Alternator and towing a C4
 

I have done a search and come to the conclusion that I might need a rebuilt alternator (ABS, ABD and ! lights came on followed a few minutes by the "Christmas tree" lights appearing on the dashboard a few minutes later and then the car just died. Thankfully I had backed the car into the garage when it died. I pulled the battery and added more water to it, it wasn't dry but low, reinstalled it and jumped the car and it started and went dead a minute later.

I will be taking the car to an independent in my area, which is defintely rural, that primarily services BMW's, Mercedes and VW's. I will provide them with printed material from here on the alternator replacement and possible pitfalls. They seem to think that they will be able to do the work.

My question is regarding towing the C4 on a flatbed should it be required. I am under the impression that the car shouldn't be moved unless all wheels are up off the ground. What I am planning on doing is trickle charging my car battery (one year old) for the next week and then taking it into a place to see how well it has accepted the charge. It has been on the charger for two days and is now showing 12.02 volts across the terminals but the battery tender light is still on.

I won't be able to get the car to the independent until next Wednesday at the earliest anyway. If the battery is not fully charged by next Tuesday I will purchase a new battery in the hopes that I can at least start the car and have it running while it is put on and off the flatbed so as not to damage the AWD system. My feeling is that a fully charged battery, even without the alternator charging it, should keep the car functional for the small amount of time needed to load it onto the flatbed and off again at the independent's place.

Does this sound like it would work?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

If the car is pulled onto the flatbed while the transmission is in neutral, would there be any damage to the awd system? The awd system can get damaged when only 1 axle is in motion and the other is fixed (on a dyno or being towed with the front of the car raised off the ground.)

I've had a few rides on a flatbed. First was when alternater went. No problem if the pull it on with the winch in neutral.

Thanks guys, I guess I missed that in the archives. Takes a load off my mind and possibly a load off the debit card!

First, either buy/borrow a decent battery charger and charge the battery or take it somewhere were they will charge it for you (like wherever you bought it). A trickle charger just doesn't cut it with a dead battery. Once the battery is fully charged you should be able to drive the car a short distance (prob 5-10 miles). If you have to tow it pulling it up on a flatbed won't hurt it as long as it's in neutral. It can also be towed safely if they use a wheel dolly that holds the towed wheels off the ground so they don't turn while the car is being towed. Any decent tow company with experience towing AWD should be able to do it right.

Hey Bret,

A fully charged battery will take you much farther than a roll up a flatbed...so no worries there.

So the conclusion is the alternator as we suspected? Did you check the voltage at the battery while the car is running?

The alternator replacement is quite straightforward, the only real problem can be to get the main nut off the alternator which requires the proper 12 point tool, and then its likely the fan will have to be pulled off the shaft with a puller. Make sure they are using a good puller and are cautious, the fan material is soft.

Cheers,

mike

To reemphasize Mikes point, fully charge & test the battery first .... before concluding that the alternator is dead: a fresh battery should go to 12.6v, an 'experienced' one at least 12.3v; however, the real test is to remove the battery & have a shop do a freeby load test ( CCA should be at least 70% spec). A dying battery creates the same symptoms.

Anyway, if the car starts with a charged battery, voltage at the battery should then read > 13.6V with a good alternator. If much less, you are correct on the alternator ...... all provided that battery connections are clean & tight.

I've had to flat bed my C4 once and no problem winching it up the ramp while in neutral. one other caution (hopefully this time you won't need a tow anyway) but be sure a tow truck never anchors your car to the flatbed once in place by placing hooks on your suspension parts. Those alloy suspension components will not handle those stresses well and major damage can occur. Instead be sure the tow eye is mounted into the bumper or tire webbing is used to keep the car stationary. hope its just a simple bad battery in your case!

Thanks to all of you for your replies!

Mike, I haven't run the engine since it has been on the trickle charger. I just called Canadian Tire and they said they could do the battery charge tomorrow so I will pull the battery tonight and take it in to them tonight for a charge tomorrow. I'll reinstall it after work tomorrow and check the voltages when I have a second pair of hands to start the car and get it up to 3000 RPM's while I test the voltage.

Mike, the independent mechanic has a Triple square to help remove the alternator but the shaft is too long for the space available and I don't think he wants to go to the trouble to cut it down. Mike, if you send back the tape I left at your place could I borrow your triple square to let the mechanic use? You could send them both back to me together and I would get the tool back when he is finished. I called Sunset to purchase the tool but Jeff said it would be 7-10 days delivery to them and then up to Canada. I can't go without the car for that long!!

Garth, thanks for the information on the battery charging and CCA's. I believe they will be able to do that at Canadian Tire. Thinking back, I purchased a proper battery charger (for home use) a few years ago. If I pulled the battery and put it on that charger I believe it would charge at a faster rate but I am not sure what settings to use. I believe it offers 2 amp and 6 amp and a couple of voltage settings. Any help here would be appreciated as well. I am at work now but will be home about 6:00 PM West Coast time and I could put the charger on overnight. If I could get a full charge by tomorrow evening I could go ahead and try to start the car but I still wouldn't be getting the load test done. At least if I let the car run for a while I might be able to determine if the alternator is working or not.

Once again, thanks to all of you for your help.

If you can find that charger, simply set it on 12v regular charge: do not switch to "activate" if that were an option. Re. amperage, 10 amp is good for an overnight charge, provided the cells have adequate water level. On the latter, even 'no service' batteries generally have cell caps that can be pried off with a small screwdriver to allow cells to be topped up. If the case is even slightly translucent, a strong light behind the case will show acid (& water) levels, and indicate if a top up is req'd.

Yes, Cdn Tire will surely test your battery ..... BTW, I have their batteries in all my rides: can't beat the warranty, quality & price. If you need a fresh one, it is a Group 48 ..... if the kid can't figure that out, tell him you want one that fits a Passat, or practically any VW ( they don't have Porsche listings here).

Thanks Garth,

I managed to find the battery charger and plugged it in about an hour ago. The amp meter seems to be going up, albeit slowly, from what appeared to be an almost discharged battery. I'll keep charging it until I go to bed or it reads full charge tomorrow evening. I will then start it tomorrow and read the volts across the terminals. If the voltage drops below 13.6 or so I'll keep it at home, recharge the battery and take it in to the mechanic as scheduled next Wednesday. If not it will be an evening for a great ride!

I agree with you on Canadian Tire's warranties, especially when needed and more importantly when I can find the original sales slip for warrranty service !!! I wasn't aware about the Group 48 batteries sold there. I might be buying one real soon. Thanks for the heads up!

Wishful thinking perhaps - it's not as simple as a broken belt?

How far do you think a 993 would run with no alternator during the day?

I was late for a funeral last year and snapped the belt, I had 25 freeway miles to go and I chickened out.... I was considering going for it but found a napa and changed belts in the parking lot and made it for the last 30min anyway....

My belt snapped on Friday - made it 50 freeway miles, including a 15 min spell in stationary traffic.

How hard is the belt replacement?

Bret:

Crappy Tire sells a smart battery charger that has adjustable charge settings, and can also be used for boosting. It has both a needle gauge that shows the extent of the charge, and a full charge light. For only 99 bucks.

Good luck with your electrics.