ideas what this could be/how to solve it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bills86e]

Cables rot internally and usally at the lugs. I have cut hundreds of them, soldered
on new lugs and marine shrink wrap the connectors. This is time consuming.
The loom strands get hotter as more wires fail to carry current, and rely on less
strands in the sheath/loom to carry the load. Suggest you cut yours off and do
above, or replace the cable as a quicker solution. Bills86e