Boy do I need the Brain Trust about now... Wrench question - Page 4

Mike80911 · Mike80911's Garage

Nothing to add that has not been already said, but my son had an Audi A4 that would do exactly what you are describing. I checked it and found nothing. I took it to the best indy I know and he found nothing. Took it to Audi they had it for 2 weeks and charged me $500 and they found nothing. Finally just got rid of it and got him a new car. That solved the issue right away.��

john70t · 10-26-2023, 02:40 PM

Any update?

908/930 · 908/930's Garage

So what was the problem?

LWJ · 11-20-2023, 12:16 PM

Funny y’all are asking…

So we put in a new alternator. I hand the car off to the daughter.

We are leaving for a trip to New Zealand shortly and leave my wife’s car and a key with the daughter “just to be safe.”

Car seems great for about a week. I am checking in with daughter daily.

Until it wasn’t. Threw a code something about glow plugs. Went into limp mode.

Called the mechanic today (we are now back from vacation) and am negotiating with daughter to pick up the car. I am not going to clear codes so the mechanic can see the whole story.

I was planning on an update but now you get to see the progress real time.

I do think this is progress. We have a hard failure somewhere. Prior we only had intermittent issues. Mechanic seems to be pretty sharp and not super expensive. So yay for that.

More to follow…

Gogar · 06:18 PM

I'm pretty late to this thread but this is worth a read. I thought 'battery registration' was bunk until I replaced the battery in my X5 and still seemed to have charging and battery warning problems. Worth a quick look anyway.

https://www.midtronics.com/blog/battery-registration-what-why-and-how-to-do-it/

porsche tech · 11-21-2023, 03:28 AM

Wow! Never knew about “registering a battery”…but I believe it! Been retired for 12 years but still remember the customer’s Cayenne whose mirrors and windows worked backwards of the way the switch was operated. After 3 days of trying to figure it out (switches, window motor logic recode, etc, etc) I finally called the PCNA help desk and they said “oh, code it for having lighted door sills even tho it doesn’t”! Problem solved. “Today’s car's electrical systems are complicated” is a major understatement!

LWJ · 11-21-2023, 05:15 AM

^^^Gogar for yet another piece of the puzzle. I did some Google on this. Not sure if it is needed or not for a 2014. I will call the dealer today. Filing this under “things I never knew or even anticipated.” Thanks!!!

1990C4S · 11-21-2023, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LWJ

Until it wasn’t. Threw a code something about glow plugs. Went into limp mode.

That will probably be a) bad relay, b) bad harness, c) a bad glow plug. All are easy to diagnose and fix. Unless he breaks a glow plug off....

Gogar · 11-21-2023, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LWJ

^^^Gogar for yet another piece of the puzzle. I did some Google on this. Not sure if it is needed or not for a 2014. I will call the dealer today. Filing this under “things I never knew or even anticipated.” Thanks!!!

It sounds so dumb and I didn't believe it and not sure I do believe it but never hurts to cover the bases.

908/930 · 908/930's Garage

I don't think battery registration is req on this car, I did not see any battery monitor device like BMW uses anyways. That system was developed to solve a problem that was not there, was supposed to help battery life by charging at a slightly lower voltage and go higher as the battery gets older, something like that. Also be able to adjust charging voltages and current for lead acid vs AGM batteries.