INFO: New Alternator - Main Dealer cost
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:21 pm
HI
First post on here but lurked for a long time and have owned my 6 since March 2005.
I just thought I would offer a heads up on the cost of replacing the alternator and also the perils of ignoring the warning light.
The warning light came on Friday morning driving to work, its a battery symbol so I thought maybe the battery was running low after all the cold weather and the car not having been driven much.
I finshed the drive to work (another 30 minutes) and take the manual into the office to have a look at what it said. This is when I realised it was the alternator warning light and the advice is to go straight to an Audi garage. Rather than wait till the end of the day I decided to head out at lunchtime and make my way home and sort it out at the weekend. About 15 minutes into my journey the ABS warning light came on, then the traction control light then a progessive series of every possible warnign light. The gear box threw a massive clunk and the RNDS symbol went blank on the dash. Then the car started to lose power, finally the dash went dark and the dials all dropped back to idle.
Fortunately the M4 wasnt too busy and I was able to get the car into neutral and onto the hard shoulder but the hazards werent working so I got some abuse from drivers around me who thought I was being an arse.
Luckily the RAC were able to get the thing going with a portable power pack (battery in the boot makes this easy for them) and this gave me enough juice to get the car to the nearest dealer which was Slough.
I've just picked the car up and the total cost for fitting the new alternator was £792 inc VAT. Could I have got it done cheaper at a specialist? Probably. Did I have time to get to one, Nope!!!
Moral of the story, if youre getting Alternator warnings do something about it quickly.
Cheers
First post on here but lurked for a long time and have owned my 6 since March 2005.
I just thought I would offer a heads up on the cost of replacing the alternator and also the perils of ignoring the warning light.
The warning light came on Friday morning driving to work, its a battery symbol so I thought maybe the battery was running low after all the cold weather and the car not having been driven much.
I finshed the drive to work (another 30 minutes) and take the manual into the office to have a look at what it said. This is when I realised it was the alternator warning light and the advice is to go straight to an Audi garage. Rather than wait till the end of the day I decided to head out at lunchtime and make my way home and sort it out at the weekend. About 15 minutes into my journey the ABS warning light came on, then the traction control light then a progessive series of every possible warnign light. The gear box threw a massive clunk and the RNDS symbol went blank on the dash. Then the car started to lose power, finally the dash went dark and the dials all dropped back to idle.
Fortunately the M4 wasnt too busy and I was able to get the car into neutral and onto the hard shoulder but the hazards werent working so I got some abuse from drivers around me who thought I was being an arse.
Luckily the RAC were able to get the thing going with a portable power pack (battery in the boot makes this easy for them) and this gave me enough juice to get the car to the nearest dealer which was Slough.
I've just picked the car up and the total cost for fitting the new alternator was £792 inc VAT. Could I have got it done cheaper at a specialist? Probably. Did I have time to get to one, Nope!!!
Moral of the story, if youre getting Alternator warnings do something about it quickly.
Cheers
