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vamanx
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2011
Posts: 22
Location: Stafford, VA
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 Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 12:42 pm Post subject: Alternator/generator light advice needed |
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| Could use the collective experience of the forum members to help me figure out why my generator light doesn't work but my volt gauge shows charging. I'm using a 1974 (early) Beetle steering column with ignition, wipers, turn signals, high beam on the column. OEM connectors at all steering column harness connectors. My wiring harness runs a wire from ignition switch #15 to the fuse block. Coming off of the D+ on the alternator I have a wire going to the generator light and from the other side of the generator light a wire going to the #15 on the fuse block(piggy back) to the #15 wire from the ignition. there is a #15 wire that runs from the coil to the opposite side of the fuse block that via the fuse hooks up the ignition and generator light #15. The generator light won't light up, but my Speehut volt gauge shows charging when RPMs reach around 1000 rpm. The diagrams in the forum show a wire running from the D+ to the generator light and from the generator light to the ignition (doesn't show which wire but I assume it would be the #15). my ignition switch doesn't allow for that routing but it since the ignition and generator wires connected at the same point I thought the effect should be the same. Thanks |
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20380
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator/generator light advice needed |
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Typically a alternator at rest (engine not running) puts a ground out on D+ lead which goes back to ALT lamp , and with 12 volt from IGN Switch on other side of lamp it lights....As alternator spins up the grounded D+ lead transitions up to 12 Volts same as B+ lead, when D+ goes to 12 volts current ceases to flow through lamp and lamp goes out (with 12 volt on each side of lamp the is no ground to light lamp)....
You probably need check ALT lamp bulb (does oil lamp and high beam lamps work?).... Also check the output on D+ with volt ohm meter to see if your alternator r is putting out any voltage on the terminal as alternator spins up...
This is a very simplifies version of Alt wiring...
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