Big trouble with alternator!!

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May 24, 2003 | 07:37 AM

Necio

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Joined: Apr 2003

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From: Dover, DE

Big trouble with alternator!!

Ok I recently had a small fender bender with my car, some jerk backed into it while she was parked, but I got him, well they replaced the front bumber cover and left xenon headlight, foglights etc. about a month later my battery light comes on one morning when I turned her on. I take it to my mechanic to find out the alternator was gone, I also find out my car is one of the few equipped with a Valeo alternator instead of the Bosch. The dealer price for a brand new valeo is about $700. So I opted to get mine rebuilt. So they install it and I am doing good for about 2 weeks when the battery light turns on again, well the guys work is under warranty i take it back and it gets done again free of charge but I had to buy a new battery. Another 2 weeks pass and my friendly battery light is on once again, the garage is complaining and now I am gonna get a new one and pay the difference. My worry is if the new one is installed and the same thing happens I am losing money left and right, bad thing, can anyone give me some insight as to why this can be happening? or has anyone had something similar happen and how was this resolved? I really would rather use the money to repalce a bade axle I have due to the CV boot ripping probably due to my snow excursions up here in the NYC. Please help!!!

May 24, 2003 | 07:40 AM

2.7tDallas

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damn!! Can anyone ask a freaking question and give the most BASIC info???

What is the year and model of your car?
How many miles on it?
How many miles on the current battery?
What does the voltage meter read when you start it?
What does the voltage meter read when you are driving?
What does the voltage meter read when you not running?

May 24, 2003 | 07:43 AM

Necio

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From: Dover, DE

Re: damn!! Can anyone ask a freaking question and give the most BASIC info???

ok ok, I have a 1999 A6 2.8 Quattro, I have a little over 71K on it and the current battery is brand new 2 weeks old, When I started the car befor ethe last time the alternator went it was at about 14 when it was running with the music light AC on it would dop to about 13.8. and when I am parked with all the stuff on not running it read about 13.

May 24, 2003 | 07:50 AM

2.7tDallas

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I would say that there is a problem with eitehr the ground strap on the battery

or when the reinstalled all the stuff at the body shop, they left a short in the system.
Contact your insurance for instructions on having post repair issues fixed

May 25, 2003 | 01:56 AM

deeznuts

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Joined: Apr 2003

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Ask to check...

The voltage regulator. If the voltage regulator is bad it won't charge your battery, if your battery isn't charged then your car can't start.

If your able to get it to start after a jump but can't start after a drive; after the battery should've been charged it's your voltage regulator. I had the same thing happen to me on a classic car. I changed the battery, went thru like 5 different alternators and it turned out to be the regulator. Don't overlook the regulator.

May 25, 2003 | 06:33 AM

PaulW

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Joined: Jul 2001

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From: Wilbur by the Sea

Probably nothing wrong with the alternator

But there is a problem somewhere else causing the alternator to either fail or appear that it has failed.

You just had body shop repairs performed to your car, that is where you need to look. You have a fault somewhere on your system that is causing the alternator to overload or something of the sort. Maybe an unprotected loop is overloading the system.

When the rebuilt unit was brought in the second time, what was the fault? Did it have a burned out stator winding, rotor winding, bad diodes, bad brushes or bad regulator? When they put it back in, did it clear the alternator light?

Once you figure this out, then using a multimeter you can figure out where the fault lies in the electrical system. If you don't know how to troubleshoot, then you must leave this to somebody who does. Too bad there are very few mechanics out there who can figure this type of stuff out.

I vote for something to do with the body work performed.

BTW, there was probably nothing wrong with your battery. People always replace the battery, alternator and starter when they have starting problems. Could never figure that one out.

BTW, almost all electrical failures are caused at connections.

pw

May 25, 2003 | 08:28 AM

Necio

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Joined: Apr 2003

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From: Dover, DE

Re: Probably nothing wrong with the alternator

Yeah you are probably right, the second time it was rebuilt and taken back the guy said the regulator was fried again wich is why we opted to replace the battery with a bigger one in case it was being overworked. When it was reinstalled everything was fine just as the first time the voltage was in the right range and the light was clear, they said everything was fine. I will opt to call the insurance company after I fix it so that they can figure out if the body shop did something wrong.