Help, 1998 Golf won't start in the cold (boschmann??)

I just recently bought a 1998 Golf GL with 139,000km. The same night the engine check light came on as I was driving on the highway. The next morning, it was the coldest day and the car wouldn't start. It would turn over & make a rattling sound. I tried pressing the gas, nothing happened. There is a bit of corrosion on the battery. It's Sunday and everything is closed. Any suggestions anyone??

Clean the connection & get a jump start. Your charging system should recharge the battery after a few minutes of driving. You will need to have the car scanned to find out why the light is on.

Autozone will scan it for free for obdII codes.