Q: I HAVE AN 92 AUDI 100S LAST NIGHT WHEN I GOT IN TO MY CAR NONE OF MY LIGHTS WERE WORKING. ONLY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS. MY WINSHIELD WIPERS, HEAD LIGHTS, BLINKERS, windows WERE NOT WORKING THE ONLY WAY MY HEAD LIGHTS WOULD WORK IS IF I HELD THE SWITCH IN LIKE HOW YOU FLASH PEOPLE I CHECKED ALL MY FUSES I THINK ITS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I RELLY HOPE ITS NOT THO LOL IF ANY ONE HAS AN IDEA WHAT IT COULD BE JUST
A: ur battery is low....u have only enough battery to drive and use a bit of light. I have had this problem before on my 98 audi a6 u just need to bring it to the mechanic.. also the electrical wires that connec to to the z-box (which holds the power for head lights, wipers etc.) ya the wires that go out of the z box to ur little wipers, and lights etc. might be detached. check it out. The battery is a storage device, currently 12 volts, used to start the engine and help operate the electrical accessories installed on your Audi. The battery consists of six cells of stacked positive and negative lead plates, separated by insulators and immersed in electrolyte, which is a water and sulfuric acid mixture. Each of the six cells "produces" 2.1 volts for a total of 12.6 volts (although it's actually stored energy, not produced). The chemical reaction created between the lead plates and the electrolyte creates dangerous, explosive gases that vent through the battery cover vents. Care should always be taken when charging or jump starting low batteries and whenever working under the hood of the car. Always keep the battery clean to allow proper ventilation. Some batteries use a gel to replace the electrolyte for a somewhat safer battery and the use of "maintenance-free" batteries has eliminated the need for refilling the electrolyte. However, all batteries lose charging capacity over time through the loss of the electrolyte, deterioration of the plates and chemical breakdown of the connections. Whenever your Audi exhibits symptoms of a charging or starting system failure, the most basic test that should be performed first is a visual and voltage test of the battery. Knowing the exact condition of the battery is the best way to know whether or not to suspect other system components and can prevent the unnecessary installation of a starter or alternator, which cannot repair the vehicle until the battery is up to snuff. To analyze the condition of a battery, very little high-tech equipment is really needed. While there is excellent equipment available for big $$$$, all that is really needed is a good DVOM (Digital Volt Ohm Meter), a battery charger, some patience and a little common sense. A quick way to tell if a battery needs recharging is by observing the "eye" on the battery and being able to determine what the color of the eye is telling you. Below is a chart of various battery manufacturers that use a colored eye, as well as what the different colors mean: Brand Names Charge Indicator Color Battery Charge Condition Atlas, Delco, Delkor Green Good Rocket, Solite, Yuasa Blue or Green Good Atlas, Delco, Delkor Dark Needs Charging Rocket, Solite, Yuasa White Needs Charging Atlas, Delco, Delkor Clear or Light Yellow Low fluid level; battery should be replaced Rocket, Solite, Yuasa Red Low fluid level; battery should be replaced Before replacing any battery due to a failure, have the battery and the car's electrical system tested for proper functioning. Replacing a dead battery only to have another a few weeks later due to a weak alternator or a parasitic drain on the system is not only frustrating but can be expensive and dangerous as well. An average battery should last 3-5 years in average climates but those in high heat or extreme cold areas may last only 2-3 years. The replacement battery should always have the same or higher CCA rating (cold cranking amps) as the original and be of the same or compatible "group size" to fit the battery tray and cable connections. Your Audi's Alternator The alternator produces electricity used to maintain battery storage charge and to help run all the electrical accessories, including the ignition and the engine control systems. It is belt-driven by the engine and produces an alternating current (AC), which is converted internally to 12 volts direct current (DC) by the diode bridge or rectifiers. AC current cannot be stored but is much more efficiently produced, which is why cars no longer use generators but use alternators and convert the electricity to DC. Most alternators now use internal voltage regulators to maintain the proper system voltage, from 12.6-14.5 volts. You should check your Audi's repair manual or with your local dealer to obtain the exact proper voltage for your Audi. Contrary to popular belief, an alternator does not constantly produce electricity. It cycles on and off as demand goes up and down. The battery buffers it from the electrical demands of the car, and it only works enough to maintain system voltage. At peak efficiency and for longest life, the alternator should be charging no more than about 50% of the time. However, with the demands placed on the system by heat and by extraneous electrical devices (i.e., high powered stereos, running lights, etc. - see Power Demand Chart below), the alternator and battery are stressed even further. The average alternator now is lucky to last 3-4 years, which is why a prematurely dead battery may actually be caused by a dead alternator. Typical Power Demands on a car's charging system are as follows: Equipment Electrical Draw Rear Window Defogger 25 amps High Blower 20 amps Headlamps (low) 15 amps Windshield Wipers 6 amps Ignition 6 amps Brake Lights 5 amps Total 77 Amps And this doesn't include amperage requirements for items like cell phones, laptops, CD players, boom boxes or additional lights. Understanding the importance of having an operational warning light for the alternator (idiot light) is crucial to catching problems early. In most modern systems, the electrical current passing through the filament of the warning light is what energizes a circuit in the alternator to start charging. This signal light is linked directly to the alternator through its terminal (#1, I, L, D+, etc. depending on the brand) and functions slightly differently on different manufacturers. To check the warning light circuit, turn the ignition switch to the "on" position without cranking or starting the engine; if the idiot light does not come on, remove the plug from the alternator and ground the wire that terminates to the #1, I, L or D+ terminal (depending on manufacturer). If the light comes on, the wiring is okay but the alternator is defective; if the light still does not come on, the wiring to the light circuit and the bulb should be checked. Don't forget to check the fuse that controls the light circuit, too. This fuse could be labeled differently in various cars. It could be labeled "charging", "regulator", "meters", "gauges" or "engine". In some cars, if the fuse is out, the idiot light will come on but may not go off. In others (like GM), a burned out fuse may make the warning light work in reverse order; that is, when the key is on, the light is off but as soon as the engine starts and the alternator starts charging, the light will come on. Checking out these simple circuits first can greatly reduce your troubleshooting time and unnecessary replacement of your alternator. As we delve further into charge light indicators, we find that in some cases it is normal for the charge indicator light to come on when nothing is wrong with the alternator. According to information published by GM, any car may have a low voltage reading or lights that dim when electrical loads are heavy at idle. Furthermore, this condition is normal and no repairs should be attempted unless a fault has been found. For clarification, as a car idles for extended periods of time during high heat conditions, a number of things happen that contribute to "lowered" alternator output that coincides with physics and the design of the alternator: 1. As heat within the alternator increases, the electrical resistance in the alternator also increases, which reduces the alternator's charging capacity. 2. As temperature rises, the voltage setpoint of the regulator is lowered to reduce the chance of overcharging or "boiling" the battery. 3. Newer designed alternators have a "delay/soft start" built into the regulator circuit. This delays the load being placed upon the engine when starting up from a stop, so that the smaller engines in use today are not loaded down upon acceleration due to charging demands. This can delay the charging by up to 15 seconds. With the alternator's capacity for charging reduced by heat and other factors, an alternator may only be able to produce up to 70% of its rated output under these conditions. So an alternator rated for 100 amps may only be able to produce 70 amps when hot at idle when there is 77 or more amps of demand on it. If it can be considered normal for warning lights to glow while a healthy alternator is running, how do you know if the alternator is really good or if there are other problems lurking around? A thorough diagnosis is always the best route to determining whether or not the alternator is at fault, but there are times when diagnosis time is short and you still need a positive identification of the problem. Cases like this require a foolproof tool to speed things up. In the case of Delco CS series alternators, there is a tool available from Kent-Moore tools (J-41450-B), which isolates the alternator from the car's wiring harness and lets you see if the alternator is at fault or if there is a wiring problem elsewhere within the car's wiring harness. The best thing about this tool, besides being compact and handheld, is that it doesn't require any interpretation of data by the operator. The little light on the unit lights or doesn't light depending upon whether the alternator is good or not. Unfortunately, while this is a great little piece of equipment and there are other similar tools available, once you determine that th