JohnfromEssex

Further to my above post 3 weeks ago, my A6 has reluctantly now been traded in with Audi and I have a replacement car. A shame because I really like the A6 (my 3rd) but could not tolerate the inherent unreliability and likely forthcoming big bills. I have spent time googling Audi + Vitesco, then making use of google translate and reading the various posts on the German websites and forums. (For those not aware, Vitesco appears to be the manufacturer of 48V equipment for these models including the notorious BSG or RSG in German - RiemenStarterGenerator). Clearly liability and fault for all these problems is a major discussion between the two companies which seems far from resolution according to the reports and will be hugely expensive however the legal process pans out. One piece of perhaps relevant information from the motor-talk.de forums suggests that the early "potentially faulty" BSGs had a serial number commencing in 4N0, whereas the SN of the more recent "good" BSGs commence with 4N1. So to possibly answer my own question, I reckon the more recent models with the 48V system may well have the issue fully sorted, which is a glimmer of good news for those such as me who like the concept of the system, despite the poor execution of it. Perhaps surprisingly, I remain a fan of Audi cars as a brand, though the company's poor handling and lack of ownership of the whole BSG issue is simply dreadful. Nonetheless, to anyone buying a new or used Audi with the 48V MHEV system, a long extended warranty would be a very good investment I reckon.

Hello, apologies for resurrecting this subject but despite much searching on this and other forums I have failed to find a definitive answer to the original question. I am seriously considering buying a 2024 SQ5 and would like reassurance that a spacesaver of some sort can be fitted under the boot floor with the subwoofer inside. From experiences in the past with sometimes misinformed Audi sales guys, I would prefer the opinion of an SQ5 owner. If the answer is yes, an Audi part number would be great. Many thanks John

I am yet another victim of this horrible electrical failure. My 19 plate A6 50TDi had 2 complete electrical failures around 12 months ago, exactly as documented previously in this thread. My car was with an independent Audi specialist with whom I have been a customer for many years. Under guidance from Audi Germany, they remade all the earthing point connections associated with the system and, for almost a year, I had no further issues. A few weeks ago the yellow warning light appeared again, however I switched off the car at the "Electrical Fault Contact Workshop" stage, left it for a while and allowed it to reset. It's been fine since although my Audi specialists ran a diagnostic test and found the alternator had put out 53V which apparently triggered the warning light. The alternator itself is apparently not in fault mode (yet) but like many others in this thread I have completely lost confidence in the car and the MHEV system in general. This is my 4th Audi with the 3.0TDi engine, which I think is fantastic and have clocked up some big mileages in the previous cars but I simply don't trust this one now. I don't want to have the alternator changed before it fails completely (and possibly claim on the 7 year warranty) unless I am 100% certain that a replacement will solve all the problems. So, to my question. Does anyone have any thoughts as to whether this whole issue has now been solved on more recent production cars, e.g. from 2023 onwards? Is it only related to an initial poor batch of alternators or is it likely an ongoing problem with even recent models with this MHEV system? I am likely going to change the car soon and naturally this will affect my choice of replacement. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.