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Alternator light,? WHERE?
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irgsmoore4
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:36 pm    Post subject: Alternator light,? WHERE? Reply with quote

could someone ,anyone please tell me where i would find the alternator light, and what colour is it? im looking staight at it im sure, and i still cant see it!!!!!!!!!!! Cool
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87 2.1 WBX Vanagon ( Elsie ) sold
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Timwhy
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Alternator light,? WHERE? Reply with quote

irgsmoore4 wrote:
could someone ,anyone please tell me where i would find the alternator light, and what colour is it? im looking staight at it im sure, and i still cant see it!!!!!!!!!!! Cool


Is this what you are talking about?
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's the red light beside the battery icon. Mine is now just working for the first time!!! I see the oil lite, what is the 3rd lite 2nd on the bottom left. Oh but I don't have a digital dash.
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irgsmoore4
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

genius! thats where i thought it was but its a pic of battery not an alternator, i was looking for the thing evryone calls it , "the alternator light" . So may be i fixed the problem, the light does not come on, therefor it does not excite the alternator, therefor the alternator does not run at the correct voltage, therefor my battery dies (boohoo!). Is that light an LED? Cool
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Alternator light,? WHERE? Reply with quote

irgsmoore4 wrote:
could someone ,anyone please tell me where i would find the alternator light, and what colour is it? im looking staight at it im sure, and i still cant see it!!!!!!!!!!! Cool


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


It might be behind or next to the battery icon, but not sure. Check your owner's manual or the Bentley

You might get chastised for starting a new topic and not using the same thread. I understand your desire for a quick answer. It worked and hopefully this info will help solve your alternator problem.


Good luck and post your solution and say thank you to TheSamba.

Aloha
tp
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

um is there a separate alternator lite or is not the lite beside the battery really indicating that the battery is being charge thus the alternator is working? Gosh I used to be pretty brainy but now I have lost all doubt Embarassed Geeze and I paid over $600.00. I'm really doubting now that I DID run life support system and saved thousands of lifes. Must be the Alzheimers.

I'd never seen any lights nor icons on the dash before so I'm making it up.
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)


Last edited by DAIZEE on Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Timwhy
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

irgsmoore4 wrote:
Is that light an LED? Cool


Yup!
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'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
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Timwhy
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty sure that these LED's come on when you turn the key to the start postion.
After a few seconds the lights go out, well at least the red ones do. I think
that they light up to let you know that they are working as dumby lights. Not really
sure what they do if there is some sort of problem, maybe if you have some
issue with your battery is the light coming on and staying on while the vans'
engine is running?
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'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


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Witless Joe
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DAIZEE wrote:
um is there a separate alternator lite

No, the LED under the alternator (battery) light is the O2 sensor replacement reminder. It connects to a switch driven by the speedometer/odometer cable. Most people disable it these days, it's just a stupid nag, and requires a 2-piece speedometer cable.

On diesel conversions, many people hi-jack it for a glow-plug idiot light, so you know when the GPs are on/off. There's a terminal on the VW GP relay where you can jury-rig a wire directly to that "OXS" LED. Factory Vanagon diesels had a GP light in that position.
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tim before this last major fix, I had no icons and it looked like my new battery (last March) was not holding a charge. Now I have the icons and red lights and no battery problem anymore.

If I may stick my kneck out even further I'[m thinking that your major electrical wires are the problem.
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83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Timwhy wrote:
Pretty sure that these LED's come on when you turn the key to the start postion.
After a few seconds the lights go out, well at least the red ones do. I think
that they light up to let you know that they are working as dumby lights. Not really
sure what they do if there is some sort of problem, maybe if you have some
issue with your battery is the light coming on and staying on while the vans'
engine is running?


The OP has commited the Samba sin of starting a new post on his original problem. Check his other post "how many miles"

He's a newbie and he has a certain number of "newbie points" that he can use up before he gets slammed.

Aloha
tp
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh well, we have all been newbie's before and we all screw uo one time or another. Perhaps you have forgotten how confusing this can be.
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83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)
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Ahwahnee
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Posted on the other thread but in case that one has been superceded here...

irgsmoore4 wrote:
...its a new alt, i changed the V belt, but the multimeter shows only 12.13 at the alt, (new brushes maybe).


Just in case you do not know this -- you can't simply start the engine and then expect to find proper voltage at the alternator. You'll need to 'blip' the throttle first.

This increase in RPM will do the 'excite' mentioned elsewhere. Not really exciting at all but will make the red lite on the dash go out and get full voltage presented at the alternator.
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Cedge
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently wired my rail and made a discovery I wish I'd known about before I began. I bought several indicator lights at the local Advance auto and installed them in the temporary panel I'm using until I can build my full console.

The darned alternator light would not go out, no matter how many times I "blipped" the engine. A trip to the local alternator shop showed that the alternator was fine, but the light, being an LED, wasn't creating enough load to trigger the system.

A local VW guy almost sent me down the wrong path by telling me he never used a light on his alternator and it charged just fine. I've always been told it needed the light to force it to charge, so I was more than a little dubious. It didn't take long to figure out, that was not the way things work.

After a surprisingly difficult search of the local parts houses, I finally found a 12 volt incandescent indicator light and wired it in parallel to the LED. Bingo.... one small engine blip and both lights went out. Rather than mis-match the indicators on my panel, I mounted the new light right on the alternator and pulled power from the positive side of the coil.

Be aware, those old style indicator lights are getting rather hard to find these days.

Steve
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the post Cedge you've shed some light on the problem.

Aloha
tp
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irgsmoore4
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SO SORRY, not only am i a samba newbie ,im also a computer newbie, i wasnt aware that i had to use the same "thread" to get answers (it takes forever to type with one finger and this mac just frustrates me !!). Anyway thanks for all the info ,if iv offended anyone im sorry and it wont happen again, (I know the rules now, Is there a list of rules some where i should know about? if not im sure someone will keep me in check!) Cool so back to the bad Alt, thanx for all the info and i think between my 4 year old son and myself i may just be able to fix the problem. As for a ground wire ,to install one permenantly,what gauge is considered heavy enough?
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Cedge
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hooking a 12 volt test light, such as a trouble shooting probe, to the positive side of the coil and probing the small plug spade on the alternator will prove if it is charging. A quick engine rev should shut off the light if things are as they should be.

Setve
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dhaavers
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

irgsmoore4 wrote:
...Is there a list of rules some where i should know about?

First item on the Forum Index is good for newbies:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=17

PS - Welcome to Samba!
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome, you now have Vanaganitis!
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

irgsmoore4 wrote:
SO SORRY, not only am i a samba newbie ,im also a computer newbie, i wasnt aware that i had to use the same "thread" to get answers


Yes welcome toTheSamba

The really good thing about newbies is that many times they ask the questions that others are emberassed to ask because we think it is basic knowledge and we don't want to appear ignorant. The newbie doesn't have the experience and basic knowledge and saves us. The end result is that many of us learn without losing face. No problem with the new post. You wanted a quick answer and you got it and probably quicker with more responses than if you had used the original post. We are here to learn and to share our knowledge and the idiosynchrosies of our vehicles.

There is another thread that I haven't seen in a while and it contains a lot of little known Vanagon information, such as how to power windows without turning the key by using the high beam switch. The alternator light/energizing circuit is another idiosynchrosy and you've reminded many of us and/or made us aware of that bit of knowledge.

Thanks for helping to spread the knowledge. Your posts have made an addition to what is available on the search. And I've just realized that emberassed is a really funny word. Ember assed / red cheeked

Aloha
tp
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