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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:02 pm Post subject: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Hi all... I have a 69 Ghia that was recently rebuilt by PO. Has new ALTERNATOR (not generator, and no regulator). I can't get it to charge battery.
. Dash light does not come on (it works....see below)
. Battery shows 12.5 V , but never higher 17V at higher rpm
. Jumped from B+ terminal (where dash light connects) via wire and spare bulb to battery + terminal (got light and then removed). No dash light, but got 17V. But after a few minutes, voltage spiked at all rpm and alt seemed very hot (subjective)
. Jumped from B+ directly (no resistance bulb) to battery+momentarly... voltage spiked immediately
. ONCE I jumped with bulb momentarily and got 17V for some 15min, but then gen dash light finally came on and the voltage spiked and alt was hot
. Read something about a ground wire, but not sure where that is
HELP! Need to get charging. Will run for some time, but if lights are on it is only for 30 min max!
Thanks all.... Lynn |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12846 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:08 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP!! |
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17 volts is too high, this will boil the battery, your alternator is bad. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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I am afraid that the Alt is bad. But can it be fixed? And can it be fixed without removing it from the engine? Just hate to buy a new one and go through the removal process! |
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c21darrel Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009 Posts: 8211 Location: San Dimas
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74 Thing Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2004 Posts: 7389
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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c21darrel wrote: |
I have always had mine re-built. You gotta find a guy that still does it (lost art?).
If you end up buying...buy a Bosch, the Chinese ones barley last a year. |
I disagree-the Chinese ones outlast the Bosh rebuilt ones lately. |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:17 am Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Still need Help! Just replaced the newer looking Alternator. Now having the same NO Charging issue. Argh. Upon starting the Gen light does NOT come on. Voltage shows 12V and dips with lights on. The previous Alternator would show occasional peaks of 17V and the Gen light would finally come ON! Tempted to jumper a light between the charging post and the +positive side of the battery (I think the Gen light is already grounded??) just to see if that will excite the field. Help. Thanks! |
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jeffrey8164 Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018 Posts: 3815 Location: Georgia
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:53 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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The idiot light needs to work for the alt to charge.
Concentrate your efforts there. Check for continuity etc and make the light function first. You don’t even need an alt in place to do this. _________________ Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.
“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1) |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Thanks Jeffery... Tracing wiring is a challenge! I have seen the light work (when it would overcharge). That is why I want to test with a separate 12v bulb across the Alt spade to battery. Just not sure if I should connect to + or -. Guessing + as I think the dash lights all connect to ground. ??? |
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runamoc Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006 Posts: 5600 Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:03 am Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Quote: |
the dash lights all connect to ground. |
The lights at the bottom of the speedometer have pos. + to the base and 'get' grounds for them to light from what they are connected to. If you ground the little wire at the alternator that goes to the speedometer alt/gen light (key on of course), the alt/gen light should light up. If not fix that first. To otherwise test your alternator put your test light on the big wire terminal on the alternator and the other end of the test light on the quick disconnect terminal on the alternator. It should light up. Start the car, the test light should go out. I'm afraid you're mixing-matching wires and ruining otherwise good stuff. _________________ Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs-
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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KGCoupe Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005 Posts: 3580 Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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tcmia Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019 Posts: 212 Location: Cleveland TN
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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That link has some great info. The site helped me to figure some of the problems on my car out. |
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Danwvw Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2012 Posts: 8892 Location: Oregon Coast
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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The Alternator Lamp has 12 volts on it's socket side when the key is on. It's Tip is the blue #61 wire that used to go to the Mechanical 12 volt generator regulator which should have been be removed at the time the car got the Alternator and the 61 wire needs to go the the small post or spade on the Alternator. Without it it won't start to charge because the 12 volts from the Alt Lamp powers up an internal Alternator Voltage Regulator at start-up. The Alt lamp goes out when it starts charging because its got 12-14 volts on both the socket and the tip of the bulb. Also sometimes people put LED's in for the Alt Lamp which won't draw enough electricity to cause the Alternator to start charging. _________________ 1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths! |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:39 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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OK... still no good news!
1)Started engine with new ground from Alt to - battery (ground) … Still just 12V. 2) Tried removing the D lead to dash... then jumped a spare bulb from D to + battery. No light. Still 12V. Held on for a few more seconds and then got 14V. 3) Connected D lead AND jumper. Started engine. NO lights on dash or bulb. Touched jumper to battery + for a few seconds... No lights. Got 14V. Yes! 4) BUT... Gen light stayed ON. Wonder if PO reversed D lead or on wrong ignition spade????
And thanks for the info on the 61 pin... Unfortunately, the PO had it rewired non standard (very nice looking, but wrong colors and no numbers!). |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Danwvw and /runamoc…
I tried the blue gen lead to ground against the Alt body (with key ON). NO light!
I tried jumping bulb between D and B (dash light lead, exciter lead) and DID get light.
Then started engine and alt dash connected at B. Still 12V. Jumped bulb between D and B. No light at bulb, but did get 14V. AND then gen light stayed ON!
Wonder if PO wired gen light wrong???
Hard to determine wiring. PO rewired with own wiring. Looks good. But no numbers and hard to see under dash! |
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FoxBiz Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2018 Posts: 29 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:45 am Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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She's Alive! Finally got Alt working correctly!! Dug thru PO wiring and found that the Speedo wiring (for Gen, Turn, Oil) was connected to Ground! I wired to key on power +. Now the lights for Gen (Alternator now), and Oil comes on briefly as it should. No more manual jumping the Alt to get the coil excited (and the Gen light staying ON!). Now I have an extra Alternator for sale!!
Thanks for all the support! |
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jeffrey8164 Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018 Posts: 3815 Location: Georgia
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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:45 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator HELP NEEDED!! |
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Congrats!!
It’s a great feeling isn’t it? _________________ Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.
“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1) |
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