HELP--CEL and IDIOT light all over the place

[jrockwood]

Have '01 turbo--

Out on country roads and she got dusty--pulled into town and I got a "brushless" car wash and 2 mins later all hell broke loose on my dash.

I pulled out of the car wash and immidiately I notice the volt meter dropping.

Soon I was down to under 11 volts and idoit light started to pop.

First ABS, then Airbag, then CEL, then PSM, then "Tiptronic Emergency Run"--volt meter continued to drop all the way down.

I slammed on the breaks and pulled over-- volt meter went up immediately-light started to go off.

I stayed there for a bit and all lights went off and volt meter went back to 13.8.

Started to limp home and volt meter began to rise -- 14, 15, 16. Idiot Lights went back on. I shut down and sat panic'd I would fry something.

Started it again. volt meter at 13.8 and rising. I turned on ac, headlamps etc. volt meter stayed constant. Limped home.

Reveresed into my garage--my park asssit went on, then off, then on.

Parked it for the night ---started up the next morning and have not had any issues return and no codes--but park assist it dead.

I think that water got somewhere it should have--no more car washes for me.

My wife jokes that I can't take a $125k car through a car wash--great engineering she laughs.

What the heck happened?

Is there a connection to park assist in the engine bay that I need to look at or dry off?

[Loren]

Check fuse B10.

Do you have the stock rear lid or an aftermarket spoiler?

[jrockwood]

B10 is good---Stock lid-- why the problem do you suppose with the electrical after a wash?

thanks Loren

Edited August 20, 2009 by jrockwood

[Loren]

Well, somehow that car wash managed to spray the engine and most likely the alternator.

Both sit lower on a Porsche so perhaps the undercarriage wash got them.

[jrockwood]

any ideas on the park assist? It is a tiptronic-- It now goes on and off randomly. Is there a connection in the engine bay that I can check? I read somewhere that the harness is easy to get to.

thanks!

[Loren]

There is only the control unit and the two connectors at the rear. One connector is shared with the license plate lights and the other goes to the main harness.

Look for corrosion and or damaged pins.

[jrockwood]

Where exactly is the connector? I don't want to randomly start unplugging.

thanks again!

[Loren]

Um... right behind the license plate/bumper area.