awdaudi

... most any place that rebuilds alternators/starters should have one.

BTW, Rockville Audi is a ACNA sponsor, so is Audi of Alexandria

and there's also an email list for the pcc-acna@yahoogroups.com

hope you get it worked out.

Scott_Napier

I had to replace it with the 110 amp version from the 92-94 S-4 because no one carries the 120 amp version, but there is no way in hell that is the reason it died so quickly... I am wondering about my grounds at this point.

UrS4boy

It obviously isn't the alternator. But what exactly isn't clear. Please restate the symptoms.

4Driver4

But agreed that's time now to do what should have been done from the very beginning:

1. Take a breath.
2. Relax for a minute.
3. Diagnose the problem.

Scott_Napier

I bought a Bosch reman. from this local OEM parts shop, but I am pretty sure it had an issue from the beginning. I got it installed pretty easily and cranked the car up, and measured the output which was sitting at 13.7 volts. Took it for a quick test drive and literally after about 5 minutes the voltage gauge was reading just below 12 again, so it went right back to the garage and the alternator was reading 10.2 volts.

The guy that is helping me did a bit of internet research and found a few places that said the alternator should be reading 14.2 to 14.8, and if not you probably have a bad diode or two.

I am going to yank this alternator back out this evening, take it to Autozone and have them run it on their tester just to make sure I am not crazy. Based on the results of that test I am either going to start looking for other possible problems, like a bad ground, or wait for a replacement on Monday.

The biggest problem is that I MUST be in Alabama on Wednesday... so time is not too critical yet, but it is not really my friend either!

If I cannot get it fixed on Monday I am just going to take the original alternator to a rebuild guy here in Bristow, VA and get it fixed and then get on a plane to make my school in Huntsville. I am coming back up here after school anyway, so that is not a huge issue, but I would MUCH rather just drive!

I was told Hap had an S-6 he was parting out, but shipping from there to here would not really get me anything time wise... otherwise I would be all over it!

kday

14.2 - 14.8 volts is way high. Anything above 13 is fine. 13.7 is perfect.

UrS4boy

YGM with east coast contacts

Scott_Napier

We took both pieces to Autozone and had them tested. The Bosch reman was indeed bad, and the original was good! We did not believe it so we had them test it three times and it passed all three times.

After seeing that, we decided to try and clean up the original piece so that it could cool itself off a little better because there was a LOT of road grime and crap on it and in it.

We cracked it open, cleaned it all up with electronic parts cleaner and then re-assembled it. The plan for today is to take this one back to Autozone and have it re-tested just to verify that it still works after cleaning. If it still passes then I will put it back in the car and take the entire car down there since they have a complete car charging system tester too. That will tell me if there is some other mysterious problem that I am missing.

Can you guys tell me where the main grounds are located on this thing? I would not mind putting eyes on them during reassembly just to make sure they are solid and clean, but I don't know where they are! I suppose I could try and follow the wires, but asking you guys makes more sense to me... LOL

Scott_Napier

Is this some sort of "welcome to the club" initiation that the car is giving me?

Scott_Napier

Ok, the origianl and newly cleaned up alternator tested good again this morning, but we took it to a different place just to make sure we were not crazy or getting lucky.

It is going back in right after I type this and then we will see what happens.