1999 VDP

I had this problem, so I measured the voltage at the battery while the car was running and charging. It was reading in the 12 V range, but it was below 13 V. I measured the voltage by the alternator, and I found that to be much higher - so then I traced down the reason for the drop in voltage.

I found the problem to be the bulkhead connection which is located under the plastic shelf in the engine on the passenger side near the body control module. The connection connects the alternator power cable to the battery cable which travels to the rear of the car.

The connection was loose and rusted. I replaced the entire bulkhead connector using generic parts (bolts, nuts and plastic fender washers) bought from the local hardware store, and all was ok with 13.6 V now measured on the battery while car running and charging - No more rough starts!




-d