help start my 4ks...

["Brian" <Dufrane@email.msn.com>]

Hi again,

I sure hope some of you digesters "work" on the weekend.  Here's my prob.

My '84 4000 S w/ 160k mi.  went dead last weekend.  I figured, ah, she's
been cranking up pretty slow lately, must need a battery.  So, I get a new
battery...not dimensionally the same size as the old one, but close and has
more cranking amps...(I tell you this because I'm not sure if it matters.)
Does fine for exactly one week...then a few minutes ago, I turn the key to
the "On" position and let the fuel pump prime up and stuff, turn it to the
"Start" position and everything blacks out.  No power whatsoever.  Not to
the radio, not to the clock.

Eventually the second hand on the clock starts to shake, then comes to life.
The radio works...so I turn the key to the "On" position again.  This time
though, nothing comes on.  Clock & radio dies again.  Call girlfriend,
"Bring jumper cables."   She shows up, connect cables, turn key to "On"
dummy lights come on, turn key to "Start" position, black out.

Rev girlfriends engine (the car) to 2500 rpm for 7 minutes thinking maybe
this will charge my battery enough to start.  Turn key to "On"
nothing...black out.   By the way, this is exactly how it happened last
weekend with the old battery.

I've got the battery at home charging.  What's wrong with my beautiful
car???  Is it the alternator?  The little battery symbol dummy light wasn't
coming on while driving.  Is it something else?  How hard is it to change
the alternator?  Do I have to take the timing belt cover off?  Is the pivot
bolt to the alternator an allen bolt?  I'm skrewed...

Please, help me.  I am the sole Audi driver on the block.  I will not let
this neighborhood go Audi-less!

Brian