I have a 2005 Coupe and the alternator died. I have had problems with the battery dieing and trickle charged the battery.

Has anybody else had this problem?

 

What exactly happened the the alternator? Did its bearings go or the electronics.

Did your trickle charger have a "float" feature that scale back the trickle charge when the battery is full?

 

Lee,

My battery was almost dead (had not run the car in a few weeks). The electronics worked, recognized fob, but did not start. So I trickle charged the battery for about a half hour. Started up. Two days later, the battery completely dead (had to open car from manual lock for hatch). Trickle charged again, started up, but then dead the next day. Finally, charged and took into dealer. I thought is might be an electronics setting (in past, has taken a few on/off cycles for all the sensors and electronics (like window indexing) to reset).

The dealer thought it might be a bad battery when I droped the car off, but they then said it was the alternator. Assume electronics problem due to recharging the battery, cannot imagine bearings being a problem with 8500 miles. But have not asked them (don't have the car back yet, having them look at the recall for the roof panel which I am sure is OK).

Appreciate your post.

 

Hell, if its in the shop then you might as well have the alternator replaced since you've paid the flat diagnostic fee anyway, but I may just be the battery.

 

I am having a new alternator put in on Monday, I have a 2005 Coupe and had the battery replaced after it would die if I didn't run the car for 1 day. I had a trickle charger hooked up but the battery never had enough juice to turn the engine over. I noticed the Alt guage was changing from 12.9 to 13.9 and never stopped jumping around no matter what idle I was at. I went to a friend who has the same car and his guage stayed steady at 14.5. The car has 9300 miles and the only three problems I have had so far are the battery/ Alt, three gas caps and the rear window blew out after two months. Everything was covered but I was lucky with the window. I have a security camera on the car that showed the window blow out or I am sure I would have paid for that one.