Date:         Mon, 8 May 2000 16:50:00 -0700
Reply-To:     Shawn Wright <swright@SLS.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Shawn Wright <swright@SLS.BC.CA>
Organization: Shawnigan Lake School
Subject:      Re: 84 westy alternator light flickers(longish)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

> Here's the deal, Yesterday when going for a relaxing Sunday drive, about 10 km
> in, the alternator light in the dash comes on. EEEk. Now, this light has ALWAYS
> come on when the engine turns over, then when it is running a "blip" of the
> throttle and its gone. I read some discussion lately about how this is not
> normal, I though PPff, whatever, it has always done this and never posed a
> problem to date.  There has never been a problem with cranking power. I also
> have an auxiliary Optima that is connected to the LED. This light has recently
> been in the yellow unless the engine is running, alternator charging.  In the
> not to distant past this light was always in the green, unless there was a power
> draw. Hmmm . I believe the consensus was that this was normal, to be in the
> yellow.?
If you're talking about the Westy battery LEDs on the stove/fridge, mine is
*always* in the green, except after 2-3 days of camping after which it starts to
glow yellow.
>
>  The alternator light seams to come on and go off intermittently, and around
> 4000rpm it also goes out.  The belts are tight, with the engine running, the LED
> for the auxiliary battery is in the green.  So I assume the alternator is
> functioning. Excuse my ignorance here, I am no mechanic. Is there a way to test
> the alternator., I have also updated the dash to now have the built in tach, is
> there a way to test if this dash light is not functioning properly.
This sounds to me like worn brushes in the alternator - I've had these
symptoms in my Jetta and replacing the brushes did the trick. Check for
scoring on the alternator shaft, which may be hard to see without a small
mirror.

> I am thinking perhaps there is a short somewhere on the auxiliary battery
> side, causing the LED to dip into the yellow, causing the alternator to work
> harder, and it has just decided it is too much(?) Does this sound reasonable?
This is possible, can you eliminate the 2nd battery circuit to confirm?

> I assume I need to measure battery voltage(auxiliary), while pulling fuses,
> watching for any change in voltage, thereby isolating possible causes of power
> draw( if any exists(?))  It seams all the  vw problems I have had in the past
> are very common, and somebody on the list has figured out the solution, so
> whatdoyathink?? Do I need to buy the 350 dollar alternator, what about rebuilt.
> Any and all advise appreciated. TIA
Stock alternators seem to last a very long time (both mine are original at
350k and 427k km), so I'd check everything else first, especially the brushes.

========================
Shawn Wright
Computer Systems Manager
Shawnigan Lake School
http://www.sls.bc.ca
swright@sls.bc.ca