Date:         Mon, 21 Feb 2000 18:31:51 -0500
Reply-To:     Sorin Bejenaru <CaliforniaCampers@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sorin Bejenaru <CaliforniaCampers@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject:      Alternator not charging/ solenoid meltdown
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I have a strange thing happening to a 89 Westfalia.  The alternator is not
charging the battery anymore so I assumed it to be a bad alternator.  I put
a new alternator in, started the camper with a new battery and while the
engine is running disconnected the negative terminal from the battery and

the engine instantly stops as if the alternator is bad.  Knowing that the

alternator is new I started looking around for some other electrical
problem and noticed a brown/black substance comming out of the solenoid and
dripping on the wires and engine shield under it.  It feels like wax/grease
combination and seems to be whatever the solenoid is filled with probably 

an insulation of some type.  The solenoid is the cylinder mounted on the
left side wall of the engine compartment and from it one wire goes to the

distributor cap and several smaller wires go elsewhere.

I just went ahead and replaced the solenoid and still no power from the
alternator.  I measured the voltage at the alternator terminal with the
engine running and it is OK.  No battery light comes on in the dash at any
time not even when starting the engine

Any suggestions where the problem is?
Thanks for any advice.

Sorin