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"G" light came on while driving but belt is fine..
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TXBONE
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 11:46 am    Post subject: "G" light came on while driving but belt is fine.. Reply with quote

Bus just took a shit while cruising down the street in third gear. Generator light came on as if the belt went.

I stopped, got out and checked the belt, its new and good.

So I waited a few minutes, started it up and it ran for about thirty seconds.

It then died again with the generator light coming on, I then tried turning it over and it wouldn't crank over, only having the generator light coming on.

I then tow strapped the bus to my buddy's shop a few blocks away and waited about a half hour. Then I started it again and it started right up with no generator light coming on , so i let it run for about five minutes. (This was at night so it was nice and cool.

I didn't want to drive it and be stranded again, so now it's just sitting. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sean
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Vince Waldon
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ideally you'd be able to track down a voltmeter... some readings off the battery with the engine off and then running would be the quickest way to isolate what's going on.
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TXBONE
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vince Waldon wrote:
Ideally you'd be able to track down a voltmeter... some readings off the battery with the engine off and then running would be the quickest way to isolate what's going on.


Yeah, i did that and I'm getting correct voltage from the battery...
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Full of energy. Always need to be surfing, riding motocross or riding BMX etc...... I shape and surf retro finless wood surfboards called Alaia's. If your interested and want one made for your bus or wall, let me know.

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Heathintexas
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would start with the brushes.

Also, I found this tread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406702
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TXBONE
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heathintexas wrote:
I would start with the brushes.

Also, I found this tread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406702


Thanks for the link. I may swap to an alternator set up. Are there any negatives about doing that?
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SGKent Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

when was the last time you looked at the brushes. As I recall, they wear out on a regular basis and make that happen. Around $5 - $10 a set, and 20 minutes to change them if that even.
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Vince Waldon
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TXBONE wrote:
Vince Waldon wrote:
Ideally you'd be able to track down a voltmeter... some readings off the battery with the engine off and then running would be the quickest way to isolate what's going on.


Yeah, i did that and I'm getting correct voltage from the battery...


... ok, but what are you getting with the engine running when the generator should be supplying the voltage?! Smile

In round numbers you should see:

- around 12.5, engine off
- a jump to at least 13.5 once you start the engine

No voltage jump: problem with generator... quite likely the brushes as previously posted. Could also be the regulator.. there's a couple threads on here specific to regulator troubleshooting.

Lots less than 12.5 at rest: at the very least the battery needs a charge. If it won't charge... problem with battery.
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Last edited by Vince Waldon on Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
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TXBONE
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SGKent wrote:
when was the last time you looked at the brushes. As I recall, they wear out on a regular basis and make that happen. Around $5 - $10 a set, and 20 minutes to change them if that even.


I have not looked at the brushes....
Cool. Thanks for the info. Maybe my Bentley manual will tell me how to do that.
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Full of energy. Always need to be surfing, riding motocross or riding BMX etc...... I shape and surf retro finless wood surfboards called Alaia's. If your interested and want one made for your bus or wall, let me know.

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60vwnewengland
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

what brand of regulator are you running? some of the older ones, the contacts stick on the inside, and then the battery doesn't charge. the newer ones, sometimes just blow out.

I'm assuming you have a generator?

I would:
1. check volts at battery turned off. should be between 11 and 12.5ish (give or take? depending on battery)
2. check volts with bus running. should be around 12 or 14.5ish (give or take)

if the volts are low when running, it's either the generator or regulator.

see this photo below for reference older style of regulator. see the two contacts at the top. they could be dirty or have electric carbon build up and cause the generator light to come on.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I would, if you can, clean those two contact at the top and remove any carbon. Sometimes, the top doesn't come off this type of regulator, so a wack with the hammer may remove any carbon on those contacts.

If you have one of these newer regulators below, it might be bad. and you'll have to get a new one.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


if this doesn't help, it's probably the generator, and that's a whole different project.
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OB Bus
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SGKent wrote:
when was the last time you looked at the brushes. As I recall, they wear out on a regular basis and make that happen. Around $5 - $10 a set, and 20 minutes to change them if that even.

You can change the brushes in 20 minutes? Including the bottom one in a bus? You must have very small and nimble fingers. (I have neither!)
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