2005 Passat 1.8T with 147k miles
My car was having trouble starting, so I got my battery tested (got the alternator tested too). Alternator "passed" and battery "failed", so I replaced it several days ago. Since then, my car has died while idling at a red light twice, and the battery symbol comes on the dashboard when it dies (electronics still seem to work when car dies, as the radio was still playing). Car starts right back up just fine. All connections seem fine, so I'm wondering if it's the alternator, or is it something else?
Thanks for any and all help/input!
my car has died while idling at a red light twice, and the battery symbol comes on the dashboard when it dies
All of the lights should be coming on. It's derisively known has your "idiot lights." Start up the engine, power up the headlights and set the blower to max while idling. That puts the maximum load on the alternator, if it's weak, it should show up during this test. It'll help if you have a scan tool with Live Data handy. The alternator should stay above 13 volts during the test.
The only light that comes on when the car dies is the battery symbol, though (this is before I turn the car back on and all the dashboard lights come on for a moment). I'll try the "test" you described. Thank you.
or is it something else?
Did you do the idle relearn after replacing the battery? -
https://www.passatworld.com/threads/poor-mans-throttle-body-alignment.220397/
