Just replaced alternator, getting "turn off engine and check oil level"

[QuatA4]

Hi All,

I just picked up my car from the dealer for a bad alternator, ran OK for 10 minutes and all of the sudden I got a "Turn off engine check oil level" warning. I pulled over, checked oil level, all's good. It went away and then came back on a minute later. This happened till I got to work. Weird thing is, if I rev hard, the warning goes away.

Could this at all be related to the alternator change? Something they may have missed?

History of the car: 2009 Audi A4, did the Stage 2 oil consumption fix with Audi (pistons/rings) and last oil change was just a few weeks ago.


***Oct 27 - EDIT: Came back from Dealer, they replaced the low pressure switch/sensor because VAG was reporting P164D. 20 minutes after driving, the light came back on again. I wanted to have a look and see if it has anything to do with the alternator change.. I see this:



The sensor cable is very tightly clamped on to the new alternator. I'm assuming the cable is damaged that's why I'm intermittently getting this error.. Is this a valid reason/cause as to why I was having these issues immediately after the alternator change? I need to be told I'm not making assumptions before I go ask for a refund. Any way I can confirm for sure its the cable? I was hinted at it after seeing this thread with a person exactly same as m symptoms: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...4b-p164d-p0341

[kaz02a4]

Sounds like it might be a loose connection if it "fixes" itself with some hard revs. Take it back to the dealer and tell them that they did something wrong. This problem sounds completely electrical, and most likely has something to do with the alternator being replaced.

[QuatA4]

I did, I'm going to see them after work.. I'm jut worried they'll try changing oil pressure switches and what not before having a look at their work earlier today.

What sort of connection would throw an error like that as opposed to just not allowing the car to start at all?

I plugged in Carista and its telling me error P15CE under "Engine", nothing else.

[QuatA4]

***Oct 27 - EDIT: Came back from Dealer, they replaced the low pressure switch/sensor because VAG was reporting P164D. 20 minutes after driving, the light came back on again. I wanted to have a look and see if it has anything to do with the alternator change.. I see this:



The sensor cable is very tightly clamped on to the new alternator. I'm assuming the cable is damaged that's why I'm intermittently getting this error.. Is this a valid reason/cause as to why I was having these issues immediately after the alternator change? I need to be told I'm not making assumptions before I go ask for a refund. Any way I can confirm for sure its the cable? I was hinted at it after seeing this thread with a person exactly same as m symptoms: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...4b-p164d-p0341

[QuatA4]

This is getting pretty bad.. But I discovered something very interesting when I drove home today.. I figured out what causes the msg to come up, but not sure what the root cause is.

- When the car is warm (been driving for 15 minutes) and the heat is on, it ALWAYS comes up on idle (when I come to a stop sign or red light) – doesn’t happen when I’m in “Park”.
- If the heat is off, the msg never come on, regardless of how warm the car is or if I’m driving or idling.
- If the heat is off, and I’m idling, the second I turn on the heat, I get the msg. The second I drive off it goes away but comes back on again at the next idle as long as the heat is on.

I was able to replicate this a few times and document it in a video so that I know I’m not crazy.

Went back to the dealer, showed them the symptoms and no they're saying its something wrong with the engine.. camshaft or crankshaft or what not and its $1000 just to open the engine and have a look. I'm devastated. Going back to get details tomorrow.

Anyone with any expertise to chime in? I'm still not 100% confident that this is the issue.

[kaz02a4]

This is getting pretty bad.. But I discovered something very interesting when I drove home today.. I figured out what causes the msg to come up, but not sure what the root cause is.

- When the car is warm (been driving for 15 minutes) and the heat is on, it ALWAYS comes up on idle (when I come to a stop sign or red light) – doesn’t happen when I’m in “Park”.
- If the heat is off, the msg never come on, regardless of how warm the car is or if I’m driving or idling.
- If the heat is off, and I’m idling, the second I turn on the heat, I get the msg. The second I drive off it goes away but comes back on again at the next idle as long as the heat is on.

I was able to replicate this a few times and document it in a video so that I know I’m not crazy.

Went back to the dealer, showed them the symptoms and no they're saying its something wrong with the engine.. camshaft or crankshaft or what not and its $1000 just to open the engine and have a look. I'm devastated. Going back to get details tomorrow.

Anyone with any expertise to chime in? I'm still not 100% confident that this is the issue.

I can't imagine that it would be a cam/crankshaft issue. This sounds like an electrical gremlin. How easy is the alternator to swap? Maybe have them gut-test a new alternator (or one from a good car) before dropping a grand just to open up the engine and "snoop" around.

[QuatA4]

I'm taking it to an independent mechanic to get a second opinion.

[S4'ed]

Check the alternator ground wire : loose bolt?

[StevieB67]

This is getting pretty bad.. But I discovered something very interesting when I drove home today.. I figured out what causes the msg to come up, but not sure what the root cause is.

- When the car is warm (been driving for 15 minutes) and the heat is on, it ALWAYS comes up on idle (when I come to a stop sign or red light) – doesn’t happen when I’m in “Park”.
- If the heat is off, the msg never come on, regardless of how warm the car is or if I’m driving or idling.
- If the heat is off, and I’m idling, the second I turn on the heat, I get the msg. The second I drive off it goes away but comes back on again at the next idle as long as the heat is on.

I was able to replicate this a few times and document it in a video so that I know I’m not crazy.

Went back to the dealer, showed them the symptoms and no they're saying its something wrong with the engine.. camshaft or crankshaft or what not and its $1000 just to open the engine and have a look. I'm devastated. Going back to get details tomorrow.

Anyone with any expertise to chime in? I'm still not 100% confident that this is the issue.

Did they say that the camshaft bridge may be bad? Read this thread...http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ehicle-update)

[QuatA4]

Update..

Spoke to the service manager and a tech, and here's the full diag. I think I'm more confident with this explanation now.. Looks to be an oil bearing or balance shaft.. Hopefully all the details in this thread will live on in the interne for ever to help anyone else with these symptoms.




This is it for my first Audi.. Will be trading it in for a new 2016 (yes, I don't learn my lesson..)

[S4'ed]

A proper diagnosis would have the tech connect a mechanical oil pressure gauge to the engine, to measure the actual oil pressure, to compare that with the factory specs in the service manual. The oil pressure switch is unscrewed, and the gauge is screwed into the hole. This is the first thing any good mechanic would do to diagnose this issue.