Dead alternator

[Golfather]

That part number refers to the whole friggin wiring set which includes the earth strap.
However earth strap is not listed seperately in Etka so which is why theyve quoted for the whole lot.

Get an indy to knock one up for pittance.

[Nobby]

Car Audio Shop or auto electricians should be able to sort you out easily . Big gauge cable etc

[grizz]

The c6 alt is water cooled and twice the size ...

It would be easy to make a earth strap .. It's sill it comes as part of the full loom ..

[Shoppinit]

I bet there's nothing wrong with it anyway.

[Ross_T_Boss]

Definitely worth a look at the strap first, doesn't make sense to replace half the frigging loom - if it's just the contact plate it needs cleaning up with wet n dry and some contact cleaner, will be fine. If it really is knackered perhaps re-terminate it if there's any slack.

[chunky79]

Want me to come down this weekend and change it for you? I bet you only need a new end on your earth cable too! Probably a £4 part and 10 mins work.

[bam_bam]

Ahhh, the forum love. I can't do this weekend, I want to but it's all booked up. Besides, I'm thinking it'd be better to book a lift, somewhere. No doubt it'll pish down when I go to do it.

[Nobby]

Is it quite easy to book lifts in Landan? I've asked a couple of local garages and they weren't keen.

[rossi46]

www.pitstartgarage.com

( Never used them )

[bam_bam]

I've seen a couple of flyers for lift/workshop hire, including full toolsets etc.

[el_ringo]

Reading this makes me think I should change the sodding alternator every year or two to prevent this <beep> happening to me. That or fill the boot with laptop batteries and call it a hybrid.

On the Rozzer front, I was at a wedding in Norfeck some years ago and left in the early hours. The route was a nice twisty A road for about 15mi back to home, and I had just had the beast a year. A few miles out from the venue, I noticed a set of lights right up my chuff, and again, thought the same, a Chav who wants some being the most likely thing. So, when I got caught behind another car, I went past them in a flash thinking Mr Chav would have realised his efforts would be futile, and I could get back to "making progress". A few minutes later, the same Ford Focus lights were the crack of a gnats ass from my rear bumper, and again, I lost them after an overtake. This repeated about four times until I lost them in the twisty bits.

So, as I approach Norwich, there is finally some street lighting, and it then becomes apparent that the focus was indeed a "panda" rozzer car. At the next roundabout, a second larger "patrol" car pulled me over and the usual random Police language along the lines of "My colleague here believes you were speeding" etc. I asked for the evidence of the allegations, and they couldn't produce any. (If I had actually been nailing it, rolling over and playing dead is a better)

Now, in the background the female rozzer in the panda car was very excited, to the point she was almost hopping up and down. They were calling over things like, "He was doing over 80" and couldn't wait to get me breathalyzed. This happened a few moments later, and I would have loved to have videoed her face when it popped up green! I explained to the "patrol" officer that the RS6 (at the time) was the fastest saloon car "IN THE WORLD - a la Clarkson" and his over excited colleagues were perhaps mistaking acceleration with speed. "THIS IS A POLICE PATROL CAR" shouted the female rozzer. At this point the patrol dude had had enough, gave me a producer and sent me on my way.

And to date, my last tug from the law.

[el_ringo]

It would appear you cant say <beep> <beep> or damn now

[Big Aln RS6]

My alternator went on Xmas Eve last year so I ordered a new one in the holidays and fitted myself. It was tight and a little tricky due to limited space.

But I only moved some oil cooler pipes a couple of inches to let me get enough room to drop the old unit out. All in all I think it took me little over an hour start to finish.

I am an electrical engineer to trade and also used to do auto electrics for a friend in his bodyshop so on reading that the dealer is trying to charge you well over £300 for a simple earth lead, sounds like BS to me. Even if the earth strap did indeed run within the loom to the battery, this is excessive!!!
You can easily make up a short earth strap run directly from the body of the alternator to a convenient point on the chassis or subframe, it doesn't have to run the full length of the car. You will most likely have already noticed that your battery's earth strap is short and comes from the battery straight to the car's shell/ body.

Some 16mm2 cable should suffice

DIY job if you ask me and it's a piece of cake