Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 18 of 82

Thread: My alternator has checked out.

  1. #1
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249

    My alternator has checked out.

    This is more for reference than anything, but my alternator failed on Thursday evening. The car has 84k miles on the clock, and my research has shown that I was probably running on borrowed time anyways. Most failures have occurred prior to 70k. So the beast is at it's second home at the dealership awaiting a new one (unfortunately there is currently not one in the US). Also for reference, the part number for a new alternator is 077 903 015 R (list price of 846.16) and a rebuilt unit is 077 903 015 RX (list price of 550.00) Thank goodness for warranty, I think the labor for installation is pretty steep.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  2. #2
    Registered User MaxRS6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    2,673
    Ouch- That is actually a part that hasn't been replaced on mine yet...tick tick tick I hear
    210K miles rolled

  3. #3
    Registered User snoopra's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    US Virgin Islands
    Posts
    1,047
    DIY should be straight forward for those w/o warranty, right? I saw it for $660 + s/h @ genuinevwaudi and $422 rebuilt @ Dutch site: http://www.autoparts-shop.nl/producten/077903015R
    I hope you were close to home when it croaked
    2003 RS 6______________________________________________
    Mugello Blue/Silver Interior/Wood Trim/Warm Weather Package/
    LED Tail lights/RNS-E/DVD Video/OEM S5 19's/Custom Painted Calipers/Full CAT-Less, Nonresonated Milltek/APR DV's/
    H-Sport Sway Bars/5 Bar FPR/ABT Aluminum pedals/MTM TCU Chip

    -------Other Rides
    2007 Cadillac Escalade
    2007 Jeep Compass
    2006 Jeep Commander
    2006 Chevy Colorado Reg Cab
    -------

  4. #4
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249
    Quote Originally Posted by MaxRS6 View Post
    Ouch- That is actually a part that hasn't been replaced on mine yet...tick tick tick I hear
    Haha, well I would suggest you order one from your local Audi dealer, then just never go and pick it up. That way it's sitting on their shelf on standby. I honestly don't know what my affliction is with this car, but I'm driving a nice 2010 A4 premium package, and I loath it. It's been less than 24 hours and I want my car back.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  5. #5
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249
    Quote Originally Posted by snoopra View Post
    DIY should be straight forward for those w/o warranty, right? I saw it for $660 + s/h @ genuinevwaudi and $422 rebuilt @ Dutch site: http://www.autoparts-shop.nl/producten/077903015R
    I hope you were close to home when it croaked
    Ya, I was just leaving my dad's house and realized that my volt gauge was showing about 10 volts. I made it home, and then trickle charged the battery overnight, and made it 35 miles to the dealer the following day. The battery light came on as I was pulling into the drive.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  6. #6
    Registered User MaxRS6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    2,673
    LOL- I hear you about driving in other autos and having to endure the downtime- However; the silver lining is that it does keep the miles down...;0
    210K miles rolled

  7. #7
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249
    Quote Originally Posted by MaxRS6 View Post
    LOL- I hear you about driving in other autos and having to endure the downtime- However; the silver lining is that it does keep the miles down...;0
    True, oddly I feel kind of liberated when driving a loaner car. I can fill it with crap fuel, park wherever I want, put as many miles on as I wish, and I don't have to maliciously avoid every pothole and crevice on the road. I did however have to give it a wash when I got home to get it up to snuff, the thing was filthy. You should have seen the hopeless look on Rachel's face when she came out and saw me scrubbing the wheels on a loaner car.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  8. #8
    Registered User snoopra's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    US Virgin Islands
    Posts
    1,047
    Funny, I'm the same with rentals. They go back cleaner than when I got it.
    2003 RS 6______________________________________________
    Mugello Blue/Silver Interior/Wood Trim/Warm Weather Package/
    LED Tail lights/RNS-E/DVD Video/OEM S5 19's/Custom Painted Calipers/Full CAT-Less, Nonresonated Milltek/APR DV's/
    H-Sport Sway Bars/5 Bar FPR/ABT Aluminum pedals/MTM TCU Chip

    -------Other Rides
    2007 Cadillac Escalade
    2007 Jeep Compass
    2006 Jeep Commander
    2006 Chevy Colorado Reg Cab
    -------

  9. #9
    Registered User MaxRS6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    2,673
    My rental/loaners go back feeling dirty and used when I return them. 6 weeks without a wash on the last one I had the honor of putting around in- I estimate I saved over 16 hours of cleaning labor and spent the time on the links. Sometimes, I've been known to hit some nice muddy back roads and do a little 4 wheeling. It is kind of a challenge sometimes to see how much gunk I can cover a loaner in...;0
    Last edited by MaxRS6; July 19th, 2010 at 14:15.
    210K miles rolled

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Dodge City
    Posts
    520
    Well, sadly, I have just gone through this, too, at 53K miles. My alternator failed, stranding me. Had it towed in to Audi. The part is $550, but the installation is 11.0 hours! So, at $125/hour shop rates, that's $1,375 just for labor.

    I am having some difficulty with my independent warranty company. I am assured by the agent that this will be worked out, but the dealer so screwed this up, that I'm doing their job for them and getting everything processed. So, for your benefit, V8, make sure EVERYTHING is pre-authorized. The warranty companies are using labor manuals such as Chilton's, All Data and Mitchell's which don't even have the RS6 in them. Thus, it will be necessary for your service advisor (or you) to get the warranty company the proper pages from Audi's RS6 labor manual. Otherwise, the warranty company will likely try to claim your car is an A6 4.2L V8 and not an RS6. And, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the number of hours required to change out the alternator.

    For the DIY crowd, replacing the alternator requires removal of the front end of the car. Not an easy or fast job. While you're in there, you might also have a look at the serpentine belt. Mine was showing some wear, so I authorized Audi to replace that while they were in there for the alternator.

    Best,

    CW

  11. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Out there
    Posts
    7,780
    Look who the cat drug in.

    DIY...did someone say DIY?

    Here is a pic of the alt that is revealed during the timing belt service.



    Quote Originally Posted by CornersWell View Post
    Well, sadly, I have just gone through this, too, at 53K miles. My alternator failed, stranding me. Had it towed in to Audi. The part is $550, but the installation is 11.0 hours! So, at $125/hour shop rates, that's $1,375 just for labor.

    I am having some difficulty with my independent warranty company. I am assured by the agent that this will be worked out, but the dealer so screwed this up, that I'm doing their job for them and getting everything processed. So, for your benefit, V8, make sure EVERYTHING is pre-authorized. The warranty companies are using labor manuals such as Chilton's, All Data and Mitchell's which don't even have the RS6 in them. Thus, it will be necessary for your service advisor (or you) to get the warranty company the proper pages from Audi's RS6 labor manual. Otherwise, the warranty company will likely try to claim your car is an A6 4.2L V8 and not an RS6. And, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the number of hours required to change out the alternator.

    For the DIY crowd, replacing the alternator requires removal of the front end of the car. Not an easy or fast job. While you're in there, you might also have a look at the serpentine belt. Mine was showing some wear, so I authorized Audi to replace that while they were in there for the alternator.

    Best,

    CW

  12. #12
    Registered User MaxRS6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    2,673
    Hopefully mine will last till the next TB service (another 20K to go) and I'll git er done then. Doh- for not getting it done with the recent service work while my motor was out.
    210K miles rolled

  13. #13
    Registered User skribe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Beer City
    Posts
    952
    Quote Originally Posted by V8weight View Post
    I honestly don't know what my affliction is with this car, but I'm driving a nice 2010 A4 premium package, and I loath it. It's been less than 24 hours and I want my car back.
    Your affliction is that a 2010 A4 is a gutless shell of a car compared to the beast. I've had the identical experience... A4 loaner feels like a piloting a bayliner capri pulling three fat guys on innertubes compared to the RS6... made me want to take it in to the local tuner for a trial flash for the week I had one. They even manage to program the responsiveness out of the DSG, making that no fun either.

    And, yeah, I also scrubbed the brake dust off the wheels of mine when I had it.

  14. #14
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249
    I heard back from the service writer this afternoon. Zurich is covering the full cost of the repair, with the exception that they will not cover the distilled water mixed with the antifreeze (understandable, but wtf), or the freight for shipping the alternator from Germany. So I have to incur the cost of the shipping of the part? I've never heard of this. In my opinion, this doesn't fall on the shoulders of Zurich, but rather Audi. Do they no longer feel the need to stock parts in the US for the RS6? I work at a body shop, and have a wholesale account for Audi parts, and we've never had to pay freight on a special order part, that is the responsibility of the dealer. Their business is ordering and stocking parts. At any rate, they said they were hoping to have the part by the end of the month.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  15. #15
    Registered User MaxRS6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Here
    Posts
    2,673
    Quote Originally Posted by V8weight View Post
    In my opinion, this doesn't fall on the shoulders of Zurich, but rather Audi. Do they no longer feel the need to stock parts in the US for the RS6?
    +1- Absolutely crazy some of the basic parts are not in U.S.- I have been running into this issue more frequently and is worrisome as these machines age.
    210K miles rolled

  16. #16
    Registered User Aronis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Binghamton Area, NY
    Posts
    3,739
    does the 'front of the engine' have to come off for this job too!?

    I have 100,700 miles...I certainly hope the alternator is ok!

    Mike

  17. #17
    Registered User V8weight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    2,249
    Quote Originally Posted by Aronis View Post
    does the 'front of the engine' have to come off for this job too!?

    I have 100,700 miles...I certainly hope the alternator is ok!

    Mike
    The Audi repair time pays to remove the lock support to replace the alternator. However I remember seeing a post here recently where someone had changed theirs in the garage and had pulled it out the bottom after simply removing the right charge pipe and loosening the oil cooler lines. I'm sure this is the way it will be done at the dealer. Hey, it's how the techs make their money, get paid for xyz, come up with a trick, do the job in half of xyz.
    Pat - Eisenmann race exhaust, Catless downpipes, KW V3's, H-Sport sways, 034 Control arms, Apikol diff mount, Sterns motor mounts, Forge dv's, Stainless brake lines, Venair hoses, Sportec vent mod, Euro tails, Viper Tuned ecu/tcu, DPE S20's 19x9.5, 275/30/19's

  18. #18
    Registered User gooseleg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    134
    This is so odd, while reading this last night I was thinking how lucky I am with 71k and the alt is still showing good voltage; wouldn't you know it this afternoon while returning from a pediatrician visit with my son checking on his injury from a 6 iron to the head........ my battery light came on and the gauge read 9 volts, I made it home dropped him off took out my voltmeter and the battery read 11.57 volts. I started the car the gauge went to 14v and down to 10v, I drove it to Autozone they did a test and it's my alternator. Called Audi they quoted me $1,275 for the job and $140.00 for the tow, they also said it would be 3 days since the battery is coming from NJ. Will Fidelity gold plus cover it, or will I have to fight for it?>>
    St Augustine, FL
    03 RS6
    07 GTI
    88 16v Cabby

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •