Alternator problems

[EWG]

The battery light came on while I was driving then it was intermitently was going off and coming on I had the alternator change but the fault continued I have a 2012 Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI automatic Estate I hope someone can help me solve this problem   

[CS45]

11 hours ago, EWG said:

The battery light came on while I was driving then it was intermitently was going off and coming on I had the alternator change but the fault continued I have a 2012 Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI automatic Estate I hope someone can help me solve this problem   

 

Any other symptoms? Does the gauge cluster continue to operate as it should? Do the entertainment systems do anything funky?

 

Is the battery in good condition, corrosion free and of an appropriate age? 

 

If none of these troubleshooting ideas lead you anywhere, it would be beneficial for you to get a cheap, easy to use OBD2 reader like a Carista. 

This plugs into a port next to the fuse box behind a plastic panel under the steering wheel, connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone app and can scan the car to see what faults are detected. 

 

Carista and most smartphone OBD2 scanners can only really give a basic indication as to the fault, but they are much more precise and descriptive than a warning light and will at least stop you from wasting time and money barking up the wrong tree. 

[Plantman]

The wife had this a few months back. Eventually required a new alternator and battery.

 

Not sure what died first but one component dragged the other one down to the point where the car stopped on the motorway and left her stranded with literally no warning.

 

Get it checked before that happens to you.

 

[KeithCheetham]

Torque on a phone and a Bluetooth OBD2 can give real time voltage readings. May not give error codes as the Skoda/VW protocol not always supported like VCDS does. I currently have this on mine reporting speed, revs, turbo boost and voltage.

 

[mrgf]

...Might be as simple as needing the battery charged up. if the alternator was changed, this suggests it either overcharged the battery or undercharged it. Overcharging will almost certainly have cooked the battery, making it junk. Undercharging may mean you need to charge it fully. Don't just rely on the alternator to do this, even if new as you may well not drive enough to re-charge to a decent level, especially on an automatic vehicle. 

So, charge the battery and see if that makes any difference. If it still happens, check the battery has not become week as if it was the one from the factory, it will most likely be coming to the end of its life anyway!

I would have started with this anyway, unless I knew the alternator was faulty.