Remove the covers from the battery mounted fuse box. Run the engine for a while with a high electrical load and feel the crimped tag connection to the heavy black wire running to the fuse box. This is the alternator main output cable.

If the crimp is discoloured or is running hot, you have the absolutely standard VAG fault (which the dealers seem to know nothing about) of a high resistance joint at this point which requires rectification. A poor connection here will play havoc with the alternator and also cause heavy consumers such as the power steering pump motor to malfunction.

Get an intelligent independent auto electrician to make a proper repair as required. A dealer fitting new VAG parts will not address the design deficiency and this will simply result in a recurrence of the trouble. They will also take the opportunity to inflict disproportionate financial damage.

This is another example of a relatively trival VAG design fault (Passat water ingress is another) which any honest vehicle supplier would both fix and retro-fix. The parts costs involved for each job is a few pence. Instead, much difficulty and expense to their customers is caused.

Do VAG actually like their customers?

659.

Edited by 659FBE on 02/01/2012 at 14:27

I wouldn't go quite as far as that, ORB (excellent advice from 659 as always). But the reputation of some basically very good cars in the VAG range is sullied by the big glass-palace VW and Audi dealers who seem to think they can still make money by ignoring their customers' wishes. Skoda have the advantage of a higher proportion of small family-owned dealers.

The one who supplied my Octavias, Jewsons of Oxford, would certainly sort out Debb's problem - but better still, as 659 says, to go to an independent auto electrician. A 9-year-old car is best taken to an independent garage anyway.