: [s-cars] Charging right along

[Steve Eiche]

Bob,
It sounds like a classic case of worn brushes.  You can either get just the brushes for about $5 and solder them in to the voltage regulator, or just put in a new voltage regulator complete with new brushes for <$50.  I'm not sure how easy it is to remove the regulator in situ on an AAN, but it is a fairly easy job on other Audis.  The regulator attaches to the rear of the alternator with two screws.

Steve


Hi Y'all,

Wednesday evening my wife and I took Unka Bart out to dinner.  Pleasant 
evening.  On the way home from the restaurant the charging system in my 
urS6 quit operating.  The volt meter was all the way to the left of the 
dial - LOW voltage.  Lights dimmed.  Battery icon of check system came 
on.  All the classic symptoms.

Well, It was only a couple of miles on home so I just drove it home using 
what was left in the battery to operate the car and parked the car in the 
garage for the evening.  I checked and saw that the serpentine belt was in 
place and looked to be in good condition.  The blue field power wire was 
attached to the alternator - didn't check the voltage.  Next morning 
(yesterday) I didn't take the time to do any significant 
diagnostics.  However, the engine wouldn't turn over enough to start.  Low 
battery.  I attached a charger and went on with the day and saw Bart off 
about noon.  Then I got busy on other projects and decided to put off 
working on the car until this morning.

This morning the engine fired right up and the volt meter says that the 
system voltage is right at 14 volts and all is well.  WTF????

Whahoppened?  Any explanations or ideas?  I feel rather uneasy with the 
prospect that the system may shut down again when I'm right in the dead 
center of Nowhere, WV.  (That's about 40 miles down the road from home.   ;-)  )

Oh - weather conditions Wednesday evening - cold rain.  Yesterday 
snow.  Today - still snowing.  Garage - dry and heated to mid -50's.

Bob