I started up my 04 TL put it in drive and it felt like the e-brake was dragging but the brake wasn't engaged. Car started off in second wouldn't shift gears and would barely accelerate. I put it in tiptronic to try and change the gear but nothing happened. Most of the dashboard lights illuminated (vsa, airbag light, abs, etc) and all the gauges began to die and become unresponsive. Also the headlights went out. Eventually the entire car went dead and the trunk won't even open. What could possibly be causing these problems...All help is greatly appreciated

 

Battery? It could be the battery crapped out and it took out the Alternator too. If the battery has a a charge, then check your power connections.

 

The battery was just recently replaced and showed no signs of being weak

 

check alternator see if it working properly if not then it might be the issue since you used up all the juice in the battery and no charge so the battery finally goes out.

 

but would this cause the lack of acceleration and inability for the car to shift out of second?

 

Failed alternator.

 

would a failed alternator send the car into limp mode and how would i go about testing it

 

Yes!! Computer controlled components require a certain amount of voltage and if they don't get it then everything will act funny Take the alternator off and bring it to an auto parts store and they will test it for free!!

 

the car wasn't showing signs of a weak alternator, is it possible for it to just go out like that. The car ran fine, parked it for 20 minutes came back out and it did this

 

Does anybody have a write up or diy article for removing the alternator? Can the work be performed from the top of the car or would i need to get under it

 

A real quick way to test the alternator is to just put a voltmeter on your battery. With the car off it should read about 12v. Start the car up and put it back on and if the alternator is supplying charge correctly it will read about 13.5v.

 

I would try that, but the car is completely dead. Not a single light turns on nor will it even think about cranking over

 

 

How exactly is that testing the alternator?

 

If you aren't getting 12v with the car off, your battery is dead. If you charge/replace the battery and start the car and you don't get ~13.5v, your alternator is bad. Just a basic troubleshooting process.

 

dead alternator = battery won't get charged.

battery won't get charged = dead battery

dead battery = battery won't read 12v (With the car off it should read about 12v.)

it seems all the symptoms already point to a bad/dead alternator. checking to see if the battery even has a charge would just confirm it is a dead alternator. this is just one way to check/test for a bad alternator.

 

OP: Google is your friend, and so is the search engine built into this site. Rather than contest/question troubleshooting techniques, apply yourself :-D.

 

A healthy 6 cell PB battery should read right around 12.6V unloaded after sitting for a few hours, at 100% SOC. If it's below 12.4V your meter is off, or you should be concerned. Lead starting batteries do not like to be discharged deep, or stay discharged for any real period of time. Even a bit lower voltage is likely a sign something is wrong. Fully discharged is roughly 12.0V standing. If it's sitting below 12.0V, get a new one.

The car should be running at high 13V to the low 14V range if the alternator is working, and the battery isn't severely loading it down from an internal fault. Below 13.4V and I would be concerned, or the ELD temporarily killed the field to the alternator, which is expected when idling for a while with minimal loads.

I drove a car without an alternator for a while and when the battery voltage gets low enough, the car misfired and the CEL came on at higher RPM, but it ran fine at low speeds. I could definitely see what you describe come from a dead alternator, but I would imagine the car should toss an error for a dead alternator.

 

No need to be condescending. If you don't have any useful information pertaining to the discussion at hand please withhold your comments. After extensive searching of this forum/google for individuals experiencing similar issues my results came back inconclusive therefore I decided to ask here. My comment in no way shape or form was intended to "contest" such troubleshooting techniques. It was simply asking for a more in depth explanation in hopes that it would not only assist me but also individuals that might experience similar issues down the line.

 

So you're saying that you searched an average of 3 minutes (judging by the time you took to reply, questioning others advise), produced zero results for you to try on your own? So far the consensus in your issue seems to be related to your battery/alternator, why restate something only to have an arrogant, impatient kid question it? Again, I reiterate, Google is your friend, your questions would have easily been answered by a simple Google search, or by using the search engine built into this site.

I fail to see your validity in anything you say anymore. Have a good life :-D.

 

Thank you ZOMGVTEK and sixsixfour for expanding on my answer and providing better details.

This is a quick, simple and effective way to test the battery/alternator. Better understanding of the readings with the information ZOMGVTEK provided can help you rule in or out a potential issue.

 

It's a shame I have to come on here and deal with immature individuals who offer no help yet continue to make useless posts. To those of you who helped me diagnose the problem, thank you I appreciate it. I swapped out the alternator and it seems to have fixed the issue. The car is no longer in limp mode and everything functions as it should

 

glad you got it fixed! there is one in every crowd!

 

Go figure, a brand new member with a post count less than 10 actually follows advise from reputable, more senior members. It's a shame you decided to come on our site only for help, question the help, then talk shit. Good luck in life, loser.

 

Yes, because that's what I have a history of on here, believe me!

 

I'm not going to stoop to your level of petty name calling. You clearly misconstrued my words. Grow up and stop being so childish

 

Yep. Enjoy your life! Props on the name "bro"!

 

How much does a new alternator run price wise?

 

It depends on what amperage you're buying....this is a very generalized question. You could spend $120 up to $350'ish? Just depends....

 

HAHA you had to edit a 8 word post! congratulations and lighten up!

 

I'm not sure how this was funny, but whatever gets your rocks off, dude. Solid contribution to the thread! *golf clap*

 

^maybe I should give my crabby title to Guiltyrox.

 

I can haz?


Yea, I just don't care for whiney losers....I dabble in support for a living and find it absolutely absurd how many times I have to walk someone through how to do the simplest of tasks, when they've made zero effort by themselves. Then theres pohljm.....a different story altogether.