12v voltage regulator test

[Danwvw]

The starter solenoids tend to get exposed to moisture over time and need to come apart for clean and repairs. Also the contactor plate can get messed up. Be sure to un-solder the coil wires from the front before disassembly!

My Contactor plate fell off and the inadequate fastener that solders on the plunger shaft broke but I found the solution was to thread the shaft and nut it and use threadlocker. Also I just flipped the contactor plate for the un-pitted side.

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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[crankbait09]

I will go ahead and replace that ground strap. It's in pretty rough shape and I bought a new for that reason. I will swap it out, and reinstall the starter, and see what happens.
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1963 Ragtop

[glutamodo]

I'm surprised I never tried to dismantle a starter solenoid before... I've taken just about everything else apart over the years.

The automatic solenoids were the most common to fail back when I was worked at the VW parts/service shop in the 90s. And the one on my Baja bug failed a couple of times. I finally got a new one that works good, but, again, surprised that I never tried to have a look inside. I know I had to take apart the starter motor itself at one point, due to water getting in there after a flood, and didn't even think about doing the same for the solenoid. The starter motor itself, by the way, is very robust.

I don't know if it's even hooked up anymore, but due to unpredictable hot-start issues, in lieu of a starter relay, I simply ran a wire to that unused extra 2nd 50 terminal to a spring loaded toggle switch I put next to the battery on the kick panel.
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Andy T.


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[crankbait09]

for grins, I just tried to polarize the generator. jumper from the positive terminal on the battery to the D+ terminal on the generator. Jumper from the DF terminal on the generator to ground. I got nothing out of the generator. Could it possibly be the ground strap (hard to say), but I'm trying to test this generator while it's still on the car.
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1963 Ragtop

[Danwvw]

A good generator will run like a motor doing that with the belt removed. Don't do it very long though! It's good to take voltage readings on the battery and see what is happening. Should be 12.6 volts rest if it's charged. and 14 volts charging if the gen and reg are good.
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[crankbait09]

Couple things. The ground strap that goes from the transmission to the chassis, where it connects to the chassis. Should that connection surface be bare metal? I was scraping all the crud off mine, but no matter how much I scraped, sprayed, and brushed....the "black" wouldn't come off. It seems like it's a rubber coating of some sort. My next step if it needs to be metal, is to get a wire wheel out. I installed the ground strap to it, but it certainly didn't help my generator issue any.

Generator - I still can't get it polarized. I don't know if it's an issue with the generator's internal parts or what. I know it means nothing but I can turn the generator by hand, so it's not seized up. I am really trying to get this turned over without dropping the engine. Is there anything else I can do?
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1963 Ragtop

[ashman40]

If it were up to me, I'd wire brush the connection points for the ground strap until I was certain it was a good clean electrical connection. Then once tightly fastened, coat the junction with dielectric grease to seal out any moisture to avoid future corrosion.


For polarizing your generator... connect your battery jumper cables to the battery posts and run it out to the engine so you can ground the DF and power the D+ directly from the jumper cables. In this way you don't have to be concerned with the ground strap at all.
While you have the power/ground connected to the generator, give the pulley a spin CW to get it moving. If it continues to spin on its own, the generator is polarized and you are done.
If it stops spinning your generator is bad. You could check the quality of the brushes. Replace them if needed and try again. It could be you just have a dead generator.
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[Cusser]

[crankbait09]

I will try the polarizing test again later today.

Couple questions.
In the picture below, you will see a lot of green. I am assuming this is corrosion from sitting for so long? Is there a red flag there? The generator spins freely by hand with no issues.

Depending how you answer that, when it comes to the brushes. I see they can be bought for pretty cheap. Are there other components that would need to be replaced within this generator?

Not sure if their is value in tearing apart or just buying a new aftermarket generator.

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1963 Ragtop

[Cusser]

[crankbait09]

certainly wasn't a ground strap issue. Did the test you mentioned above and I got nothing. I had power in the jumpers that were connected to the generator, but the generator did nothing. I'm going with dead.
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1963 Ragtop

[sb001]

Hey crankbait, sorry just catching up on this thread.
Yes it sounds like your generator is dead. (Double check and make absolutely sure you were actually connecting the positive jumper cable to D+ and the negative cable to DF on the generator!)

Earlier in the thread you showed that loose wire, it looks like the other end of that same wire is connected to the frontmost switch on the transmission, is that correct?

If so then I think someone has miswired or swapped two of the switches on your transmission.

Take a look at these photos (this is a spare autostick tranny I have):

Driver's side:

Passenger side:

Note that the neutral safety switch on these autosticks is on the driver's side of the transmission, so that wire should not go there-- plus the wires that connect to the neutral safety switch should be red or red/black (for the starter signal) and brown (for the ground.)

Looking at the above picture of the other (passenger) side of the transmission, you will see the backup light switch and the temperature selector switch. Your wire appears to be coming off of the switch in the temperature selector switch spot, BUT that switch should have three wires connected to it, while the reverse light switch to the left is supposed to only have two. But looking at your photo it appears these switches may have gotten swapped. And for some reason it appears there is a wire connected between these two switches which is incorrect.

The temperature selector switch should have connected to it the 2 wires coming from the gear temperature switches up by the bell housing (again see photo above) and then the third wire connected to that switch runs across the transmission and up through the drivers side floor pan right alongside the starter wire, into a double connector under the driver's side rear seat (if you remove the rear seat you'll see it-- lower right in this picture):

From there it runs up through the main wiring harness to the ATF temperature warning light in your speedometer. To my knowledge none of these wires should be black- the ATF temperature light wire should be blue/red, and the gear temp switch wires should be a light tan. That isn't to say though that someone replaced one of those wires at some point.

The reverse light switch wires ARE black, and the return signal wire would have that spade style connector on the other end where it returns back into the engine bay, where it connects into a 1-2 connector that sends signal out to both reverse lights:

My only issue with that idea is that that wire doesn't appear long enough to go back into the engine bay, even if the switch that it is connected to on the other end is the reverse light switch that is supposed to be in the spot further back on the transmission.

Anyway hope some of this helps you figure some stuff out.
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I'm the humblest guy on this board.

1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor

[crankbait09]

yes, I double checked the positive to D+ and Negative to DF a couple times.
I was good there. With the generator being dead, I think it's time to drop the engine and get it cleaned up and parts in place as they should be. Once it's out, I'll then tinker with the wiring that you are speaking of and trace it all out. Certainly would like to know this runs before tearing apart, but it is what it is. My friend is aware of where we stand, so I will begin.
Thank you for the photos of the transmission.
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1963 Ragtop

[sb001]

Sounds good, let me know if I can help out with anything regarding the engine removal (since it's an autostick there are a few additional things you have to disconnect), or post any more photos that will help you out.
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I'm the humblest guy on this board.

1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor

[crankbait09]

[crankbait09]

Looks like my friend wants me to proceed. When it comes to a new 12v generator, is there a decent generator on the market that isn't junk? Is there anything special I need to look for, or is a 12v generator a 12v generator regardless?

I saw some on JBUGS, and CIP1 and I can't tell a difference. It lists the year it fits, so I assume that's what I'd look for. Yes?
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1963 Ragtop

[johneliot]

Do you have a shop that will rebuild the one you have? That’s the best option.
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John

There is no distinctly American criminal class - except Congress.
Mark Twain

69 bug - "The Grey Ghost"

[crankbait09]

well....good question. Who would typically do that? It's not a normal auto shop, is it?

Does anyone on here offer that service?
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1963 Ragtop

[Cusser]

[ashman40]