Dad's 2000 Audi AG V8 dying while driving

[cutchemist42]

Don't live with my dad or sister, but my sister emailed this while driving our dad's car. (I still try to help them mechanically from time-to-time) She sent me this...

Quote:
Hey,

So I was driving dads car to a meeting this morning and the battery light starting flashing and the car die while I was driving it. I was able to coast it to the Co Op on Grant and Taylor and get a boost from someone there but while we were letting the battery charge in the parking lot the car died again. The Co Op guy thinks the alternator is dead so I left the car in the parking lot there. I was going to call CAA and get the car towed to dads mechanic so they can look at it. Do you know the name/ location of the mechanic?


Quote:
Yea like the car died while I was driving it and I just glided into the closet gas station. And when we boosted it, it ran for a like a few minutes while I stayed parked and then slowly died again. So I just left it where it was parked.



What to start considering?

 

[Quattro Pete]

What's Audi AG? Not familiar with that model.


Have the car hooked up to a diagnostic tool and find out what error codes have been stored in the ECU.

 

[Olas]

I think I remember the allroad being called an allground in some markets?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=allroad+quattro&client=safari&hl=en-gb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NovGVIW1KIn7UsG0gvAH&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672#imgrc=rl-1PPUaJT7KRM%253A%3BIafnulwl4yF4GM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimg.netcarshow.com%252FAudi-allroad_quattro_2002_1600x1200_wallpaper_02.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.netcarshow.com%252Faudi%252F2002-allroad_quattro%252F1600x1200%252Fwallpaper_02.htm%3B1600%3B1200

 

[Rand]

sounds like a good first place to look.

Alternators wear out or fail.

Battery might be going out as well, but its not just the battery now.. and it might not be the battery.


In the absence of issues such as bad wiring, I'd start with testing the alternator and charging the battery.

Car Batteries also don't like cold temps while discharged.. they may freeze and crack/burst.

Then most likely you will be replacing the alternator and possibly replacing the battery.

 

[cutchemist42]

Well that was a big miss, meant A6 and the G isn't even that close a key haha.

 

[rfeir]

You can pull the battery and have it tested. Same goes for the alternator, but that takes more work. Sometimes it is just the brushes that have worn out, a simple and inexpensive fix. Otherwise the local junk yard is a good bet. Dealer will be beyond expensive.

 

[Oro_O]

I have that engine in an earlier Audi V8 and had an anomolous charging/starting problem that defied regular diagnosis.

The ground strap was attached very low on the engine. You had to remove the belly pan to get at it. It had developed corrosion and was not grounding. See if the battery has a solid ground and trace the strap to where it actually grounds and examine it.

 

[crazyoildude]

I have seen alternators test good and not be good at all check all the wiring and everything else also those audi's are sometimes a pain!