NCSExpert or INPA could have killed the alternator?

[askme]

It may be coincidence, but I was in my car and when I connected either NCSExpert or INPA (can’t recall which) suddenly the battery warning come on. At the time a wrote it off as a random light, but it kept coming on and off.

I didn’t worry too much about it, but after a long drive later and my car is being hauled away on a flatbed with a completely drained battery.

While I didn’t think I did anything in NCSExpert or INPA that could have triggered it, the timing was very suspect. Perhaps I could have inadvertently run a job that coded out the alternator?

Is there a log I could review to see what might have happened?

[6ixSpd]

Nope.

[askme]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

Nope.

No log or couldn’t have been NCSExpert or INPA?

[askme]

Originally Posted by askme

No log or couldn’t have been NCSExpert or INPA?

Any ideas? Stealership is telling me I need a new Alternator, BSD, Battery etc. because "they are showing a lot of faults"

There may well be a hardware issue, but if I just coded out out an ECU by accidentally overwriting it with NCSExpert by running SG_CODIEREN job instead of CODIERDATEN_LESEN, I'd like to know that first.

[Tut4u2]

What module do you think you over wrote by accident? You can always select that module, clean out the .MAN file then run then SG_CODIEREN job; that will code the module back to the factory settings based off the VIN and FA.

Another option is clearing out the codes via INPA and see if they come back. A third option is loading ISTA and run the diagnostic to see confirm what the dealer is saying. A fourth option is getting a multimeter and measuring the voltage to see if the alternator is actually charging the battery.

[askme]

Originally Posted by Tut4u2

What module do you think you over wrote by accident? You can always select that module, clean out the .MAN file then run then SG_CODIEREN job; that will code the module back to the factory settings based off the VIN and FA.

Another option is clearing out the codes via INPA and see if they come back. A third option is loading ISTA and run the diagnostic to see confirm what the dealer is saying. A fourth option is getting a multimeter and measuring the voltage to see if the alternator is actually charging the battery.

Thanks for the ideas. I have no idea what I might have overwritten, but was worried a blank MAN file was used. If that would reset to Factory, then I think that is not the problem. I can confirm that that the alternator is not charging the battery.

I am relatively certain the codes were thrown as the battery slowly ran down and the ECU began shutting down subsystems. The teach admitted that was likely the issue and backed off of his stance a bit.

[Scrippy]

Perform positive cable recall yet? Had mine done and my alt mysteriously died a few weeks later.

[askme]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Perform positive cable recall yet? Had mine done and my alt mysteriously died a few weeks later.

Yep, that was done. I put a new alternator in and it has been happy.

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by askme

Yep, that was done. I put a new alternator in and it has been happy.

Was the alt before or after recall?

[askme]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Was the alt before or after recall?

Alt died well after the recall, but certainly could have shortened its life. In the end, replacing the alternater was a 45min job and not that big of a deal. Sitting on the highway at 3am with an unhappy wife was a bigger issue.