Well im back again with another random problem.

Pulled up to a roundabout, dipped the clutch as you do into first,

then the battery light came up on my dashboard .... no other lights .. just the battery light. (so i hadnt stalled it)

as i pulled onto the roundabout it became quickly apparent that i had no power steering, expecting to have to stop i stabbed on the hazards and dipped the clutch again preparing to stop,

then i thought @£$%*! it i can make it off the roundabout and stop in a safer place,

and so re engaged the clutch, felt a small jerk a bit of a engine brum and the power steering started working again and the battery light went away?

I definatly didnt stall the car because i didnt have to touch the key or anything, it just worked again.

i dont fancy that happening at 100mph on a country road to be honest.

Alternator? does it share a belt with the power steering pump or :S!

Edited 10 November, 201114 yr by Milkybadger

I think they do yes, and with the a/c compressor too. I'd suspect the aux drivebelt tensioner since 2 of them stopped and the car's got hydraulic PAS.

Belt tensioner or the alternator pulley sticking and causing problems with the whole set up

Yeah, but for the belt to stop means the engine stops...... maybe the engine had like a bit off a stutter and bog down or something :S

If you hold the revs at say 2.5 or 3k and then let it drop straight back to idle does it make any funny squeeky or chatter type noises? If the alternator clutch and/or tensioner is buggered I would expect you'll hear some funny noises.

Also try turning the steering back and forth with the bonnet open while stationery

Edited 10 November, 201114 yr by trundlenut

That belt is not toothed as such, but I do agree you'd expect to hear a slipping noise.

If the pulley on the alternator has come off, then you can get enough belt friction at times to drive the PAS. I know this from first hand experience.

EDIT: Not sure if the arrangement is the same on the petrols - so they have the same freewheel pulley on the alternator?

Edited 10 November, 201114 yr by mbames

It stalled then bump started itself when you let the clutch up is my guess.

The petrols do not have a freewheel pulley on the alt like the diesels do so kinda rules that out.

^^ I agree with jimbo... You stalled it...

yep, sounds like a stall and a bump start.

Now i thought that id stalled it, but i pulled up to the roundabout with the light on, stopped, and then drove onto the roundabout, there seemed to be chuff all power, then realised the power steering had gone too, and assumed the engine was dying. then dipped the clutch ready to stop, then changed my mind and it all started smoothly etc etc as before stated.

And the way I pull out, its impossible to stall at those revs :p, cant remember the last time i stalled tbh and there was no jerk that you normally get with a stall and the small jerk i felt when it fixed it self didnt seem harsh enough for a bump start.

And also surely when you stall a engine, alot more than just the battery light pops up on the dash.

There was no squeaking or anything or belt screech.

All very weird and peculiar.

All seems well now though, hopefully wont happen again

Edited 11 November, 201114 yr by Milkybadger

Ok happened twice on the way home today again,

second time i froze as i was and at that point realised that the engine is just dying. clutch down, and the engine dies at the junction. it would appear that i did bump start it by accident in the past.

We drove around in it a bit and it appears that after a prolonged time at revs, it doesnt catch the idle and just lets it drop to nothing and stop.

So has this non idle catching and this newly found N80 purge valve fault got anything in common?

Edited 14 November, 201114 yr by Milkybadger

I would guess that the v61 idle switch (integral part of the throttle body) is sticky or the contacts are dirty. Either that or the v60 motor is acting erratically, which is quite common. Or even possibly it's reached it's adaption limit, have you trie cleaning the throttle housing?

What's this about the n80? For that to operat the v61 contacts need to be closed if I recall

Have you got access to vagcom/vcds? There are some checks you can make

Yes what are the checks?

oooo new one today!

16795: Secondary air injection system incorrect flow detected

sounds electrical ... yay! my favourite type of fault

go into measuring blocks group 1 and tell us what the binary readout is in the 4th window, see if the 4th bit from the left follows the operation of the throttle when you rev and release the engine back to idle

If you hold the revs at say 2.5 or 3k and then let it drop straight back to idle does it make any funny squeeky or chatter type noises? If the alternator clutch and/or tensioner is buggered I would expect you'll hear some funny noises.

Also try turning the steering back and forth with the bonnet open while stationery

Today, driving on the M1, heard funny squeal at around 2.5-3k, >80MPH, the battery / alternator light comes on. Loss of charging battery. When I drive at 75MPH and lower, all ok.

Where is the alternator . There is good tension in belt.

Today, driving on the M1, heard funny squeal at around 2.5-3k, >80MPH, the battery / alternator light comes on. Loss of charging battery. When I drive at 75MPH and lower, all ok.

Where is the alternator . There is good tension in belt.

Alternator brushes U/S. When they wear, the spring has insufficient tension to push the brushes. When you go slower it will be OK. Get it sorted before it goes altogether...that could be today!