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Serpent7 
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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 Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:04 pm Post subject: My bay is overcharging?!? |
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I have a 79 vw bus. About every 6-9months i have to replace the battery (under warranty thank God). I have now at least found the problems and would like some help fixing it. I installed my new (3rd.) battery and checked the voltage at the battery cables. It's reading 18Volts. I'm pretty sure 12-14.4volts is the area it should be in. Any idea what it could be? 2 batteries ago I replaced the voltage regulator so i'm thinking it is not that. this time I purchased a new bosh alt. new bosh voltage reg., and new bosh battery. After installing these new units will it (should it) fix the problem? Any idea what else can it be, or any other checks i should do before installing?
Thanks...
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2008 Audi A4
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1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
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busdaddy
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Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 23849
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, Land of the giant flying moose!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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You'll want to test all the wires between the alternator and voltage regulator, sometimes the terminals push back out of the plug sockets and sometimes the wire breaks inside the insulation, if the reg isn't getting the signal that the alt is overcharging it'll happily keep telling it to make more.
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Vince Waldon
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Joined: November 07, 2010
Posts: 209
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: My bay is overcharging?!? |
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| Serpent7 wrote: | | Any idea what it could be? |
Normal charging voltage is somewhere between 13.5 and 14V, depending on temperature. 18V is way too high and causing you to boil your battery(s). |
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: My bay is overcharging?!? |
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| Vince Waldon wrote: | | Serpent7 wrote: | | Any idea what it could be? |
Normal charging voltage is somewhere between 13.5 and 14V, depending on temperature. 18V is way too high and causing you to boil your battery(s). |
Yeah, kinda figured... gonna take busdaddy's advice and pull the Bus in the garage now for a hour and see what I can find out. too windy and too cold outside right now.
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2008 Audi A4
2000 BMW M5
1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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Inane Cathode
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Joined: September 11, 2009
Posts: 558
Location: Westminster, CO
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Find and test continuity (wiggle the plugs too) of the voltage sensing wire from the regulator to the battery. If it's corroded or dirty it will read too low of a voltage from the battery, and jack the voltage up until it sees 14v coming back. |
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:44 am Post subject: Re: My bay is overcharging?!? |
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| Serpent7 wrote: | | Vince Waldon wrote: | | Serpent7 wrote: | | Any idea what it could be? |
Normal charging voltage is somewhere between 13.5 and 14V, depending on temperature. 18V is way too high and causing you to boil your battery(s). |
Yeah, kinda figured... gonna take busdaddy's advice and pull the Bus in the garage now for a hour and see what I can find out. too windy and too cold outside right now. |
Right below the plug that connects to the volt. reg is a pigtail plug, right under that is a whole bunch of lots of wires (8-10) that have been taped together with using ducktape by previous owner, that's about a foot long. I have to unstick and cut all these wires from the ducktape. Already started, and its a huge mess! I'll try and snap a picture today and post. TCleaning up the tape alone is goingto take some time... Thanks previous owner!!!
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2008 Audi A4
2000 BMW M5
1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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SGKent
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Joined: October 30, 2007
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Location: State Capitol CA (Sacramento)
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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we bought a new harness from the alternator to the VR and electrical system as the old one was hardened and the insulation cracked. The old plugs and connectors on ours were deformed from age and heat. I was going to rebuild it but there is a fellow here on TheSamba who makes them so we just bought his new one. That is absolutlely the solution unless you want to rebuild your own. The new one was the same gauge wire, flexible and new connectors that worked perfect. I threw in a new VR on principal since the car has close to 110,000 miles on it and our charging system has been rock steady.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=829880
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Steve aka Merlin the Wrench
formerly Steve's Racing and Engine Blueprinting. Wrenching since 1967.
bdamico on GF wrote | Quote: | | "When I was your age I'd plan out all sorts of stuff for the future and almost none of them came true. Just wonder if it's worth trying to be a crystal ball. " |
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| SGKent wrote: | we bought a new harness from the alternator to the VR and electrical system as the old one was hardened and the insulation cracked. The old plugs and connectors on ours were deformed from age and heat. I was going to rebuild it but there is a fellow here on TheSamba who makes them so we just bought his new one. That is absolutlely the solution unless you want to rebuild your own. The new one was the same gauge wire, flexible and new connectors that worked perfect. I threw in a new VR on principal since the car has close to 110,000 miles on it and our charging system has been rock steady.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=829880
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This sounds like the best ticket!!! I'll purchase this next weekend...
Before I install the new parts, i'll take before and after pics and post them here. The OE wires are all messed up and have been re-taped, and cut and put back together, so with this I won't have those worries. Thanks Kent!
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2008 Audi A4
2000 BMW M5
1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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| SGKent wrote: | we bought a new harness from the alternator to the VR and electrical system as the old one was hardened and the insulation cracked. The old plugs and connectors on ours were deformed from age and heat. I was going to rebuild it but there is a fellow here on TheSamba who makes them so we just bought his new one. That is absolutlely the solution unless you want to rebuild your own. The new one was the same gauge wire, flexible and new connectors that worked perfect. I threw in a new VR on principal since the car has close to 110,000 miles on it and our charging system has been rock steady.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=829880
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Just ordered the Harness!!! That's the last piece of the puzzle. New Alt., new VR, new battery, and now new cables... Should be all good here by next week. I'll report back after everything is installed!
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2008 Audi A4
2000 BMW M5
1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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pb24ss
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Location: sitting around the fire with the bluegrass band - colorado
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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i've seen wandering and really high voltage readings resulting from lose connections at the starter as well.
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| pb24ss wrote: | | i've seen wandering and really high voltage readings resulting from lose connections at the starter as well. |
Good to know! I'll check all those as well. In the not so distant future I will be running dual batteries so I really want to make sure the electrical system is new, and up to par.
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2000 BMW M5
1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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SGKent
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Location: State Capitol CA (Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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99% of the time overcharging will be a bad regulator unless you are seeing AC at the battery from a bad diode in the alternator.
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Steve aka Merlin the Wrench
formerly Steve's Racing and Engine Blueprinting. Wrenching since 1967.
bdamico on GF wrote | Quote: | | "When I was your age I'd plan out all sorts of stuff for the future and almost none of them came true. Just wonder if it's worth trying to be a crystal ball. " |
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| SGKent wrote: | | 99% of the time overcharging will be a bad regulator unless you are seeing AC at the battery from a bad diode in the alternator. |
Kent, this is exactly what I was thinking... either the VR, or the Alt. I now have all the parts I need to finally rid myself of this problem:
1) Voltage Regulator
2) New Bosh Alternator
3) New Cabling from VR to Alt.
4) New Battery
I'm going to try and start today (wife willing). Then I have one more project to complete before the Spring Show-and-Go car show in NJ. Lowering it 9", and narrowing the front 5"! All parts arrived except rear boomerangs.... BusBoys is still making them.
Also before Bugout I want to have a dual battery setup with a nice inverter!
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1996 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000
1979 VW Transporter |
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drober23
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Location: Detroit, MI
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Just to add to SG's post. I had this happen to my '79 about 15 years ago. I was boiling my battery. It was the voltage regulator.
A new harness can't hurt either, but even if you get one I like SG's idea of also replacing the voltage regulator even if just on principle.
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Serpent7
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 314
Location: Temple Hills, MD.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| drober23 wrote: | Just to add to SG's post. I had this happen to my '79 about 15 years ago. I was boiling my battery. It was the voltage regulator.
A new harness can't hurt either, but even if you get one I like SG's idea of also replacing the voltage regulator even if just on principle. |
I'm sure its the VR. I'll test the new VR first, and replace the wires. If its still overcharging I'll replace the alt.
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Manfreds78bay
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Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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My problem was the alternator wasn't charging the battery. I just ordered the harness and a new regulator as well. My harness was falling apart and might as well change the regulator while I'm at it. I bought a sweet combination battery last summer.
Let us know how it goes. fingers crossed. |
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