Starting Woes

On Mon, 05 May 2008 00:35:24 -0400, against all advice, something
compelled Jeff DeWitt <JeffDeWitt RemoveThis @nc.rr.com>, to say:

> Steve Daniels wrote:
> >
> > I just bought a Audi TT, 2004, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
> >
> > Sounds good, right?
> >
> > This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
> > enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
> > the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
> >
> > Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
> > for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
> >
> > I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
> > twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
> > battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
> >
> > I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
> > say you all?
> >
> >
> Could be, but first I'd make sure all the connections were clean and tight.


Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
They replaced it under warrantee.

Life is good.

--
Life is too short to play cheap guitars.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Woes 

Steve Daniels wrote:
> On Mon, 05 May 2008 00:35:24 -0400, against all advice, something
> compelled Jeff DeWitt <JeffDeWitt RemoveThis @nc.rr.com>, to say:
>
>> Steve Daniels wrote:
>> >
>> > I just bought a Audi TT, 2004, 3.2 DSG S-Line.
>> >
>> > Sounds good, right?
>> >
>> > This morning it wouldn't start because the battery didn't have
>> > enough power in it. I jumped it, and measured the voltage across
>> > the terminals. Fourteen volts, just like it's supposed to be.
>> >
>> > Turned it off, and it wouldn't start again. Put a charger on it
>> > for a couple of hours, and it started right up.
>> >
>> > I drove it about fifty miles, shutting it down and restarting it
>> > twice with no problems, but after letting it sit for an hour the
>> > battery was the same as it was this morning. Flat as a pancake.\
>> >
>> > I'm pretty sure my four year old car needs a new battery. What
>> > say you all?
>> >
>> >
>> Could be, but first I'd make sure all the connections were clean and tight.
>
>
> Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
> They replaced it under warrantee.
>
> Life is good.
>

That would do it! I had a bad cell once and most of the time everthing
was fine but once in a while everything electrical would just quit for a
few seconds when going around a curve... radio, lights, engine,
EVERYTHING, it got quite exciting!

Jeff DeWitt
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Woes 

On Tue, 06 May 2008 21:34:49 -0400, against all advice, something
compelled Jeff DeWitt <JeffDeWitt.RemoveThis@nc.rr.com>, to say:

> > Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
> > They replaced it under warrantee.
> >
> > Life is good.
> >
>
> That would do it! I had a bad cell once and most of the time everthing
> was fine but once in a while everything electrical would just quit for a
> few seconds when going around a curve... radio, lights, engine,
> EVERYTHING, it got quite exciting!


I was sitting at a light on my way to the service center, and I
saw the tach drop to 0, and a few random trouble lights come on.
Then everything came back. I was wondering if it would just drop
dead in the middle of the road, which would have been so
embarrassing. But then everything came back up again, and I made
it to the Audi place.

I left the car running when I went in. I told the Audi guy, "My
car is still running, because I'm afraid that if I turn it off,
it won't start again."

He looked at me, his face expressing compassion. It was as if he
was saying, "Don't worry, anxious Audi owner. You are now in the
presence of Trained Audi Professionals. We know what to do. It
will be fine. Don't worry."

He drove my car into the safety of the Audi Service Center Womb,
and placed it into the hands of a Trained Professional. The
Trained Professional showed me how to make the seat go up and
down (something I had not been able to figure out from the
owner's manual), pointed out that I was missing a bracket (it's
on order), and diagnosed the sick battery. And then he replaced
it under warrantee.

They then told me that the 35000 mile service had in fact been
done (it's a big one involving changing the transmission fluid
and filter), that the computer was not throwing any error codes,
that they had reset my radio from the dead battery drama, and
that I would not have to mess with my car for ANOTHER TEN
THOUSAND MILES!! INCLUDING OIL CHANGES!!

I did something last evening that I haven't done for years. I
went for a joyride. Gas is four something (at 11.25:1
compression, I need premium) and I used twelve bucks of it to
drive around just because I love driving this car. I was nailing
eighty on a back country road without even pushing it.

I love my car.

--
Life is too short to play cheap guitars.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Woes 

Steve Daniels wrote:
> On Tue, 06 May 2008 21:34:49 -0400, against all advice, something
> compelled Jeff DeWitt <JeffDeWitt.RemoveThis@nc.rr.com>, to say:
>
>> > Just got back from the fix it guys. The battery had a bad cell.
>> > They replaced it under warrantee.
>> >
>> > Life is good.
>> >
>>
>> That would do it! I had a bad cell once and most of the time everthing
>> was fine but once in a while everything electrical would just quit for a
>> few seconds when going around a curve... radio, lights, engine,
>> EVERYTHING, it got quite exciting!
>
>
> I was sitting at a light on my way to the service center, and I
> saw the tach drop to 0, and a few random trouble lights come on.
> Then everything came back. I was wondering if it would just drop
> dead in the middle of the road, which would have been so
> embarrassing. But then everything came back up again, and I made
> it to the Audi place.
>
> I left the car running when I went in. I told the Audi guy, "My
> car is still running, because I'm afraid that if I turn it off,
> it won't start again."
>
> He looked at me, his face expressing compassion. It was as if he
> was saying, "Don't worry, anxious Audi owner. You are now in the
> presence of Trained Audi Professionals. We know what to do. It
> will be fine. Don't worry."
>
> He drove my car into the safety of the Audi Service Center Womb,
> and placed it into the hands of a Trained Professional. The
> Trained Professional showed me how to make the seat go up and
> down (something I had not been able to figure out from the
> owner's manual), pointed out that I was missing a bracket (it's
> on order), and diagnosed the sick battery. And then he replaced
> it under warrantee.
>
> They then told me that the 35000 mile service had in fact been
> done (it's a big one involving changing the transmission fluid
> and filter), that the computer was not throwing any error codes,
> that they had reset my radio from the dead battery drama, and
> that I would not have to mess with my car for ANOTHER TEN
> THOUSAND MILES!! INCLUDING OIL CHANGES!!
>
> I did something last evening that I haven't done for years. I
> went for a joyride. Gas is four something (at 11.25:1
> compression, I need premium) and I used twelve bucks of it to
> drive around just because I love driving this car. I was nailing
> eighty on a back country road without even pushing it.
>
> I love my car.
>

They are cool little cars, I love that Bauhaus (sp?) styling they
have.... they LOOK like German cars.

Jeff DeWitt
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Woes 

On Wed, 07 May 2008 21:36:44 -0400, against all advice, something
compelled Jeff DeWitt <JeffDeWitt.DeleteThis@nc.rr.com>, to say:


<Audi TT>

> They are cool little cars, I love that Bauhaus (sp?) styling they
> have.... they LOOK like German cars.

And they don't look like anything else. You don't have to look
for the logo, you *know* what it is.

The automotive press was not impressed with the first generation
TT, but when you consider what they were comparing them with it
is no wonder. I think it's just fine, and with the seats folded
down it has something its competition lacks.

Luggage room.

I had something called The Guitar Test. If I couldn't get a
guitar case into the cargo hold, the car didn't make the cut.
The Miata, the 300ZX, and the Crossfire all failed this test.
The TT passes with flying colors. Hell, with the seats down you
can get *two* guitars in there.

--
Life is too short to play cheap guitars.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Woes