20 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCH"Battery/alternator light" no headlights?
Reported or suspected cause
voltage regulator (inside alternator)
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
I assisted a friend sorting out the same issue with a 3.2 motronic car (1989) and it was the voltage regulator (inside alternator), which was easily replaced and inexpensive.
Leading evidence: 'voltage regulator (inside alternator)' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'voltage regulator (inside alternator)' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check fuses' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Replace alternator at my indy and was charged $330
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I replaced my alternator at my indy and was charged $330 for a Bosch factory rebuilt, plus 2 hrs labor @ $93 x 2 = $186.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I bought an ignition switch at the time I replaced the light switch just in case.
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Suggestion · Original poster
to have the oil changed at my independent tomorrow am and I'll have them take a look but I don't want to be charged a fortune to swap a battery and replace the switch when I can do it myself for the cost of parts (one of which is collecting dust in the garage anyway).
Outcome qualification: Negation, uncertainty or missing explicit repair resolution overrides the raw extraction signal.
Test tomorrow
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
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Discussions
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion · Original poster
I looked around here and a few other sites and figured I'd have the battery tested tomorrow but wanted to take the car for a drive so I could report the conditions that prompted the warning.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
voltage regulator (inside alternator)
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
I assisted a friend sorting out the same issue with a 3.2 motronic car (1989) and it was the voltage regulator (inside alternator), which was easily replaced and inexpensive.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
20 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 1 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T005001Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Wife drove the car today and the battery/alternator warning appeared on the DIC. I looked around here and a few other sites and figured I'd have the battery tested tomorrow but wanted to take the car for a drive so I could report the conditions that prompted the warning. Turns out that the headlights (low beams) do not work. All other electrical seems fine. I replaced the switch a few months ago when the low beams became unreliable and finally stopped all together. I thought it fixed the issue.
1) Could the headlight issue and the Battery/Alternator issue be related?
2) Might this be a faulty ignition switch issue causing both problems? I bought an ignition switch at the time I replaced the light switch just in case.
i have an appt. to have the oil changed at my independent tomorrow am and I'll have them take a look but I don't want to be charged a fortune to swap a battery and replace the switch when I can do it myself for the cost of parts (one of which is collecting dust in the garage anyway). Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Matt
My indy doesnt charge arms and legs to swap batteries and/or replace a switch. They charge something, but its not much. The biggest thing is diagnostics on these things.
have you checked the fuses?
Halogens or Lits?
IIRC the switches are pretty cheap, and since you already replaced them once it might be worth trying again. Isuppose one might have been defective?
It's an 04 C4S. I went to swap the switch last night and the one I bought a few months ago was the wrong part. It was taller than the one that came out, so I had to put the original one back.
To be clear, I have not replaced the ignition switch before. I just had one on hand as I ordered both the light switch and ignition switch as a back up if the problem happened to be one or the other. The headlight switch seemed to be the culprit the first time. Now I'm getting the battery warning and no headlights as well.
I'm taking the car in today for an oil service. I'll have them look at it at that time and will let you guys know what they say. I just know how simple the fix is with the right part and don't want to be raped because I'm over a barrel.
Matt
Yeah, that's why I had an extra around. Too bad it was slightly different than the one I removed.
As a follow up... as i finally got to drive the car this am I noticed the idle fluctuating with an erratic voltmeter. It bounced from 12 to 14 as the idle fluctuated. Still sound like ignition?
Matt
Yes, installed.
I called another shop which was cheaper and had them match the price. $828 installed but it's still steep. The book says 1.4 hours labor and the part from Pelican is $350. I just don't have time to do it myself this coming week so I'll get stung for labor and an extra $200 bucks. Sucks but I have to get to work on Monday morning.
Oh, and they said both low beams were blown? Power surge?
Matt
I assisted a friend sorting out the same issue with a 3.2 motronic car (1989) and it was the voltage regulator (inside alternator), which was easily replaced and inexpensive. No idea how this might compare to later cars...just a thought. GL with repair.
Car is back now and seems to be fine. I will probably never take my car back to this particular shop based on this event. I understand the need to make money but I feel a little robbed. They may have gotten an extra couple of hundred bucks out of me today but they have lost my business forever. Hope it was worth it for them.
I feel your pain. Yes shops can charge a lot for what seems like an easy repair. Indys don't establish the retail prices for OEM parts, Porsche does. They may in some instances get a courtesy 10% off, other times pay retail, just like you. They still have to diagnose the problem, find, purchase and pick up the part, then do the install. Yes maybe your bill was really high, I'll bet they made very little, yet paid out a lot for the part. Be thankful at the Indy that got you out of a jam in a timely manner.
What some seem to forget is that there are people that feel the same way about what you do and how much you charge. When's the last time you smiled when you got the bill from your Dr., attorney, CPA or other service provider. Furthermore if you are driving expesive pleasure vehicles, you are most likely not working for charity.
I guess the market will decide and I've chosen to take mine elsewhere based on very clear research in regard to part cost and labor. I know the price of the part and the labor hours in the book. What other info do I need to know except that I'm being screwed. The diffence between them an myself is that I charge a fair price - actually less than I should on most projects. I guess that's why I have repeat business.
And while we are at it. I just looked at the bill - they charged me $88 to replace blown headlight bulbs. What a joke. Defend it if you like but I won't be going back.
If it's any consolation, keeping with one of the purposes of the forum, the next reader with a similar problem might recognize some options, i.e. this article:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...placement.html
And, as Nick points out, you're back on the road; and you saved some money - not much point looking back. Lots of good times out there to be had.
I'm right there with you on that!
You know better than I regarding your bill. I just get tired of people whining about what others charge trying to eke out an honest living, all the while making way too much money themselves for the service they provide.
I replaced my alternator at my indy and was charged $330 for a Bosch factory rebuilt, plus 2 hrs labor @ $93 x 2 = $186.
So I guess, Yes, you were screwed. Sorry.....
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