Hi,

Thanks in advance if you can offer any advice.. Here's where I'm at..

I've reinstalled a new alternator in an 2001 Audi A6 Quattro 2.7 T. The battery and serpentine belt installed now are also new.

Would love to find the relay and fuse for the alternator - don't know where it is... And would like advice on what

We did the install without taking off the front end - because we had issues with that. But the removal of the old alternator (which indeed was bad) and putting it back was possible without putting it in service position.

I drove the car 1 mile to test it.. and suddenly the "battery" idiot light came on and my voltage started decreasing from about 14 to 12.

The next morning was cold and I started it up again and revved the engine. At higher RPMs - when I took my foot off the gas - for an instant the "Battery" light would go off and the voltage would increase.

My mechanic friend then tried to put on a tighter belt (but it didn't fit) in hopes of seeing that if the belt was tighter - would there be a difference.

He put back the other (new) belt on (which we thought might be loose) and put a wrench on it to tighten it to see if there was a difference. None.

He thinks that perhaps the tensioner isn't working right - but we are not sure.

It is an unbelievable pain to get to the alternator - and we haven't been able to get the front end off (which is a ton of work) without busting plastic chrome etc.. We tried. I suspected that maybe we missed a fastener under a fog light.

We took the car back to the place where we bought the alternator and they nicely insisted that the remanufactured alternator was good and that we should check the fuses and relays.

Took of the wipers and opened the CRM and found one 40 amp 12v 4 prong multi-use relay looked like it might be burnt - so I just replaced that.

I am now at a loss what to do next. No money to take it to a dealer and relying on the kindness of strangers.

 

How about invest less than $100 on a repair DvD?
http://www.europaparts.com/audi-a6-s...anual-dvd.html
Audi A6/S6/RS6/allroad C5 1998-2005 Repair Manual on DVD
It'll take care of this and future project...

 

Can't afford anywhere near $100 for a DVD.. Need to save $ in case there are parts to buy and mechanics to pay. I didn't even pay $12.00 for an answer on Just Answer.com - I was hoping a kind and knowledgeable netcitizen could offer advice for free.

 

The general rule of thumb here is:
If one can not afford a service manual for an Audi -> the Audi ownership is not for you!
Sad but true...

 

Hey Nehom,

Not that it is any of your business, but when I bought the car I was very gainfully employed.. and now I have been unemployed for about a year (and not because I am not actively looking for work every day of the week).



Thanks so much

 

Sorry to hear that.

In regards of my HO -you can not be this far and away from the truth..

I feel your pain - hope 'forclosure' trends is not something in the air...