Hey all. So the car had a fit today. On the way to work and he gearbox went into limp Home mode where all the gear symbols lit up and it wouldn’t change gear. I nursed it to work where when I restarted it, the gearbox was back to normal. When I finished work I went to start it and the battery voltage had dropped to a 1/4 and as I was driving the battery warning light came on as did a symbol I’ve never seen before. It was the headlight symbol with a plus sign. I just managed to get to my road where the gearbox went into limp home mode again. Got home and the battery completely died. I’ll put up some pics of the dash warnin lights when I sort my imgur account out. The car has had box rebuild and it’s due a service which was going to be carried out this weekend. I’m thinking a box service would be a good idea. Is it something a competent mechanic can do? My dad’s a retired master tech. I worry because I know you have to get the right filter for the box and be careful fitting things etc.
Is the battery and box issue linked?? Any help would be very much appreciated! Couldn’t of happened at a worse time with Christmas. Going to be so broke over the new year now.
I’ll try and get a Vagcom hooked up to it. To pull some codes.
Thanks again.
Kully
Bad day. Help needed.
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Rule 42
Sounds like your alternator is borked which is causes everything else to fall over.
Replace it or the the regulator and I bet everything goes back to into working order.
You'll have a lot of faults to clear...
Box service is easy if you can lift the car level and have a Vagcom and a £5 pump for the oil.
Sounds like your alternator is borked which is causes everything else to fall over.
Replace it or the the regulator and I bet everything goes back to into working order.
You'll have a lot of faults to clear...
Box service is easy if you can lift the car level and have a Vagcom and a £5 pump for the oil.
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
It might just be the be the battery has died completely. Test the battery first. Then test the alternator output.
How long is the work commute? If it's too short the battery will often get flatter and flatter over time and the very cold weather will see one off that is marginal. The extra cold of the battery and all the other extras that are on eg heated seats, wipers, lights will also put more strain on an alternator too.
How long is the work commute? If it's too short the battery will often get flatter and flatter over time and the very cold weather will see one off that is marginal. The extra cold of the battery and all the other extras that are on eg heated seats, wipers, lights will also put more strain on an alternator too.
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Also, could be the 200A fuse in the bulkhead that has corroded.
The alternator can always keep up with demand when driving... as long as it's working.
The alternator can always keep up with demand when driving... as long as it's working.
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
How many miles it done? My alternator give up the ghost at 68k & symptoms sound the same. Like Shop said, change it (alternator) charge the battery & reset the faults ... mine was fine after that.
Previous Cars
Escort RS turbo S1
Vectra GSI
Astra LXI
Zafira GSI (wife's car 274 bhp).
Current Cars.
Volvo XC90 executive
C5 RS6 Avant Ebony Black, PSS9, Milltek non res, K&N, Goodyear F1.
Escort RS turbo S1
Vectra GSI
Astra LXI
Zafira GSI (wife's car 274 bhp).
Current Cars.
Volvo XC90 executive
C5 RS6 Avant Ebony Black, PSS9, Milltek non res, K&N, Goodyear F1.
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Thank you both for the help so far. I had a bit of a panic when I for home. After having a lay down then reading that I feel better. The battery is only a year old as the one that cane with the car died the day I collected the car lol. We’ve put it on charge and we’ll see how it is in the morning. This sounds really strange but when I filled the car up this Monday when I started the car there was an alarm that went off in the back of the car. It was specifically coming from the back but went away after a few seconds of taking the keys out. I dunno if that is linked in anyway.
Maybe it was the cold or lack of use. I had a week off work last week and only used the car a few times for short periods.
So tomorrow I’ll put the battery back in and try and check the alternator readings. I’ll also check the fuse you mentioned shopp. Thanks again for all your help!
Maybe it was the cold or lack of use. I had a week off work last week and only used the car a few times for short periods.
So tomorrow I’ll put the battery back in and try and check the alternator readings. I’ll also check the fuse you mentioned shopp. Thanks again for all your help!
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Like he said #rule 42
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
In my paperwork the alternator was changed on 63 k. It now 107. Is this a around the life span of these alternators? 60/70 k?
Just saying also that recently my car was parked for 8 days waiting for my mate to be ready so we could sort the caliper out (didnt want to drive it totally fkd). The snow killed the battery. The battery was on 3/4 previously and a good run seems to have sorted out the problem after recharging. Back to normal, new battery on hold.
Also did someone say someone service gearbox every 20k or was this their hos?
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
I had an alternator fail on a Clio 172 a few years back and similar thing happened. As the voltage drops each ecu starts identifying a loss of supply voltage and throws up its own faults.
Obviously with the RS6 and it's gearbox the TCU lost voltage and went into protection mode. Usually the ABS is the first one to throw up a warning.
Obviously with the RS6 and it's gearbox the TCU lost voltage and went into protection mode. Usually the ABS is the first one to throw up a warning.
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
GOD DAMN RULE 42! Wish I had seen that earlier! Either way we charged the battery and tested the voltage while running and it wouldn’t go above 11v. I don’t think the alternator has ever been changed after 114k miles so I think it’s rime. Found a company who’ll sell me a refurbished one for £150 exchange with a 18 month warrenty, it looks a PIG of a job and annoyingly can’t be done until the new year.
Thanks again for all your help and input guys!
Kully
Thanks again for all your help and input guys!
Kully
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
You could just get the regulator. I bet that's all they've "refurbished".
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
You can get a brand new Lucas unit from Carparts4less for £232. I'd much rather that than some spurious refurb unit.
https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/ ... 97a&000012
/use code XMAS to get 17% off that price.
https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/ ... 97a&000012
/use code XMAS to get 17% off that price.
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Is the regulator the only part that really fails on the alternator? Also that’s a cheap price, when I was browsing for parts I looked at ECP and they wanted £434 and stupidly assumed that’s the price I’d be looking at. The only reason I’d get a while unit is that if the bearings go then it’s gonna have to come out again. Plus it’s a selling point for the next owner. Thanks for all your help shopp. Dunno where I’d be with out ya!
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Actually, my one IS a Lucas refurb unit from car parts for less . And it didn't have a bosch regulator in.
Fortunately had a spare BNIB Bosch regulator kicking around, so I switched that in and all good to go - but just be mindful of that.
The alt did look like a decent job - clean castings, rewound, fresh lacquer on the windings etc - but it just wasn't a bosch regulator.
Fortunately had a spare BNIB Bosch regulator kicking around, so I switched that in and all good to go - but just be mindful of that.
The alt did look like a decent job - clean castings, rewound, fresh lacquer on the windings etc - but it just wasn't a bosch regulator.
"not a professional engineer, mechanic and mechanist"
Re: Bad day. Help needed.
Lucas were bought out by Eurocarparts years ago, then promptly folded. A few good friends lost their jobs. I'm guessing the Lucas brand name has been sold. Don't think I'd trust Lucas parts today but happy to be proven wrong.
Avus Avant, RNS-E mk2 with sds and Bluetooth, Milltek, Hotchkis, Bilstein, Forge, ITG, A.C.E, Wagner, FBMFSW, MTM.
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