[h20wes]

Hello

I am new to the forum, I have a lovely 137K silver 3.0TDI facelift sport. It is awesome, but it always has had lazy start issues when hot, it used to be intermittent and I never really worried, but recently got worse. I bought a brand new bosch silver battery, which didn't really do the trick. So bought a proper new starter and fitted, no different. Then realised the battery wasn't being charged by the alternator to any great extent. So bought a new alternator.....no change.
I then realised that the voltage was dropping from 14.2v at the alternator to only 13.2 at the battery. After stripping out most the engine bay and under wheel arch covers, I realised that the point where the battery lead and the engine loom meets is a small box in the inner footwell of the drivers side (cover just pulls off) this was mega hot and the voltage was only 13.3v here. I unbolted the big terminal which is crimped from the factory. The engine harness side was loose and flimsy.
I then built a mega aluminium cage around it to protect the pdeals and carpet then heated it up with a monster blow torch and fed about 2metres of soldier into it to strenghten the connection.
Bolted it all up and presto! perfect starting and perfect battery charging.
The loom was at fault,to replace (which i contemplated) would take some serious hours (6 I reckon) and the part number is 4E0971224J but its the connection at the end! save yourself some money lads and check this first before you start chucking parts on like me!