Rep Power: 312

yup, died. i need help on what could be wrong. the lights got dim, the car kept cutting out, the transmission felt like it was slipping, wipers were delayed, radio kept cutting in and out.. tach, gas, other gauges just dropped.. i just had the alternator rebuilt, and tested.. so i duno. any ideas?

 
Rep Power: 813

If this is while driving, it's the alternator and not the battery. Get it tested again. All the problems you're having are electronically controled. Hope you can get it working.

 
Rep Power: 293

this happened after u got ur alternator rebuilt? hmm might be something wrong with it... get it tested again... cuz it sounds as if ur car is not charging properly and ur battery was drained because of that

 
Rep Power: 312

would that make the transmission feel like it was slipping? i couldn't get it going over 30. :/

 
Rep Power: 813

EVERYTHING on your car is powered by electronics. That's why upgrading the tranny ground wire will improve response. Tranny shifting is controled by the ecu, which runs off power from the alternator.

 
Rep Power: 0

dude your car got hit by lightning i am telling you lol

 
Rep Power: 312

i think it did. we heard a big bang, saw a flash, then my stuff started to mess up. but it wasn't 100% even before that.

 
Rep Power: 414

Alternator is dead.... Same exact thing has happened to me, over the years I've had 5 alternators die (not in the Vic) and thats exactly what happened

 
Rep Power: 312

any way it could be the speed sensor? i heard it can do some of those things. i don't get it, the guy rebuilt the alternator two times, and two people tested it on two different machines.. grr.

 
Rep Power: 813

The rebuilt alternator on my 87 Jetta went bad three times. They go bad fast unfortunately.

 
Rep Power: 312

the speedometer/odometer have been dead already for a week, is that most likely the alternator too, or the speed sensor? the rest of the gauges kept working, until it all died lastnight.

 
Rep Power: 813

That sounds like another problem. Alternator failing would cause all the gauges to act broken, not just one.

 
Rep Power: 414

True!

 
Rep Power: 312

the speedometer/odometer = speed sensor?

 
Rep Power: 813

Not sure. It probably isn't the actual gauge cluster. So maybe the sensor just went bad. I've heard that speedo repairs are costly.