Smalls
Veteran Member
Hey all,
I've recently began to refurb a neglected tdi wagon. Upon getting the vehicle running again, I've stumbled on a few charging issues with the vehicles alternator.
The alt currently installed is in a sad sad state. It had/has been exposed to copious amounts of oil and sludge. I also might have exacerbated the issue when I degreased and degunked the engine. I did have it covered with a bag, but it wasn't water tight. When I was finished, I took the bag off and saw a little bit of moisture throughout. I blew it out heavily with compressed air and continued on.
When I started the car for the first time, I left it run for approx 45-60 seconds, then shut it off. I heard the battery cooking off after the car was shutdown. I started the car back up and checked output at the battery for a brief moment, which it was 17.5-17.8 throughout the rpm range.
I shut it down, double checked all of my connections. Cleaned everything with a wire brush and tried again. This time, it was still churning 17.5-.8 but my partner said I lost the instrument cluster and any readings from the engine. I checked the battery again, while the vehicle was running, and it stayed at a 12.3-12.6 throughout the rpm range. I let it idle and about a minute later, I got my instrument cluster back, but the battery stayed at a no-charge state. The battery is a newer interstate, which was fully charged with a trickle charger and tested great.
Currently I get nothing from th alternator. Does this sound like typical regulator going/went out or a bigger problem?
Second question, is I picked up a used 120a Bosch alt off of another car for relatively cheap. Could I get away with simply swapping the regulators on the back of the alt, or should I change the entire unit? How robust are the internals of this alt? I've never had an issue with any of my other tdi's so I'm just learning at the moment.
Thanks,
Smalls
I've recently began to refurb a neglected tdi wagon. Upon getting the vehicle running again, I've stumbled on a few charging issues with the vehicles alternator.
The alt currently installed is in a sad sad state. It had/has been exposed to copious amounts of oil and sludge. I also might have exacerbated the issue when I degreased and degunked the engine. I did have it covered with a bag, but it wasn't water tight. When I was finished, I took the bag off and saw a little bit of moisture throughout. I blew it out heavily with compressed air and continued on.
When I started the car for the first time, I left it run for approx 45-60 seconds, then shut it off. I heard the battery cooking off after the car was shutdown. I started the car back up and checked output at the battery for a brief moment, which it was 17.5-17.8 throughout the rpm range.
I shut it down, double checked all of my connections. Cleaned everything with a wire brush and tried again. This time, it was still churning 17.5-.8 but my partner said I lost the instrument cluster and any readings from the engine. I checked the battery again, while the vehicle was running, and it stayed at a 12.3-12.6 throughout the rpm range. I let it idle and about a minute later, I got my instrument cluster back, but the battery stayed at a no-charge state. The battery is a newer interstate, which was fully charged with a trickle charger and tested great.
Currently I get nothing from th alternator. Does this sound like typical regulator going/went out or a bigger problem?
Second question, is I picked up a used 120a Bosch alt off of another car for relatively cheap. Could I get away with simply swapping the regulators on the back of the alt, or should I change the entire unit? How robust are the internals of this alt? I've never had an issue with any of my other tdi's so I'm just learning at the moment.
Thanks,
Smalls
