1990 240DL Sedan 218K.

I put up a post a few days back about my rear brake pads wearing out prematurely. I ended up taking the car to an independent VW/Volvo guy who put new pads on the rear and loosened the stuck piston in the caliper, which was indeed the problem that was suggested by those who responded.

So I set out yesterday from Nashville headed to Columbus OH for Christmas. Two things happened, almost at the same time, about an hour outside of Nashville.

1) A few of the dash warning lights, (the battery light, parking brake light, brake failure light, and another I can't remember) started coming on dimly, blinking intermittently, and "surging" (from dim to bright and back to dim), if that makes any sense. This is while i'm doing 72 miles an hour down the interstate. It was daylight and didn't notice any dimness in the headlights. I don't know much about cars, but I figured that it must be an alternator problem by the way the lights were "surging". There was no problem with the brakes.

2) Around the same time, my steering/handling became uncomfortably loose. I am almost positive the two problems are not related because...(let me back up) ever since I got new tires and a realignment in September, I haven't been happy with the handling of the car on the interstate. The ride was obviously much smoother than it was before the realignment, but the steering felt a little off at speeds over 60mph. The car seemed just seemed to rock a bit too much, and it sort of "floats" and "sails" from side to side while i'm driving in straight in a lane. There was/is about 3/4" of play in the steering wheel, not nice and tight like before. Why i didn't take it back to the tire place (Firestone) is a long story, suffice to say I was out of town for a month shortly after, and I thought maybe the problem was in my head, and while I didn't feel as safe as before with the steering, I didn't think the car was undriveably unsafe. It steers totally fine under 55-60 mph. So anyway, about the same time I noticed the alternator problem above, I noticed the steering had gotten much worse than it had ever been before, and the car would rock and sail much more than before when changing lanes. I didn't feel comfortable driving any further with these problems, and I pulled over in Bowling Green, KY.

After kicking around a few ideas, I decide to head back to Nashville, doing 50-55 mph with my hazard lights flashing. I made it about 20 miles when all dashlights and headlights started going dim. Engine seemed to be running fine.
I pulled over, turned the car off, and it wouldn't start back up. It would turn over and rev slowly a few times, but wouldn't fire. All the interior lights and headlights came on nice and bright, though. From the battery I assume. Ended up having it towed back to Nashville.

I've decided its time for a new car, but it would be great if I could get this thing running (cheaply!) at least for a few weeks until I can scrape up the dough for 240 wagon or Camry or something.

now for the questions...

1) What might be the CHEAPEST way to fix the alternator problem? I've read some of the archives where people have said that wires can get corroded around there. Assuming its not the wiring, is it possible to put in a used alternator? There is no way I can do this stuff myself, but a friend of mine might be able to do it for me. So keep that in mind when recommending a course of action. I'll have no idea how to check X wire for Y voltage, but my friend might.

2) What are some of the usual causes/fixes of this steering/handling problem? I know what the Haynes manual says, but could this realistically be fixed (or improved) cheaply by my friend with modest tools and limited knowledge? Or is it possible i'm looking at a broken shock/strut/whatever?

I sincerely appreciate any advice anyone can offer. I am a broke musician. I type this sitting in Nashville, without transportation, and i'm going to miss Christmas with my family.

Check to make sure that the insulation on the small wire on the back side of your alternator has not deteriorated and flaked off, especially if your oil pressure sender wire is also in the wiring bundle as it leaves the alternator/pressure sending area (the pressure sender is the little thingey just above where your oil filter screws to the engine). If these two wires are making contact with each other or with the engine, then you will experience what you are reporting.
As far as the handling becoming more erratic since having new tires installed, I have never had it happen to me, BUT, a friend of mine had the same problem that you are speaking of, so he decides to drive back to the tire shop to get them to check out his problem, BUT, he doesn't quite make it. Seems that when the right front tire fell off, it was caused by them failing to tighten up the lug nuts on that particular wheel (but, they did a real good job with the other three wheels, so you gotta give 'em 75% on the "didya tighten 'em" test.

Just one thing to consider--a sudden failure of both steering and electricals may indicate a problem with the belts that drive the alternator and power steering pump. Start there, then work your way to the aforementioned alternator repairs. Just a thought.

kourt
87 245
austin, tx

And the common thread there is the harmonic balancer, so ya it's possible if that starts to go. But I wonder if the lack of hydraulic boost would account for all that steering funkiness, and I would expect a lot of distress signals from a slipping balancer.

Follow Old Brick Road's advice and replace the brushes (two small magnets actually) and your car will run again. Your friend can do it or take the altenator out of the car and bring it to a shop that works on them - look in phone book.

The steering/handling is a problem. You could always go on back roads and avoid the interstates or look under the car for torn bushings. Pulling on the top of the wheels could tell you if the ball joints are loose. Pushing in the fenders will tell you if the shocks need to be replaced.
It is possible that the alignment was done badly, like the bolts not tightened and they are now coming loose? Could you complain again to Firestone that your alignment still isn't correct?

Klaus
--
98 V70R awd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 75 164 (176K mi), 88 245(165K mi)

I'm not a great mechanic, either, but I beleive it's possible on ANY car to get a new (or rebuilt) alternator. Most el-cheapo parts places will check and test your alternator for free. You might want to purchase the alternator elsewhere, but that all depends.

It's probably not the alternator though, if that were the case, you would probably have just noticed a dead battery. No, the problem you have sounds a lot more (to me) like you have a loose ground wire somewhere.

Get the front end checked out. Most brake places will do a 'safety check' for free. You could have a loose part somewhere, etc... especially since it seems to be getting worse!

Good luck.

I would investigate the alternator and its wiring. There's a good chance your brushes are worn, and a new set with regulator will set you back about $35. Check fcpgroton.com. Meanwhile, put your battery on the charger... so you don't fry your alternator when it's back up and running. Removing the alternator is an easy 3-bolt affair... just disconnect the battery first.

The loose steering could be from a number of things, none of which is terribly expensive. Loose wheel bearings, worn ball joints or tie rod ends could all contribute. The Haynes manual will tell you how to adjust wheel bearings. Ball joints are about $17 a side, tie rod ends about $10 each. Replacement is probably Skill Level 1.7 - you'll need a jack and jack stands, but nothing more complex than metic wrenches and sockets. However, you probably should plan on a fresh alignment after changing those out.

Beyond those things, loose steering could also be caused by low tire pressure (you should have at least 28 psi all around; 30-32 is better), or a heavy load in the trunk. A couple of ticks up the complexity scale are suspension bushings; the rear A-arm bushings *might* give you a loose steering feel, but that's usually felt more at parking lot speeds.

Nothing you've describes sounds prohibitively expensive... with help you should be able to put off having to buy another car for a while. Keep asking questions here on the Board, and we'll try to keep you rolling.