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gatorjos
Samba Member
Joined: April 19, 2003
Posts: 406
Location: San Francisco
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 Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:52 am Post subject: Flickering alternator light is a sign of? |
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My alternator light is coming on when revs are high (over 65mph in 4th, over 45 in 3rd). It doesn't come on solid though. It sort of ghosts on and off. Not quite a flickering.
- Is my voltage regulator on its last legs?
- is my relatively new alternator a dud?
- is it the ghost of Jerry Garcia?
The alternator appears to be charging fine, but we are about to cross the border to Baja Mexico so I want to know if I should pick up spare parts. Thanks!
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1977 Westfalia Weekender Berlin "The Kitebus" aka " Colonel Mustard"
Previous romances:
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2004 Passat 1.8T (manual)
http://21stcenturyhobo.com |
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SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| could be a bad alternator - could also be a bad VR, loose wire or a slipping belt. So yes, if it were me I would carry a spare of each. |
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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16961
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:29 am Post subject: |
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Drive that thing down to Autozone and have them hook up their fancy tester to your bus. They can check the alternator and tell you specifically if it's bad diodes or VR. It's free!
I had them do this to my Daughter's Passat and was able to remove and replace just the VR from the alternator while in place. Saved me a bunch of headaches because in that car you need to remove the entire front bumper/grill in order to remove the alternator. $50 job instead of about $250 for the whole alternator.
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:46 am Post subject: |
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| Don't listen to those guys. You damn well know that's Jerry's ghost. Handle it. |
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mikedjames
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2012
Posts: 2736
Location: Hamble, Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Ok I could add loose feed from alternator b+ to battery.
Worn brushes on the alternator.
Had both at the same time.
Cost me a battery and a set of new brushes. |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| mikedjames wrote: |
Ok I could add loose feed from alternator b+ to battery.
Worn brushes on the alternator.
Had both at the same time.
Cost me a battery and a set of new brushes. |
I have seen brushes do that so that could be it too. If so unless they are in a carrier that easily comes out the alternator has to come apart. |
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geopanoramic
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2008
Posts: 195
Location: Moscow, ID
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| Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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Smartass comment would be - "Dude, it's a bus..."
but curious about your solution.... Also:
I like this comment by mikedjames:
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Ok I could add loose feed from alternator b+ to battery.
Worn brushes on the alternator.
Had both at the same time.
Cost me a battery and a set of new brushes. |
I had an alternator really kill itself and a battery in 88 Subaru. I was curious how that happens.... can't remember how or why....
Combo electrical problems (as mentioned above) are successively hard to solve, and occasionally very weird. |
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