Hi, I've got a 2005 passat tdi wagon. At 65,000 miles the batter/alternator light starting coming on intermitently. I brought the car into the VW dealer and they did not get the light to come on and tested the Alternator and said it was working fine. The next day, my wife was driving to Chicago from Green Bay. The light came on in Milwaukee and she continued to drive thinking the light was faulty. The car died at a CARMAX in Kenosha, WI. They checked it out and said the Alternator was bad. They quoted me $856.00 to fix it. I complained to the VW dealer but they said it is impossible to detect a bad alternator when it works itermitently. (Is this true even with a full load test?) I found alternators online priced at $211.00-$265.00. They list three different sizes...90 amp, 120 amp, 140 amp. I was told by AutoParts Warehouse that the 120 amp is a direct fit. I ordered a rebuilt for $243.00. I intend to hitch a ride to Kenosha and drive the car back home with 2 or 3 batteries and have a local mechanic do the install or maybe attempt it myself. Is it hard to do? How far/long can I drive with a fully charged battery provided I don't run any accesories? Could I change the alternator right in CarMax's parking lot? Any advice or comments or guidence would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Thanks.