Jeepaholic
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2013
- Location
- Fenton, MI
- TDI
- 1999 Golf, two door. Manual trans, manual everything else.
I searched but didn't find anything that helped, so I'm hoping that you folks can help me get my car on the road. I'll give you as much info as I can, forgive the length.
99 Golf TDI, 250K.
New Napa battery in the spring (I didn't skimp, I want to say it was pushing $200)
It's cold here, overnight temps in the teens-below-zero.
Tuesday on my way to work in the AM my car started ok (kind of a long crank, but it does that). Car was parked in the garage. I run an errand yesterday evening, all seemed well.
This morning the battery was dead. It took a jump easily and started up. I headed to work and within about 8 miles I thought the blower seemed to be blowing slow so I turned on the wipers just to see if they were slow too. They were VERY slow and the radio immediately blinked off. Uh oh. I turned the heat off, turned the headlights off (marker lights only) and kept the revs above 2500 RPM in the hopes the alternator would charge a bit. I got off the highway about 15 miles later (FREEZING by now) and pulled into an Autozone. I asked them to check the alternator, but I didn't have the battery tested because I didn't want to shut it off and have it not re-start. The alternator was putting out 14.1 volts at idle. Normally I wouldn't expect to see an alternator putting that kind of voltage out after a 15 mile highway drive? I'd have expected it to be much lower as the battery should have been topped off?
I turned the heat on high, rear defrost, and lights and it was at about 13.8 at idle. I figured all was well, but was still puzzled about the issue 15 miles ago.
At lunch the car started fine, and when I started the car to go home as well.
As I got home I noticed the blower seemed slow, and another Autozone was nearby so I went there. The girl hooked up the tester and said that my battery was "at 5% capacity". Ok, I know that's wrong because that's what, 5 volts? Anyway, the car started up at that point so I knew she was wrong (?). I went home and tested the voltage with a meter and got 10.5 volts!! Then I loaded the electrical system and got 8.6 v.
This made me think I had an intermittent regulator issue since it seems to charge sometimes, and not charge others.
Well, I just got done installing the alternator in a garage where the temp is -5 F. Before I started the car I measured 12 v across the terminals. Turned the key and it would not crank.
I put a charger on it for about 20 mins and it started. Then I checked the voltage and it read 11.5 and dropping. It would not restart.
When I was doing the alternator I looked at the battery connections (clean), the ground under the battery tray (clean and tight) and the connections at the alternator (clean).
I didn't know about the ground at the bell housing, so I didn't check that and it's now 1 AM and I'm frozen.
I do not have a battery light on at all, key on, or engine running.
I'll try to take the battery in to work tomorrow and charge it so it can be tested on my way home, but because it's a decent brand battery and only 6 months old I'm going to assume for now that it's ok.
What else should I be checking? Is it true that a blown battery light bulb will prevent the alternator from energizing? Is there a relay or not that turns the alternator on?
I really, really appreciate any help you can give. I'm at my wits end as this is my second issue that's taken it off the road in a week. I ordered a Bentley manual from a member here but he stiffed me on Vol. 2 so I have no schematics.
99 Golf TDI, 250K.
New Napa battery in the spring (I didn't skimp, I want to say it was pushing $200)
It's cold here, overnight temps in the teens-below-zero.
Tuesday on my way to work in the AM my car started ok (kind of a long crank, but it does that). Car was parked in the garage. I run an errand yesterday evening, all seemed well.
This morning the battery was dead. It took a jump easily and started up. I headed to work and within about 8 miles I thought the blower seemed to be blowing slow so I turned on the wipers just to see if they were slow too. They were VERY slow and the radio immediately blinked off. Uh oh. I turned the heat off, turned the headlights off (marker lights only) and kept the revs above 2500 RPM in the hopes the alternator would charge a bit. I got off the highway about 15 miles later (FREEZING by now) and pulled into an Autozone. I asked them to check the alternator, but I didn't have the battery tested because I didn't want to shut it off and have it not re-start. The alternator was putting out 14.1 volts at idle. Normally I wouldn't expect to see an alternator putting that kind of voltage out after a 15 mile highway drive? I'd have expected it to be much lower as the battery should have been topped off?
I turned the heat on high, rear defrost, and lights and it was at about 13.8 at idle. I figured all was well, but was still puzzled about the issue 15 miles ago.
At lunch the car started fine, and when I started the car to go home as well.
As I got home I noticed the blower seemed slow, and another Autozone was nearby so I went there. The girl hooked up the tester and said that my battery was "at 5% capacity". Ok, I know that's wrong because that's what, 5 volts? Anyway, the car started up at that point so I knew she was wrong (?). I went home and tested the voltage with a meter and got 10.5 volts!! Then I loaded the electrical system and got 8.6 v.
This made me think I had an intermittent regulator issue since it seems to charge sometimes, and not charge others.
Well, I just got done installing the alternator in a garage where the temp is -5 F. Before I started the car I measured 12 v across the terminals. Turned the key and it would not crank.
I put a charger on it for about 20 mins and it started. Then I checked the voltage and it read 11.5 and dropping. It would not restart.
When I was doing the alternator I looked at the battery connections (clean), the ground under the battery tray (clean and tight) and the connections at the alternator (clean).
I didn't know about the ground at the bell housing, so I didn't check that and it's now 1 AM and I'm frozen.
I do not have a battery light on at all, key on, or engine running.
I'll try to take the battery in to work tomorrow and charge it so it can be tested on my way home, but because it's a decent brand battery and only 6 months old I'm going to assume for now that it's ok.
What else should I be checking? Is it true that a blown battery light bulb will prevent the alternator from energizing? Is there a relay or not that turns the alternator on?
I really, really appreciate any help you can give. I'm at my wits end as this is my second issue that's taken it off the road in a week. I ordered a Bentley manual from a member here but he stiffed me on Vol. 2 so I have no schematics.
