feel the love? charging problem.

Peter Schulz pcschulz at comcast.net
Wed Sep 17 05:32:10 PDT 2008 

Ed:
_If_ the grounds on the Instrument Cluster (IC) are sound, then the 
reason that the battery light is NOT coming on when you turn the 
ignition key are either caused by :
    * a burned out bulb
    * an incomplete exciter circuit - (check for breaks/corrosion by 
the alternator)
    * (doubtful) ignition switch
Given the myriad of issues that can be caused by a faulty IC, I would 
make sure that its functioning properly first.
Btw, I tried touching up the ground pad on the cluster board once 
with solder, and thereafter ran jumper wires to bypass that point in 
the future - evidently the shape of the board and the dash put the 
pad under mechanical stress and it will fail again over time.

HTH
-Peter




At 08:25 PM 9/16/2008 -0600, Ed Kellock wrote:
>Ok, in the 1st test, voltage in the charge/blue/exciter wire, I got 10.43 vs
>12.22 at the battery.  When I grounded it, the battery warning lamp in the
>IC did not come up, but the ANTILOCK OFF one did.  That lamp comes on when I
>turn on  the ignition, but goes out almost immediately.
>
>Ed
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: alancordeiro at att.net [mailto:alancordeiro at att.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 6:22 PM
> > To: Ed Kellock; 200q20v at audifans.com
> > Subject: Re: feel the love? charging problem.
> >
> >
> > Ed,
> >
> > Sorry to see you so frustrated. Lets approach the problem slowly.
> >
> > Something in the bootstrap charging circuit is awry.  Else
> > your battery
> > light would be coming on. This problem may be in the lamp,
> > the socket, the
> > IC solder joints, the wiring upto the alternator, the
> > alternator regulator,
> > the alternator brushes, or the field winding itself.
> >
> > If you turn on the ignition (not start) try and measure the
> > voltage in the
> > charging wire where it goes into the alternator. You may have
> > to press in a
> > fine pin in through the insulation to get the reading if you
> > do not have
> > access to the terminal at the back of the alternator.
> > If this voltage is close to battery voltage, the problem is in the
> > alternator. If close to zero, the problem is in the wiring
> > before it gets to
> > the alternator.
> > Hope this helps narrow down the location of your problem somewhat.
> >
> > To confirm your diagnosis from the above test, if you get
> > full voltage at
> > the field wire, ground it and see if the lamp in the IC comes
> > on. If there
> > is next to zero volts, feed the wire at this point from
> > battery + with a 2
> > watt lamp in series, see if the alternator charges.
> >
> > From my experience, the most common problem I've seen is that
> > the brushes in
> > the regulator wear out at around 60-70k miles, YMMV.
> >
> > Alan
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ed Kellock" <ekellock at gmail.com>
> > To: <200q20v at audifans.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 1:29 PM
> > Subject: RE: feel the love? charging problem.
> >
> >
> > > I'm not exactly right now... I wrestled with my IC last
> > night to the
> > > point that it is still out, I have cuts on my fingers with the net
> > > result so far being that I have determined the battery warning bulb
> > > does work and was not my problem, and I broke the door ajar
> > and check
> > > engine bulb sockets while trying to put the fucker back in.
> > >
> > > I have had the IC out of 2 other 200's on multiple
> > occasions and this
> > > one was the biggest PITA of the bunch.  It would not come
> > loose from
> > > the top of the dash pad.  I actually reached for crow bar
> > at the work
> > > bench at one point.  Fortunately sanity prevailed and my
> > dash is still
> > > in tact.
> > >
> > > So, I still have a charging issue and now I need to replace the bulb
> > > sockets
> > > for those two indicator bulbs.  I am going to go hit a
> > junkyard and maybe
> > > take my crowbar and take my frustrations out on someone
> > else's discarded
> > > car
> > > and cut the sockets out with as much wire as I can get so
> > that when I wire
> > > then into my car, I can set the GD IC out on the sidewalk
> > before I unplug
> > > those two bulbs from the back.
> > >
> > > This should NOT be this difficult.  My patience is wearing thin.
> > >
> > > Re: the charging problem specifically, the battery warning
> > light does
> > > not come on when I turn on the key.  Could this be caused by a bad
> > > voltage regulator?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Ed
> > >
> > >
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: 200q20v-bounces at audifans.com
> > >> [mailto:200q20v-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Nathan Winters
> > >> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 6:59 AM
> > >> To: 200q20v at audifans.com
> > >> Subject: Re: Sudden Power Loss
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Limp mode feels more like rev-limiting (cutting fuel) vs.
> > only being
> > >> able to get up to 1.3 or 1.4 bar like you have.  I tended
> > to notice
> > >> it more under load at low RPMs, I guess it is a power-cut
> > mode. Limp
> > >> mode... limp mode seems like it may be a good 'valet' mode in the
> > >> future.  Is there a way to force it or is this a terrible idea?
> > >>
> > >> Speaking of signs and timing, I fully blamed reading all of the
> > >> recent ecu / boost / 'I'm Tired of This' threads on my latest
> > >> problem.  Based on the latest posts I can't wait for my
> > steering rack
> > >> and charging system to fail soon on my 'worthless' Audi...
> >  Oh, wait,
> > >> there was a 200q20v Love thread, makes me feel better.
> > >>
> > >> Good luck with your boost issue, keep us posted.
> > >>
> > >> Nathan
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message ----
> > >> From: "jlagnese at massed.net" <jlagnese at massed.net>
> > >> To: alancordeiro at att.net; Nathan Winters <natewin at yahoo.com>;
> > >> 200q20v at audifans.com
> > >> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 8:33:20 AM
> > >> Subject: Re: Sudden Power Loss
> > >>
> > >> I just thought iut may be a sign, this thread occurring
> > when noticed
> > >> the problem.
> > >> ---- Original message ----
> > >>
> > >> Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:31:17 -0400
> > >> From: <alancordeiro at att.net>
> > >> Subject: Re: Sudden Power Loss
> > >> To: "John S. Lagnese" <jlagnese at massed.net>, "Nathan Winters"
> > >> <natewin at yahoo.com>, <200q20v at audifans.com>
> > >> >John,
> > >> >
> > >> >Why are you assuming your issue is also "limp home" mode?
> > >> perhaps its
> > >> >one of
> > >> >the more common problems like the MTFS or air leaks?
> > >> >
> > >> >----- Original Message -----
> > >> >From: "John S. Lagnese" <jlagnese at massed.net>
> > >> >To: "Nathan Winters" <natewin at yahoo.com>; <200q20v at audifans.com>
> > >> >Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 9:50 PM
> > >> >Subject: Re: Sudden Power Loss
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >> How do you reset the ecu? I only get 1.4 boost.
> > >> >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> >
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> 200q20v mailing list
> > > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/200q20v
> > >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> > >> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> > >> Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1674 - Release
> > >> Date: 9/16/2008 8:15 AM
> > >>
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > 200q20v mailing list
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/200q20v
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1675 - Release
> > Date: 9/16/2008 7:06 PM
> >
>
>_______________________________________________
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-Peter Schulz
Chelmsford Ma, USA
http://www.naaclub.org/

1995.5 S6 Avant Emerald/Ecru
1995.5 S6 Avant Silver/Platinum
1991 200 20v Q Avant Titan Grey (for sale)
1991 90 20v Q Red
1991 CQ silver  (eS2 recipient)

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