I would just like to say thank you, in advance for any and all help on this. Oh, and a little FYI, I'm not that car smart.
I have a 1989 Audi 200 Turbo. I've been having a problem with it recently where the volts will drop from a hair below 16 down to 12 when I put it in any gear besides neutral or park. When I come to a complete stop while in drive or reverse, the volts will drop below 12. It also stutters on take off up through roughly 3000rpms. Any idea what may cause this? Also, I took it to a mechanic and he hasn't a clue and there is a brand new battery in it.

Thank you!

 

I would say take it to another mechanic, its very hard to figure stuff like this out without seeing the vehicle.

OR trace the problem yourself.

 

How would I go about tracing the problem? Someone said the alternator could be going in it and I should take it to a parts shop that tests them. Is that a possibility?

 

Well my first thought is, you took it to a mechanic and they couldn't tell if the alternator is bad... that's a bad sign. Definitely go to another mechanic for a second opinion. Look for someone who secializes if not in Audi / VW's specifically at least German cars in general, because they're more likely to have more experience with the car. With that said, electrical problems can be difficult to diagnose, but its certainly not impossible. A competent mechanic who is familiar with the car should be able to do it.

And yes, you can remove the alternator and take it to a parts store like AutoZone. They can test the alternator and tell you if it needs to be replaced.

 

The problem with finding a mechanic that is experienced in Audi's or VW's is that there aren't any in my area. The only places that are competant to work on the foreign cars are a Honda dealer and a Subaru dealer. It's sometimes even hit or miss with them. Another tid bit of info; the stuttering and volts droppingonly occurs when the engine is warmed up. I live in Northern MN, where the temps have been -25 as of late and the Audi runs mint after indling for a few minutes and then going, but the minute the engine heats up the problems start.

 

Do you hear a belt squealing? I've dealt with a similar problem in the past; and the tensioner bolt for the alternator was stripped causing the belt to gradually loosen. I also have the stutter you mentioned, but it's only just off-idle... and I haven't figured it out yet so I'm no help there.

 

Initially the belt was squeeling. The mechanic chalked it up to a "bad belt". Everything is mint on that one. I was talking to a mechanic in my company and he said the stuttering could be from an improper fuel flow. But without actually seeing it and driving it, he couldn't say anything for sure.

 

Thanks to all of you who helped me with this. Turns out there was a short in the alternator and now the problems are done with that.

Thanks again!