[Vwdiesel] *help! bucking & smoking*

[Rolf Pechukas]

is it possible the shop shifted/rotated the pump timing when they replaced the alternator? I'm sure they're not driven by the same belt, but is there any way that anywhere in this chain of events the timing could have been altered?? sure acts like it
(Rolf in MA)


> hey all
> this is a follow-up to my alternator failure adventure
> (2001 VW Golf TDi)
> 
> events as they unfolded:
> 
> - driving from Boston to Cape Cod, my battery light came on
> 
> - battery clearly running down, alternator not charging, I drove most of the way before the car died
> was not running so good just before it died
> I attributed that to CPU not getting juice
> 
> - had it towed to local garage, who replaced the alternator (OE Bosch rebuild, 120A)
> 
> -  picked it up today, running terribly, no acceleration, black smoke under any load, bucking
> was initially un-driveable, now slightly better, put 30 careful miles on, hoping CPU would 're-set' itself
> not so much
> exhaust smelly
> 
> - engine light is NOT on
> 
> thoughts:
> 
> - CPU clearly not driving the fuel pump properly
> 
> Q's:
> 
> - is it possible driving while running the battery down damaged the fuel pump CPU??
> - or even the fuel pump itself?
> 
> - shop charged up the battery before doing the alt
> if they had reverse-connected the charger, could it have fried the CPU?
> 
> - would the car run at all if the CPU were fried?
> 
> - might pump timing need to be re-set? isn't that all CPU-driven?
> 
> - what else could explain this behavior?
> 
> thanks for any thoughts,
> 
> Rolf in MA